That timer thing is honestly genius and way overdue. Some people just dont notice how much space they take until you literally show them the clock. If he got mad about it thats kinda telling right there.

The whole "walk across the room for the good one" thing is the real answer here, and I say that as someone who has a graveyard of cheap pens in every drawer. What you're fighting is the ballpoint itself, not the price. Ballpoint ink is thick and goopy by design, so it's always going to blob and bleed on thin sketchbook paper no matter how much you spend on it. If you still want a cheap pen for quick doodles, get a fine tip felt or gel pen instead of any ballpoint, those lay down a much thinner line and dry fast. But keep in mind you'll burn through them quicker and they can still ghost through cheap paper, so the fancy fineliner sitting across the room is honestly just less hassle. Save the cheap stuff for notes, not art.