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AZ, USA
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Posted: 5/12/2024 10:57:43 PM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By durtychemist: What did you do with the $5,050 you ‘saved’? I’ve always believed you don’t actually SAVE anything. You just ‘don’t spend’ it. You’re not moving it to an account where you won’t spend it. You’re not saving it. Saving has a purpose, a goal, a reason. Simply ‘not spending’ money doesn’t mean you’re actively saving. They’re not the same to me. It’s why there is a SAVINGS account and a CHECKING account. Fill up your savings account with the money not spent. Otherwise it’s just money you didn’t spend. I beg to differ. Let's say I have 870,000 in my savings account. I did three projects recently that saved me a few thousand: replaced a pool pump, garage door springs and opener, and a skylight. Let's say I would have spent $4000 on these if I had them done but instead I spent $2000. If I had them done I would have 866,000 in my savings but since I did them I now have 868,000. I have 2000 more in my savings on things I HAD to get done. I saved $2000 over paying someone else and I have that in my savings. Sort of semantics I guess but makes sense to me. |
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USA
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Posted: 5/12/2024 11:00:23 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By durtychemist: It gives him time to do other things. For $100 he probably got 5 hours of time to do other things because someone else had the parts and didn’t need to make time to get it done. There is actually a benefit. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By durtychemist: Originally Posted By STRIKE504: My neighbor always talks about "having a guy come out and look at it" for the easiest most mundane diy things. Got charged $100 a head to swap a few broken sprinklers.  It gives him time to do other things. For $100 he probably got 5 hours of time to do other things because someone else had the parts and didn’t need to make time to get it done. There is actually a benefit. It doesnt take 5 hours to unscrew a head and screw a new one in. A fool and his money I guess... 🤷♂️ |
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USA
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Posted: 5/12/2024 11:01:42 PM EDT
[#3]
Feels great man.
Good job. |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 11:03:15 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Pokernut: Especially with you tube. How to fix X, how to replace Y.  I have used youtube so many times for anything like stove repair to car repairs and food prep. Makes quick work of projects that you need a bit of help with. Wish this stuff was around when I was younger. |
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AZ, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 12:12:47 AM EDT
[#5]
Friend needed some wiring in his house. He was quoted $3000.
I did the wiring for $200 in parts he paid for and I gave him the labor, about 3 hours. He cooked me dinner. Pay it forward. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 1:33:41 AM EDT
[#6]
Doing my own struts and control rods saved over $2k on my old cop car.
The wife was upset about the $300 we spent on doing a timing belt on her car until she saw what the mechanic had quoted. I learned to wrench because it was either fix it myself or be without a car. That led to learning how to to other things. Like the windows in the house. $150 a window is a lot cheaper than $600. |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 1:51:40 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Foxtrot08: There’s limits to things. Stuff on ladders and requiring one off tools such as an aluminum brake for flashing… I’ll let someone do that game. Plus a good crew of 2-3 people can knock it out in a few days vs weeks by yourself. 3 guys replaced my windows, took the old siding off, put the new siding on, roofed my barn and sides my barn in 5 working days over 2 weeks. They had to stop due to weather. This. I'm huge on doing things myself and have easily saved tens of thousands of dollars, but I evaluate things in a case by case basis. I'm not getting on a roof. Nor would I replace all my siding myself. I didn't replace my HVAC equipment myself. I hired a plumber to replace the main water valve inside the house. I would probably hire a plumber to replace a water heater to avoid having to move it by myself. Main indoor waste lines I would probably hire someone  . Replacing toilets is my limit there. Other than alignments, I'll do anything automotive myself. Saves so much money and makes it easier to swallow keeping a car properly maintained. Same with household stuff. If an old water valve seems sketchy I just replace it, where paying a plumber a couple hundred to come out for preventative maintenance would he hard to swallow. |
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UT, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 1:54:33 AM EDT
[#8]
I had to fix a flat on my suburban the other day. It was just after the tire stores closed when I noticed it. I have the cheap HF manual tire machine. I wasn’t sure it would do 17” 3/4 ton wheels, but it did. I always keep some radial patches around. Had it fixed in the time I would have waited at a shop just to get it in.
