No micromanaging. My boss said: “I don’t care how long you take for lunch, just put in your 40 hours and get your projects done on time.”
Coming from previous jobs that I had to clock in/out of with strict lunch times, that was mind-blowing. Been working there 3 years now.
I have a fear of being wrongly accused/arrested for something horrific, like murder, and then when I’m taken in for questioning I do what you’re supposed to and refuse to speak and ask for a layer, but that just makes everyone suspect me more and I end up in prison.
Staying calm and speaking both rationality and politely does work wonders. It disarms most irate people. I just had to use the technique on some grumpy neighbors.
Re filling my emergency fund after buying my house. It’s mostly depleted now, so I’m working on getting it back up!