Heddheld, that's cool enough for a symmetrical object, like the one in that example (although slightly more work), but I'm worried about objects that I don't want symmetrical, or aren't symmetrical all over, and only perhaps in that one particular location I'm working on.  Then cutting and mirror won't help.  What's the trick of changing the individual origins?  I thought that was already what I did by using the "Extrude Individual" tool.  Is there a similar tool for scaling "individual"?

Maxxmodels, in the case of which you need opposing scaling in two axis, and mirror can not be used, I would only then suggest to you instead of S hotkey, use the scale manipulator, located in button at the bottom of screen.  Use this to scale along the axis you wish for both selected faces at one time.  Scale along Y, and X, or Z and Y for the example. This will, of course, be much slower and more clicks than you wish, but at last it is possible to accomplish.  Yes, the bevelling in 3dsmax is a much different feature, and 3dsmax uses a chamfer name instead for edges.  That is one difference that you will need only to get used to, or must need to consider before you begin to model, so it is sure not to defeat your progress.

If you watch tutorials in Blender, you will see how Blender artists step aside these problems without slowing down, by using strategy in how they begin their project.  I know in 3dsmax this is not necessary, but each software has differences.  Still, the speed of final progress is up to good plan, and thinking ahead usually.  Moving to new software sometimes will require you to do that.  Once I changed some habits, I found very simple how easy to get from one shape to another, but using only a different road.