It’s just nice to not have to rely on outside sources all the time. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 2:22:15 AM EDT
[#9]
How is saving money by doing something yourself instead of paying someone else to do it a "cheat code" or "life hack"?
Sounds pretty much like common fucking sense to me.  The people who need to be told this are doomed anyways. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 3:25:43 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AlphaOperator: Fpni I am not an arf millionaire. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AlphaOperator: Originally Posted By adamtheduke: I legitimately wouldn't be able to afford a "middle class" lifestyle without improving and maintaining my stuff for myself. Fpni I am not an arf millionaire.  Me neither |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 6:18:00 AM EDT
[#11]
We moved into our house in January of last year. It's my first house. I've had to fix so much shit that's broken that the VA hired home inspector said was good. The back yard has so many huge patches of bare dirt. Probably because one leg of the irrigation system doesn't work. So I didn't do anything to fix it last year because I thought it was going to cost a shitload of money to hire someone to do it. Especially here. I'm learning that tradesmen here don't want to spend time to come fix trivial things that aren't entire installations of something that they can make shit loads of money on. And I just recently realized I could probably look up some videos about how to diagnose and fix the irrigation problem myself. Turns out the solenoid was bad on one of the valves. Easy fix. Now my entire irrigation system works. This yard hasn't been well taken care of and it's very compacted. I'm going to get a tiller and till the bare spots. There's also a thick layer of dead grass and leaves that I need a dethatcher for. Soon as I get that taken care of, I can seed. It's going to be great.
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Posted: 5/13/2024 6:38:14 AM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By adamtheduke: I legitimately wouldn’t be able to afford a “middle class” lifestyle without improving and maintaining my stuff for myself. Same |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 6:50:52 AM EDT
[Last Edit: triburst1]
[#13]
I typically do smaller jobs myself if it’s less hassle than hiring someone to do it. I don’t have the time or tools to spend and entire weekend wrenching to do a job that an experienced mechanic in a properly equipped shop can knock out in a couple hours.
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VA, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 6:51:06 AM EDT
[#14]
Dealing with contractors was always such a PITA that DIY made sense. The real saving is in the high skilled stuff such as car repairs, electrical and plumbing. Low end such as landscape, roofing, etc. it’s usually better to hire it out.
When it comes to heavy equipment. It depends, but usually a skilled operator is going to get it done a lot faster… so I don’t DIY that too often. YouTube has changed the game. It’s pretty easy to find a video of the exact thing you need to do. One thing is for sure. I never have a weekend where I don’t have some sort of project. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 6:51:31 AM EDT
[#15]
Take the savings, buy guns and ammo.
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Posted: 5/13/2024 6:54:10 AM EDT
[#16]
Originally Posted By NoStockBikes: I saved over $5000 this weekend on 2 different necessary projects. I know the DIY ethic is alive and well in the Arfcom demographics, but it almost shook me up a bit when I thought about all the people out there just getting by who can’t, don’t, or won’t. Project 1: Replace truck bumper. I had a thread about this one with all the details, but quick and dirty version is that I had a damaged bumper interfering with the functionality of the tailgate on a beat up GMC “farm truck.” Shop quoted me $3200. I watch some YouTube videos, bought a cheap replacement off Amazon, replaced it in about 5 hours. $250 and Inhave a working tailgate again. $2950 saved. Project 2: BMW M4 needed brakes and rotors. Normal maintenance, it was time. (Also have some track stuff coming up in a few weeks, otherwise I could have deferred it til later this summer). Price at dealer is $3800. I ordered OEM rotors and PFC-08 pads online. Watched a couple YouTube videos, and about 3-4 hours later, another $2200 saved. Holy crap! That’s $5050 after tax, what’s that for a footprint in your gross salary? Did I saved $5050, or did I give myself a defacto $10,000 raise? Kinda crazy to think about the impact that a few projects a year could have on an average American’s standard of living. I guess the moral of the story is look for the opportunities and don’t be afraid to do stuff. This is the mindset that puts dollars in your pocket later, and reduces your expenditures now. In April 2022, I decided I was going back to work on my home and I didn't work for a single paycheck until June of 2023. I can imagine the equity I put in this property. Nicely done OP 
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ME, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 6:57:50 AM EDT
[#17]
I grew up watching my father DIY everything around our house, including building a "camp" at the lake. I just assumed it was the norm for people to do that stuff themselves.
