4 ms·

This is a weird article. Besides being over-dramatic, she focuses on her past belief DIY is mostly about saving money, and being proved wrong. Therefore she ne

This is a weird article. Besides being over-dramatic, she focuses on her past belief DIY is mostly about saving money, and being proved wrong. Therefore she needs to quit DIY like it's a drug or something. Optimizing only for time and money is an awful way to live in my opinion. I like learning how things work, becoming skilled at a task so I can help other people, etc. As an anecdote, I actually just sat right down now after installing a dash cam in my car. I had to learn how to tap into the right fuses, how to remove door panels without breaking them, cable management, etc. Had to used service manuals made for mechanics and lots of youtube to figure it all out. Took 6 hours and maybe $10 in tools. I could have had a mechanic do it in 1 hour for ~$150 if I wanted though. But now I understand more how wiring and interior panels work, which is really satisfying. I'm planning on doing this again with my friend's car, and with a dashcam I bought my mom for mother's day. I'm happy to give her something that will give me more peace of mind while she's driving.

viraptor 5y ago
You may be skipping bit of nuance from the article. She wrote "I DIYed for the same reason most people do. To save money. To make it exactly the way I wanted (can we say control issues?). And to put my personal stamp on it." It's not just money. And sometimes if you're caught up in something too much and stop enjoying it, it's nice to have a break and reevaluate. Kind of like a drug if you need to figure out if you want to keep going.
dgfitz 5y ago
I completely agree with you. My “motto” if you will is: if someone else can do it, I can do it. Maybe not as quickly or as well, but I’ll learn a lot. I am self-taught when it comes to working on cars, but I can now take an intake manifold off and replace fuel injectors as well as clean valves. Brakes and calipers are something I don’t ever think I’d pay someone else to do again
- zepolen 5y ago
  Interesting motto, so you could prove Fermat's last theorem?
  - spicybright 5y ago
    Great comment! I had a laugh!
- technothrasher 5y ago
  I used to feel the same way about brakes. But forty or so brake jobs and 25 years later, I do pay somebody else to do them when one of my daily drivers needs it, just so I don't have to bother. I still work on my 'toy' cars, but then that's what they're there for.
- aYsY4dDQ2NrcNzA 5y ago
  https://youtu.be/9ALOI63X_CE https://youtu.be/9ALOI63X_CE
doggodaddo78 5y ago
Honestly, I don't care about DIY costs. I tend to make things when I need something specific or different that isn't readily-available. I can make things, but I have other priorities. Like hydroponics: I bought an automated garden rather than putting one together because time and simplicity. And, I have so much stuff already, I don't need anymore. Plus, the accumulation of tools and supplies to DIY is never-ending and costly. Oh, and maintaining, restoring, and customizing my VW van is plenty of DIY for me.
- spicybright 5y ago
  Wow, an automated garden? Can you share more on that or drop some links about it? I used to grow weed and was trying to go in that direction before shutting down. I was able to tie alexa into water pumps, so I would just say "Alexa, flood top tray" and it would water my clones. I half joked about the goal being "Alex, grow weed"
PebblesRox 5y ago
I was a little suspicious when I got to the pitch at the end. I like to read through blog archives and I've seen a pattern of blogs becoming more commercialized as they become popular and the authors realize they can monetize. I wrote a post about a particularly clear example: https://wordpress.com/posts/bancosparenting.wordpress.com https://wordpress.com/posts/bancosparenting.wordpress.com I'm sure there's more money to be made from as an interior decorating consultant vs. by providing inspiration and tutorials to budget-conscious DIYers. Not to discount the truth of her story but it leaves me skeptical that this is the whole story. As someone who aspires to grow a blog audience and reach people with my ideas it makes me want to keep a close eye on my own values and how they may change over time once there's a personal financial benefit depending on the kind of advice I give.

viraptor 5y ago

You may be skipping bit of nuance from the article. She wrote "I DIYed for the same reason most people do. To save money. To make it exactly the way I wanted (can we say control issues?). And to put my personal stamp on it." It's not just money. And sometimes if you're caught up in something too much and stop enjoying it, it's nice to have a break and reevaluate. Kind of like a drug if you need to figure out if you want to keep going.

dgfitz 5y ago

I completely agree with you. My “motto” if you will is: if someone else can do it, I can do it. Maybe not as quickly or as well, but I’ll learn a lot. I am self-taught when it comes to working on cars, but I can now take an intake manifold off and replace fuel injectors as well as clean valves. Brakes and calipers are something I don’t ever think I’d pay someone else to do again

zepolen 5y ago
Interesting motto, so you could prove Fermat's last theorem?
- spicybright 5y ago
  Great comment! I had a laugh!
technothrasher 5y ago
I used to feel the same way about brakes. But forty or so brake jobs and 25 years later, I do pay somebody else to do them when one of my daily drivers needs it, just so I don't have to bother. I still work on my 'toy' cars, but then that's what they're there for.
aYsY4dDQ2NrcNzA 5y ago
https://youtu.be/9ALOI63X_CE https://youtu.be/9ALOI63X_CE

doggodaddo78 5y ago

Honestly, I don't care about DIY costs. I tend to make things when I need something specific or different that isn't readily-available. I can make things, but I have other priorities. Like hydroponics: I bought an automated garden rather than putting one together because time and simplicity. And, I have so much stuff already, I don't need anymore. Plus, the accumulation of tools and supplies to DIY is never-ending and costly. Oh, and maintaining, restoring, and customizing my VW van is plenty of DIY for me.

spicybright 5y ago
Wow, an automated garden? Can you share more on that or drop some links about it? I used to grow weed and was trying to go in that direction before shutting down. I was able to tie alexa into water pumps, so I would just say "Alexa, flood top tray" and it would water my clones. I half joked about the goal being "Alex, grow weed"

PebblesRox 5y ago

I was a little suspicious when I got to the pitch at the end. I like to read through blog archives and I've seen a pattern of blogs becoming more commercialized as they become popular and the authors realize they can monetize. I wrote a post about a particularly clear example: https://wordpress.com/posts/bancosparenting.wordpress.com https://wordpress.com/posts/bancosparenting.wordpress.com I'm sure there's more money to be made from as an interior decorating consultant vs. by providing inspiration and tutorials to budget-conscious DIYers. Not to discount the truth of her story but it leaves me skeptical that this is the whole story. As someone who aspires to grow a blog audience and reach people with my ideas it makes me want to keep a close eye on my own values and how they may change over time once there's a personal financial benefit depending on the kind of advice I give.