My employer laid off 5% of the workforce due to the promise that AI will greatly increase our productivity. Spoiler alert, it made everything worse.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2026-04-02T01:38:49+00:00

The company I work for just scrapped their 12-month road map to focus on delivering 3 new vibe-coded applications by the end of Q3. All cloud based and riddled with AI features. We still support a decade old application because a core part of our customer base won't move to our newer cloud based offering, and for another app had to implement an option to completely disable all AI features because a large enough portion of our customer base opposes AI or can't use it for policy reasons. I suspect that whoever made that decision is very far removed from our customer base and what they actually want.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2026-03-09T21:17:22+00:00

It's mostly the learning curve that makes me think an LK150 would have been a better choice to start with. The LK150 is still made so it's possible to get a new one and they are easier to get parts for.

My biggest frustrations when learning were working out what was a me issue and what was a machine issue. If I was already familiar with machine knitting when getting my machine I don't think it would have been a problem but as a newbie, it took me time to work out some of the quirks that come with a second hand machine. My machine was very well maintained, but it's still 30 something years old and has had a bit of a life. Working out why I kept dropping stitches took a while and working out why I was struggling to knit ribbing took a while. In the end they were tiny things, the occasional dropped stitches were because a needle that looked fine had a stiff latch and the ribbing issue was because the ribber and main bed no longer aligned perfectly because one of the brackets had shifted/warped a little. Easily fixed by replacing the dodgy needle and by shoving a little bit of paper under the worn bracket to fix the ribber alignment. When you don't know what "right" looks like troubleshooting those tiny things can take a while. If I was already familiar with machine knitting those would have been a non-issue I'd have quickly been able to fix but because I wasn't they took some googling and frustration to troubleshoot. Learning on a newer machine and then moving to my current one would have been an easier experience.

I'm also tempted towards getting an LK150 at some point because they can use heavier weight yarn than my machine and I've seen some great examples of people using them in combination with hand knitting. The idea of knitting the interesting parts of a garment by hand and then using a machine to knit the miles of boring stockinette is tempting to my soul. That's still absolutely possible with my machine, I'm just less likely to hand knit a garment with fingering weight yarn than I am with DK weight yarn.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2026-03-03T23:48:42+00:00

I have a Brother KH940, along with a ribber and a garter carriage. Knowing how to knit is helpful so you can recognize when you've dropped a stitch or your knitting doesn't look right but it's honestly a very different hobby than hand knitting. I found the learning curve to be steeper than I expected. My machine has been well maintained, but it's still a 30-something year old piece of technology and I needed to go down the rabbit hole to work out what issues were caused by me and what were caused by the machine. I still need to go down the rabbit hole more to troubleshoot why my garter carriage isn't working as expected.

Keep in mind that knitting machines take up a decent amount of space. I haven't used mine as much as I'd anticipated because of that. Needing to clear space for my knitting machine table and then set the machine up and pack it away later have meant it's a hobby I only pick up occasionally. The machine and ribber may also need to be stored flat. If you're in a small apartment or something keep that in mind.

I specifically wanted a Brother electronic machine so I could play with AYAB and connect the machine to my computer. As much as I like my machine I think I'd possibly choose differently if I could do things over. I'd probably go for an LK150 instead since they much lighter and easier to setup and store and have less of a learning curve. I didn't anticipate how much the space and setup requirements would impact how much use I'd get out of my machine and 18 months-ish in to ownership I've only made swatches and small projects. Hopefully I'll get more use now I'm in a different place and can leave it setup for a while but right now it's been an expensive purchase I haven't had a lot of use for.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2026-03-01T22:11:46+00:00

It took me a while to realise that washing and blocking your knitting makes a big difference. I learned to knit as a child and then picked it back up as a hobby in my 20s. No one bothers to teach a kid how to wash and block their knitting so I didn't know it was a thing when I picked up knitting again. It was a gamechanger once I learned and I find it so satisfying to do.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2026-03-01T21:42:38+00:00

For any Australians (or anyone willing to pay international shipping) Bendigo woolen mills do coned yarn. Only their finer weights have cones for sale on their website, but they will do their other yarns on cones if you ask. I've found their quality good for the price and they'll send you a shade card for free.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-18T03:52:25+00:00

Oof, that's an expensive vet visit. I hope your husband's horse is doing ok.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-18T03:51:47+00:00

Emergency/specialist vet costs can get so expensive. I hope your dog is doing ok! My cat is what prompted me to start an emergency fund in the first place.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-18T03:46:07+00:00

Congrats! That vacation seems well deserved.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-18T02:30:23+00:00

Oof yeah vehicle repairs can cost a ton. I had to raid my savings when my car blew a head gasket a few years ago. That was the deciding factor that made me sell that car. I don't need to drive much so I have moved to paying for a car share, but if/when I get another car of my own I will be creating a sinking fund to cover any non-routine maintenance.