When we got married we took our honeymoon money and I built a porch on the house we had just bought. It was my first major DIY project all on my own. Need to side the house? Can't be that hard... Build on a mudroom addition? Can't be that hard... Add a subpanel and wire the garage? Can't be that hard... Re-do the bathroom including the plumbing? Can't be that hard... Now 26 years later I realized I may have made a mistake doing everything myself instead of hiring out shit.  My wife just assumes she can have anything she wants because I can just do it.Currently working on a bedroom addition to our lake house. |
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MI, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:00:14 AM EDT
[#18]
I typically DiY stuff but in some cases the juice just isn't worth the squeeze. I have essentially unlimited OT at work, so I hire out stuff that isn't cost effective for me to do instead of working. I can go in for a Sunday and pay for a summer's worth of lawn mowing, so I hire it out. Saves money and time. Oil changes take me less time than driving to the dealership or trusted mechanic, so I DiY. Saves money and time.
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:03:00 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Foxtrot08: There’s limits to things. Stuff on ladders and requiring one off tools such as an aluminum brake for flashing… I’ll let someone do that game. Plus a good crew of 2-3 people can knock it out in a few days vs weeks by yourself. 3 guys replaced my windows, took the old siding off, put the new siding on, roofed my barn and sides my barn in 5 working days over 2 weeks. They had to stop due to weather. Used to live in Milwaukee, wi. They have a tool loan program for residents with ladders and other expensive one of tools. |
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SC, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:08:41 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By MarkMustang: I was explaining this to my son yesterday. He's about to be 14 and I told him the next time of of the vehicles needs an oil change, he'll be joining me under the car. He made a face and said "but dad, I don't get it. You make really good money and even in this economy, we can still do fun things, eat out, blah blah blah..." Side note: I've been teaching him to manage money and about the economy). I tell him let's do the math. We have 2 vehicles, and they each average 3 oil changes a year. They take the same oil and filter. The filters cost is $8 each. The oil cost is $30 for 6 quarts for full synthetic. All in the cost is ~$250 with tax. The average cost for a full synthetic oil change in my area is $70. That's ~$420 for the same number of oil changes. Which means by doing it myself, I'm saving about $170/year. That 2 dinners for our family at TX Roadhouse. Or 4 trips to the movies for he and I. Then I compounded that with tire rotation, fluid checks and maintenance, changing serpentine belts, etc. It adds up. I'll hire a repairman for things that are super difficult or out of my skillset. But to the OP's point, if I can reasonably do it by watching a few YT vids, I'm down that path quick. 14? Hell, I had my 4 year old out to change oil a few weeks ago. Yeah, she couldn't "help" much, and it took longer because she was there, but it got her interested and we had fun together. By 14 I think my Dad has me doing it himself so he didn't have to bash his knuckles getting the filter off. By 16 I was doing it all myself, he wouldn't let me drive until I did. |
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IN, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:13:15 AM EDT
[#21]
Wife is getting a a new kitchen, and we’re putting in LVP flooring throughout the house. I’ll be saving $15-20k by installing the cabinets and flooring myself. They’ll do countertop and backsplash.
Crazy what they want just to install the cabinets. |
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SC, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:28:51 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By slanted: Dealing with contractors was always such a PITA that DIY made sense. The real saving is in the high skilled stuff such as car repairs, electrical and plumbing. Low end such as landscape, roofing, etc. it’s usually better to hire it out. When it comes to heavy equipment. It depends, but usually a skilled operator is going to get it done a lot faster… so I don’t DIY that too often. YouTube has changed the game. It’s pretty easy to find a video of the exact thing you need to do. One thing is for sure. I never have a weekend where I don’t have some sort of project. This as well, we went thru two fencing contractors to get a perimeter fence built. One kept asking for more money, because his meth head son kept stealing from him and the second just kinda stopped showing up and responding to calls when the fence was %90+ complete. When it came time to fence the garden I said screw it I'll do it myself, and have been pretty happy with it. It's hard work, but at least it gets done |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:32:34 AM EDT
[#23]
A couple stories of the many DIY failures I have seen.
