Why does the cheap option almost always end up costing more? I see this everywhere, not just insulation. People buy the $80 bootleg thing, it breaks in a month, then they spend $200 on the real one anyway. You did it the smart way by paying a little more up front for the air sealing, since that is the part that actually stops the leaks. Your neighbor skipped the step that mattered and now he gets to pay twice.

The "wait is the whole point" thing hit me when I read a 300k Steve/Bucky fic that kept them apart for like 60 chapters. Every single chapter was them missing each other in these tiny ways, a jacket left behind, a song on the radio, stuff that seemed like nothing at the time. I almost bailed around chapter 25 because I wanted them to just TALK already. Then chapter 60 hit and they finally saw each other across a crowded room and I had to put my phone down and walk around my apartment. The slow parts are doing work even when it feels like nothing is happening, that's what I learned.