That timing belt job taking all day, was the guy a trainee or a master tech?

Spot on from @evakelly, it's always the cheap part you ignore that fails first, like a phone charger cable.

I spent three days last year trying to fix a weird issue with my home server. I finally posted on a tech forum and a guy in Australia had it solved in an hour. It really changed how I work now.

Your tent story shows how we stick with old tools long after better ones come along.

That's a rough way to learn that lesson. Actually, the free version usually has limits the paid one doesn't. Like maybe it only links three bank accounts or something. The real trick is to use the free trial until it locks you out. Then you really know what you're missing, if anything. Makes it way easier to decide if the paid features are worth your cash. Jumping straight to a yearly plan is just asking for regret.