Don't get in over yer head. One of my customers decided to install his own amps and head unit in a custom van after I reworked his door panels and sleeper area with speaker enclosures and separates. He drove up with the van smoking. The van burned completely within minutes in the parking lot. He ran multiple 10 guage power wires unfused throughout the van. He tried to blame me. The firemen that put out the fire explained what had happened. Car alarms. Ha!!! Too many dash fires to remember. Over the years, several homeowners that I sold electronics to attempted to install their own audio video systems. Most failed horribly, and wanted a discounted rate to unfuck their homes. No, unfucking a job is more expensive than starting with new, unfucked equipment and an undisturbed work area. Universal remote control programming. 
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:32:38 AM EDT
[#24]
Having good maintenance, repair and fabrication skills is worth thousands, maybe tens of thousands in annual income.
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:34:36 AM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By brownbomber: I am going to attempt to bleed the brakes on 2 of my vehicles, and change the rotors and brake pads if they need it. I installed the hitch and electrical harness myself on one of them. Get a Brake Bleeder and Vacuum Pump Kit. They are cheap and makes bleeding breaks/cluches simple for one person. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:43:17 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Slingblade2006]
[#26]
Over covid, the wife and I remodeled our kitchen. New paint, lighting, floors, cabinets, countertops, electrical, plumbing and new appliances. The only thing we hired out was the granite countertops, but we did draw up the measurements, took them to directly to the granite wholesaler, pick out our slab and they cut it and dropped them in. All spent was less than 10k. I had two friends around the same time paid people to remodel their kitchens. One was 30K (no new appliances) and the other was 50K (with new appliances/but no new flooring). Was it worth it? I think so, we did have a half functioning kitchen for a little longer than expected as I fixed a bunch of plumbing and electrical issues found during the remodel. It also gave me something to do when stuck at home.
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:44:56 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By durtychemist: It gives him time to do other things. For $100 he probably got 5 hours of time to do other things because someone else had the parts and didn’t need to make time to get it done. There is actually a benefit. This. Plus how much are you all spending in tools and shit? Printing your own stuff? That printer isn't free. Needing to rebuild transmissions multiple times?? WTF are you driving, so I don't buy one. Brakes, yeah ok, sure. Even oil, but that's almost break even with time and getting rid of the oil. We had our roof replaced last week by insurance. Took the guys just about 12 hours over 2 days, including some siding. Insurance is paying for deck repair too. No way in hell am I wasting the next 3 weeks of free time to do that. You DIY guys, be honest and factor how much in you dropped in tools. Is it really that cheap (especially for the once a lifetime job)? |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:48:24 AM EDT
[#28]
I DIY a lot of stuff, cause even with a decent salary it's not like if I don't work on the yard I'll make $200 or whatever. So home basics, etc all done myself. I repaired out dryer last year 8 times, but it ended up being fuckd and needed to be replaced anyway.
this year when the washer started down a shitty hill I knew I could fight it for a few months, spend 1/2 the price to get a guy out to fix a how-old washer, or bite the bullet and buy a new one and have other people's spines carry it up the stairs. We did that granted it was paid for with the $2k I saved on DIY brakes and rotors, but still. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:51:39 AM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Pokernut: Especially with you tube. How to fix X, how to replace Y. Yep. My dad didn't do "car stuff" so I'm slowly learning how via YouTube. My first brake job is coming up.... |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 7:55:42 AM EDT
[#30]
Biggest thing is to “know your limits”.
