If it isn't bolted down, bring it home.
One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions.
At any given moment, there is always a line representing what your boss will believe. If you step over it, you will not get your budget. Go as close to that line as you can.
It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
It is easier to apologize than to get permission.
I had a running compiler and nobody would touch it. They told me computers could only do arithmetic.