Is workflow tweaks (2026 edition) [v2]

Posting this here because the relevant subreddit has gotten too noisy lately. For context, I am working with a pretty modest budget so high-end suggestions probably will not land. I want to write something more comprehensive about this later but starting with a quick post to gather thoughts.

Posting this here because the relevant subreddit has gotten too noisy lately.

Maybe an unpopular opinion but here we go. Quick context: I am relatively new to this and trying to find my footing. The trade-offs here are not obvious to me and I keep flip-flopping.