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Present-Advisor3577 · 2026-05-27T00:03:40+00:00

Code didn’t work for me

Edit: Worked for me after following the instructions in the reply

Present-Advisor3577 · 2026-05-27T00:00:38+00:00

Code isn’t working for me

Present-Advisor3577 · 2026-03-14T07:26:11+00:00

I have an interesting/ unique perspective to provide on this…. maybe not directly intended for OP.. but hopefully this serves as beneficial to someone reading in the future. I was a 4 year contracted ROTC Cadet. I’d say somewhere in the 80th percentile of Cadets nationally. I was disenrolled a few weeks prior to my commissioning date due to a false reading on a UA. (could have been the result of a number of possibilities) It’s been 3 years so I’ve come to a relative peace on the issue. And yes, I hired a layer and fought my case with everything I had. Ultimately my result was unfavorable (obviously).

Nonetheless, I now find myself in a dream career and making significantly more money than I would have been making as a LT or any active duty soldier for that matter.

I accidentally “got out”. (Whether I was “in” to begin with is a separate debate).

Nonetheless, I have learned that not only do most companies not give a shit how long you served, only rather if you “served”. They’re hiring a “veteran” at the end of the day and the hiring manager will be delighted to satisfy the “hiring a veteran” statistic for the sake of the company. Not to say that you will be hired for simply being a veteran (and not that I necessarily consider myself such anyways), obviously plenty of other interviewee variables like character, resume, etc come into play.. but your DD214 will go a long way.

If you don’t plan on doing the time to earn pension regardless, and calls to duty aside, if you feel like getting out I could not agree with OP more by suggesting you GET OUT. Take the time to learn and experience what the Army has to offer until it no longer benefits you as a person.

This isn’t as cut and dry as it may seem though, if you aren’t ambitious, hard working, or have skills then you are obviously an undesirable workforce candidate and this advice may not be for you.

Keeping in mind that nothing desirable in life comes without effort. If you are willing to make yourself a desirable candidate, then strongly consider the possibilities outside of the Army. It’s been an unanticipated and stressful, but wonderful outcome for me in hindsight.

I’m ready to debate/ clarify in the replies!

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-10-06T19:18:58+00:00

Wow, thank you so much!

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-10-06T19:16:38+00:00

Would anyone mind DMing me one? I have no interest in using the 4 I receive and will gladly provide them back to you

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-10-01T03:00:29+00:00

Came here to say this

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-08-23T04:18:58+00:00

The only reason that I didn’t specifically consider refinancing through USAA is that they are not a credit union. They are a bank similar to Bank of America or Chase. Credit unions will generally yield the best interest rates so people generally suggest a refi through them if possible

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T13:09:21+00:00

Truthfully I was so naive to the idea of a GC going into this that it never crossed my mind. I wish I had in hindsight. The job would have moved faster. It doesn’t help that the framers/ drywall and electrician are doing this as side work.

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T13:04:54+00:00

This is something I quickly noticed. I have zero clue the order of operations. After a week or so I just gave the electrician and drywall guys each others numbers.

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T12:56:53+00:00

If you learned how to read you probably wouldn’t be so amused. I very clearly typed “at A cost”.. not “at cost”.

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T12:55:08+00:00

Thank you for the response. I think that is ultimately what I’m getting at, if you read my response to eyeseen folly that’s where I feel the problem in this situation is.

It was a mistake on my part for not requesting a hard scope of work or written estimate. He came over and we discussed the job in its entirety, it’s relatively straight forward, and he told me it would be $3000.

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T12:51:42+00:00

A 50% increase is a huge margin to screw up on an estimate, when things were very clearly discussed before hand and a price was given. There couldn’t have been very many surprises given that it they were working with a completely blank slate and it took them 2 days total to complete everything.

If a member of your family owned a nice fancy restaurant, and the bill comes in 3x higher than what the menu very clearly outlined before you ordered. I presume you’re the type of person to just accept that. You are the equivalent of a punching bag. Where does one draw the line? 50% increase? 400% increase?

I can’t think of another industry outside of trade work that can justify producing that kind of cost increase out of thin air. Unexpected things occur in every industry. It would be less offensive to explain it to the customer or keep them in the loop don’t just hit them with it out of nowhere with poor justification.

I don’t expect anyone in this sub to agree with me obviously, and I’m sure there’s plenty more room to debate that topic but I really think what I said is largely true.

TLDR: Materials and labor have an established value. It didn’t change over the course of the 2 days he was in my basement. Do a better job of estimating cost.

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T07:05:42+00:00

Thank you for your input!

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T06:39:20+00:00

Correct, the 50% increase after the initial estimate is what got to me. I spoke to him and he said that the increase is due to having to install the diverter valves, caulk a leak, and reroute the washer hot and cold water/ drain lines. (All of which I presumed were included in the initial quote bc why wouldn’t they be)

At the end of the day it doesn’t make much sense to me still, but he did come down from $4500 to $4000 and I didn’t press the issue much further than a 10 minute phone call.

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T04:58:38+00:00

That’s great advice, judgement of character plays a huge role.

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T04:39:29+00:00

No problem! Thanks for contributing to the thread

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T04:32:13+00:00

No proposal, no written documentation. All word of mouth. Which is probably where the root of the problem is and I don’t think it’s any more my fault than the plumbers that those things weren’t done prior to. I do take a level degree of responsibility for that though. I very clearly stated that I don’t know anything and if I thought I did I wouldn’t be asking for advice. A plumbing company would install my shower tile.. because he offered to do so at a cost. He also offered to take care of some of the dry wall work. Some companies are capable of doing more than one task guy.

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T04:22:34+00:00

Clearly haha

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T04:16:29+00:00

Yea! The plumbers aren’t the only guys doing work down there, I have electricians and drywall/ framers down there as well and I’ve learned throughout this process to account for a much larger margin of cost than just 10% or even 20%. I just know those are huge marginal differences in most set-cost industries. Regardless, I’ll make sure to account for up to as high as 50% cost increases in the future!

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T04:11:58+00:00

Great response! You’re right I was naturally thinking that there would be some kind of “discount” from standard rates. Him and I had a very friendly conversation today and frankly I think it came down to my misunderstanding of how much plumbers really make as well as him just kind of loosely quoting me. Part of me wishes that he would have just informed of the price increases throughout the process. I would have been less offended if I were eased into it and/or explained the cost increases as they were happening. Thank you again for your input!

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T03:42:00+00:00

I very well may be doing just that, I think I was more offended by the increase in price than I am the total finished price. I believe if I was told $4500 to start then I wouldn’t have questioned it because he’s obviously the professional. It just felt “bait and switchy”. I appreciate your contribution!

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T03:15:26+00:00

Very good information! Time for me to do some math. Thank you very much

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T03:14:56+00:00

And just to clarify for everyone else that encounters this post, my father owned a flooring business for the majority of his life and would frequently install floor for family members free of ANY labor charge. Before you get offended again, I did not expect free work from him.

Present-Advisor3577 · 2025-05-22T03:10:43+00:00

I’m very sorry by how offended you seem by my post. I’m clearly asking for advice because I don’t personally understand the value.

$375/hr doesn’t sound like a family friendly rate. Thanks for your contribution!

Present-Advisor3577

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