These days, if it involves a ladder or more than 1 day, or more than 1 person(me) I’m out. I’ll pay pros to do it because I can’t afford to get hurt or injured and my time is way more valuable than what I’m paying contractors. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:01:22 AM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By TexRdnec: When come, bring beer https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/30587/IMG_6228-3212948.jpg @TexRdnec Just rent a sand blaster! At minimum, use a side grinder with a wire wheel. That’s what my guys do when we need to strip and repaint old tanks. ZA |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:04:20 AM EDT
[#32]
Neighbor across street: "Can you look at my brakes on my minivan, my wife says they're making that noise again"
Me: "I looked at them a month ago. You wore your pads down to bare metal. The metal is carving up your brake discs...I told you that already" Neighbor: "Could you fix them?" Me: "I (still) don't work on other people's cars" Especially things like braking systems Neighbor: "But I saw you doing a brake job on your wife's SUV a few weeks ago" Me: "Yeah, it helps to change those pads before they wear out your rotors" Neighbor: "Those disc things? The shop said I needed new rotors, too...they want $600 JUST FOR THE FRONT!. THAT'S NOT EVEN THE BACK! THAT'S ROBBERY! PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY!" Me: Nope, I sure don't. New pads were $60, and that was for the good ones. Neighbor: but you could... Me: Nope, sorry I just don't have the time. Neighbor: But we (you) could do it this weekend. I'll bring pizzaaaaa! (like cheap Domino's pizza is supposed to lure me) BUT YOU HELPED STEVE WITH HIS CAR!!! Steve's a cop, and he couldn't figure out why his police car wouldn't get past 60 MPH. I swapped out his clogged fuel filter while he was freaking out only the city shop could work on his car. It took me all of 3 minutes I'm not a mechanic, even though my dad gave me my first car with a seized-up engine, laughed, at me and told me I had a year to fix it before I turned 16 thanks dad (rip) give mom a hug for me |
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WY, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:04:30 AM EDT
[#33]
How much is your time worth?
You could’ve been making money and investing it Something something something other bullshit GD comes up with because they’re lazy |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:05:30 AM EDT
[#34]
I kind of enjoyed replacing a gimbal bearing on the lake boat. Included making a custom depth hole in the installation/alignment tool based on the setback of the engine to the transom shield.
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:07:57 AM EDT
[#35]
I try my hand at DIY on a number of projects around the house and my vehicles , but I have also made a few mistakes in doing so. Now I weigh the job for time and complexity and will pay if need be.
An example was My moms cars blower motor went out and I ordered a new one and then looked at some video online. I prepared to do the job , but once I saw how tight it was and pulling most of the dash out ,I said "nope" and paid someone to do it. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:18:04 AM EDT
[#36]
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:19:48 AM EDT
[#37]
wifey had a friend of hers come by one evening. I had the garage door open so she walked in through the garage to the kitchen where my wife was
I had the front end of wife's SUV jacked up replacing the passenger side front wheel bearing, wheel assembly already removed, new part going on, all is well Wife's friend has a look on her face like she just walked into the garage and I was performing brain surgery on a human being on the floor...shear terror an hour later, wife and her friend are going to Walmart. they walk out through the garage, wheel bearing is installed, wheel replaced, jack lowered, me getting ready for a test drive Wife: Can I take my car yet Me: Let me take it down the road first and make sure everything's OK. I'll have ti ready when you get back Wife's friend is totally freaking out that I "put that entire car back together in less than an hour" (not really, I'd already done most of it before she got there) Wife's friend explained when HER husband (we called him "Flounder" behind his back because he looked exactly like Flounder from Animal House) tried to work on THEIR car it always ended up with a tow truck coming to get the car and a big bill from the dealership) How some people make it through life having to PAY someone to do their work for them is beyond me You CANNOT make it in farming that way, you'll go broke your first year |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:21:09 AM EDT
[#38]
My Dad taught me HOW to work. He showed me how to plan a project as well. Thanks Dad. My Boys both know how to work now as well. I was at my youngests' house the other day and he showed me a nice project in their wash room that he'd done. He throws beautiful Grand Daughters too. Life is good.