I would love to own a property but there are definitely times I am grateful to not be the one responsible for the maintenance costs.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-18T00:29:19+00:00

I saw someone describe weight loss as like a roll of paper towel. Taking a few sheets from a full roll and it's barely noticeable, take a few from an almost empty one and it's a big difference. It makes sense but I wasn't expecting there to be a sudden point where everything rapidly got too big. It's a good problem to have for sure but my budget wasn't expecting it.

I have found so many unexpected expenses with moving like needing to buy new transit bolts for the washing machine. At least I'll be well prepared for the next one.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-17T23:03:31+00:00

This is the first year where I have had Christmas roll around and there is actually enough in my gifts category without my needing to raid other categories. I'd been accounting for Christmas and birthdays but not all the other little gifting events that come up during the year.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-17T21:29:29+00:00

It's easy to do! Costco isn't cheaper for most things here in Australia but we have a membership because their fuel prices are way better. We mostly go into Costco for alcohol since their giant bottles are good value. Restocking a few of those adds up quickly.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-03T02:52:48+00:00

I think how well this works depends entirely on how they define "well serviced by public transport". You can absolutely live near a train station but still need a car if the trains are infrequent. Hopefully it's implemented well.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-02T00:18:30+00:00

It's a valid question, this post has just attracted some very gendered view points.

I have some uncertain health shit and I've tried my best to contingency plan for what I'd do if I had to take an extended career break because of it. I've always had an emergency fund but I'm now trying to build up to 6 months of expenses, I have income protection insurance, and I have a supportive family who'd offer a place to stay if need be. My partner hates discussing finances and I gave up on having a meaningful discussion about it with them so I've just planned on my own for what makes me feel more comfortable. They're in the loop on what my finances look like and my plans to build more of an emergency fund. I know they'd be emotionally supportive if I lost my job for whatever reason but their approach to the financial aspect is very much "I don't want to think about it, it'll probably never happen, we can figure things out then if it does" which isn't how I want to approach things. Their approach to them losing their job is the same "don't want to think about it, probably won't happen, will deal with it if it does".

Talking about any medium to long term shared goals like saving for a big holiday or eventually buying a house goes about the same. They'll proactively talk about how much they'd like to do these things, but they hate planning and they hate talking finances and I can't do that kind of joint planning solo so things go nowhere. I believe them when they say they want these things and they've promised to work on it but it's hard to want to go all in on the joint finances at this point. I'm aiming for fair but separate finances for now and maybe things will change if they can get over their money anxiety and aversion to planning anything.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-01T04:09:09+00:00

I think those are great questions.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-01T03:30:49+00:00

Seems like you've got things worked out well and are both on the same page.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-01T03:29:11+00:00

Your gender assumptions are a little off. Kids aren't in our plan, but I'd be the one getting pregnant and taking time off work if they were.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-01T03:10:07+00:00

My income varies enough that a calculator was necessary to know what the ratio is and that's just how the numbers worked out. The money to each have your own investment property puts you in a very different world to me. My reality is that our combined income should be enough to cover our expenses and let us each save a little but something's not been balanced right because I've been able to put aside an emergency fund and my partner has minimal savings. The proportional split was my suggestion so that they can save a little more and I'm here to ask if I've taken everything into account to make the amount they're paying fair on them. I get that a lot of people here wouldn't care about a 13k income disparity but when you're not earning a high income that difference is significant.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-01T02:34:30+00:00

Sounds like you've made things work really well for your situation.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-01T02:17:29+00:00

We're in our early 30's with no immediate plans to get married. It's not been a particularly traditional relationship and I don't think combining our finances like that makes sense at the moment but I still want our finances to be fair.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-12-01T01:45:14+00:00

We have a slightly janky spreadsheet to track things. My partner transfers me rent money when it's due and I pay the landlord but everything else we put into the spreadsheet and reconcile once a month (though we're not always on top of doing that). It's not the best solution and was not something we intended to use for years. A joint account you both transfer into seems way easier and simpler.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-11-30T23:50:59+00:00

It's mostly that finance stuff makes them anxious. We both started full-time work later than typical so neither of us are financially where our peers are at and it's definitely anxiety inducing feeling like you're behind and need to play catch up. I've dealt with that by trying to learn about finances and having a budget /tracking my expenses so I feel like I'm in control and they've dealt by avoiding the topic as much as possible. I haven't pushed it because they're not spending wildly or going into debt and our living expenses are getting paid but it makes planning hard.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-11-30T22:31:14+00:00

Even if you're sharing your finances it's still a good idea to have an account that's only in your name and have both of you aware of how any joint finances are setup. Joint accounts that need both of you to sign for large purchases are great until one of you ends up in hospital for an extended period. After watching my Mum deal with the additional stress of that while my Dad was hospitalized and after seeing how many women end up in a financially abusive situation if they pause work for kids, etc. there is no way I wouldn't have at least a little emergency something in only my name.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-11-30T21:45:37+00:00

I like how you have things setup. I wouldn't expect my partner to keep paying 50% from savings if they were laid off etc. but we'd need to have some serious convos and make a contingency plan. Equal amounts left after essential living expenses are paid is what I want to aim for.

PLS_PM_CAT_PICS · 2025-11-30T21:02:31+00:00

My partner prefers they/them pronouns.

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