Willow Collins

I honestly have a two-story with thick walls and what finally worked was a dedicated non Wi‑Fi unit that uses FHSS on 2.4 GHz and is rated around 3000 ft line of sight... tbh holds a steady connection upstairs and even out on the patio and while app-only options kept dropping when my mesh switched nodes. Put the handheld in a central spot upstairs and keep it away from your router for best results. If your place has a lot of brick or ductwork, go for the longest advertised range you can find. Works great.

Been there, feast-and-famine is a whole circus. I once had two fat months, bought a blender, then spent the next eight weeks eating rice while my landlord glared. The only way I stayed sane was pretending I was salaried. One small income holding bucket catches every payment and I ignore it for daily life. Rent and groceries come from a steady paycheck I send myself on the 1st and 15th. On every deposit, skim 30% straight to a tax savings so April does not body-slam you. Skim 10% to an emergency stash until you hit three months of bare-bones, then cut that to 5 and build sinking stuff like car fixes. Figure your bare-bones number and make that your paycheck, even in good months, and let the extra sit in holding to cover the lean ones. When holding grows past two months of paychecks, you can nudge the paycheck up or throw some to retirement. I track it with one banking app and calendar reminders, not spreadsheets, because if I have to touch a sheet every day I just will not.