I don’t use relay boards much – maybe 20 a year – and they only cost (similar relay boards to this one, I just looked) $0.27US, and opto isolated at around $1.50US, and one with a 8266 ...

[Kaushlesh Chandel] prototyped a few projects on his Arduino that use an HD44780 Character LCD. Wanting to keep these projects in one piece, but not sacrifice his Arduino board, so he etched his ow… ...