Remember how that famine part feels when things are slow. I took on way too much last year, saying yes to every big project, and totally burned out. Now I have a set number of hours I know I can fill well, and anything beyond that gets a no. It forces you to figure out your real capacity.

Weekly reports are usually just to track progress, not for spying. In my experience, that data is mostly for internal stuff, like showing what your team got done.

Those gloppy soups can be turned into something else entirely, like patties or a spread. @robert246's lentil paste idea would work for that too. Barley gets firm when it's cold, so you can form it into burgers and fry them up. It breaks up the monotony of eating the same stew all week. You end up with two different meals from one cooking session, which is smart for a tight budget.

Squirrel's nest in the panel? Turn off the main breaker first.

Copying real examples works fine too.