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:25:09 AM EDT
[#39]
My wife and I make enough money where we can pay for most repairs but I just can't get myself to call someone else when I know it's something i can do or figure out with youtube. I'll try just to fix or build just about anything, except roofing, I'll pay for that shit now! ha
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:25:41 AM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ZA206: @TexRdnec Just rent a sand blaster! At minimum, use a side grinder with a wire wheel. That’s what my guys do when we need to strip and repaint old tanks. ZA Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ZA206: Originally Posted By TexRdnec: When come, bring beer https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/30587/IMG_6228-3212948.jpg @TexRdnec Just rent a sand blaster! At minimum, use a side grinder with a wire wheel. That’s what my guys do when we need to strip and repaint old tanks. ZA i'm wire wheeling everything, it's just easier to knock the 87 layers of paint that's peeled off first. then when i drain all my grinder batteries i primer what i've got done and call it a day makes for slow going but i'm not in a hurry. afterwards i'll pressure wash the shit out of it and throw a coat of paint on. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:29:38 AM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By tamu94: Best advice you can give a young man, learn how to use tools and do home/auto maintenance and repairs. This. I get my son involved in all of my projects. He helped my father and I repair a lawnmower deck a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday we changed out the lug nuts on my truck. He operated the impact wrench and threaded the new lug nuts on. Next weekend, weather permitting, we're going to start servicing all of the lawn equipment, the golf cart, and the tractor. He's a good kid and stays on task much better than I did at his age. |
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KY, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:35:45 AM EDT
[#42]
For a DIY for about everybody
Clean the outside unit on the AC If it has been a few years then you will save some money on the power bill Clogged coil fins really make the outside unit work harder Blow out from the inside so it comes out the same way it entered. It is best to not push crap in deeper Vacuum the inside unit fins clean also Also look at your dryer vent. We had a guy at church have his house burn because he left the dryer on and went to church on Sunday Helped pull lots of stuff that could be recovered from the other side of the house First thing I did when I got home was to clean mine |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:46:56 AM EDT
[#43]
Saved $8,000 by painting my house.
Saved $1000 by replacing the faucet and piping on my bathroom sink. Saved $5,000 on some minor electrical work. As others have said I couldn’t afford a middle class life style if I had to hire everything out. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:54:22 AM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By adamtheduke: I legitimately wouldn’t be able to afford a “middle class” lifestyle without improving and maintaining my stuff for myself. Same here. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:54:58 AM EDT
[#45]
Like others have said here, it's a balance. When we remodeled the upstairs bathroom last year, I hired two guys to do all the drywall. I hate doing that stuff, and not particularly good at it, so it would have taken me 10x as long and not looked as good. And I even had them install the baseboards, for another $100. They are already in there so why not? Saves me several hours of trouble, even though that's something I can definitely do, but don't enjoy. However, I did rebuild the whole vanity myself. For one thing, I wanted to design it for my girl's needs. I enjoy working with wood, and was up for the challenge. It turned out great, I developed another woodworking skill set, and I easily kept a couple of thousand a cabinetmaker would charge. The only part I farmed out was the installation of the quartz countertop, again because pros can do it faster and better, and quartz is something you cannot eff up and fix. I installed all the faucets/drains, that stuff is relatively easy.
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FL, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:59:52 AM EDT
[#46]
Got a 1200.00 quote for brakes and rotors years ago.
Paid for brand new tools and parts less than 350.00. I never looked back since then. |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 9:09:50 AM EDT
[#47]
boggles my mind how many people in our little neighborhood have people do their grass. We're on 1/8 to 1/2 acre lots, not including house, drive, and landscaping. It takes maybe an hour with a shitty ryobi push mower and weed whacker. I was curious when I moved here and they have big zero turns, so priced out The place we looked at quoted like $250-350 a month.
It takes MAYBE an hour a week, it's a work out, and then I can drink cold beer. I'm doing OK but not going to pay $100/hour for anything like that. |
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GA, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 9:12:14 AM EDT
[#48]
I have completed a lot of different project with much success simply because I am poors and could not afford to do it other wise
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NV, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 9:26:04 AM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By BombCrater: I beg to differ. Let's say I have 870,000 in my savings account. I did three projects recently that saved me a few thousand: replaced a pool pump, garage door springs and opener, and a skylight. Let's say I would have spent $4000 on these if I had them done but instead I spent $2000. If I had them done I would have 866,000 in my savings but since I did them I now have 868,000. I have 2000 more in my savings on things I HAD to get done. I saved $2000 over paying someone else and I have that in my savings. Sort of semantics I guess but makes sense to me. You lost me at unimaginable amount in bank account. |
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NV, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 9:27:51 AM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By STRIKE504: It doesnt take 5 hours to unscrew a head and screw a new one in. A fool and his money I guess... 🤷♂️ Tell me you don’t think the project starts until you’re actively working on it without telling me. |
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