Honestly I used to be the guy who'd just buy a new part right away. Seeing someone fold up a dollar bill and make it work totally flipped a switch for me. Like @carr.daniel said, it's that mindset of using what you have. My best save was using a shoelace to tie a broken rear derailleur into a single speed so I could limp home. It looked stupid but it worked, and now I always pack a few zip ties.

Ugh, that's so rough for her. @rosethompson has the right idea about starting with some immediate care to build trust. It's heartbreaking to see someone that upset over their hair.

My leaves always mat down into a wet, slimy layer.

Used to think more power always meant better tools, but this made me see the value in limits. When you only have 4KB, you can't just throw code at a problem. You have to understand it perfectly and write only what's needed. That kind of focus is a skill we've lost.

That bit about getting lazy on the basics, it's everywhere, right? You see it in how people just tape over outlets when painting, or don't pre-drill for screws. It's like we all know the right way, but we talk ourselves into a shortcut that always looks worse later.