Oof that is rough, 60 bucks and 40 sheets all torn up would make me lose my mind. I had the same thing happen with a cheap one from a craft store, the blade had a tiny nick in it that I could not even see until I ran my finger along the edge. Learned to check the blade first now before wasting any paper on a test cut.

Same energy as "15 minutes of fame" being 15 real minutes.

That line about your mom rinsing bags in the sink in Denver hit me. I used to roll my eyes at people who reused foil and containers, thought it was a waste of time for pennies. Then I started buying the thicker freezer bags and watched what I was spending each month, and it added up fast, way more than I expected. Now I wash the good ones and only toss the greasy mess. Turns out the cheap habit was just the smart one all along.