How much do you save?

[Dowadudda]

You know. I fix the toilet. The fridge. Furnace. The Vacuum Cleaner. The Washer and Dryer. I do most if not all my other stuff. If I need anything done any kind of trade wise, I do it myself. If you need anything you pay wholesale for it usually.

How much do you think that saves compared to the people you go and do work for where they have to pay you for it.

It's a pretty steep savings. Plus, most of the year, your driving the work van, and not shelling out gas money or anything. Customer is paying for that. There is enormous cash outlay other people in normal everyday occupations have to pay for that we generally do not.

[Snoring Beagle]

You're talking about what you don't have to spend... saving is another topic all together.

[Snoring Beagle]

Ha Ha just take your lost tools thread for example.

[The Doctor]

You know. I fix the toilet. The fridge. Furnace. The Vacuum Cleaner. The Washer and Dryer. I do most if not all my other stuff. If I need anything done any kind of trade wise, I do it myself. If you need anything you pay wholesale for it usually.

How much do you think that saves compared to the people you go and do work for where they have to pay you for it.

It's a pretty steep savings. Plus, most of the year, your driving the work van, and not shelling out gas money or anything. Customer is paying for that. There is enormous cash outlay other people in normal everyday occupations have to pay for that we generally do not.

It adds up quick, don't it?
But it is kinda funny about what SB said, thinking back on the trail of tools out there.
Don't those other people have their own perks though too? I'm just asking.
The wife likes when I fix stuff.
This year looks like a good year for a tankless water heater. The larger tub and/or hot tub will be next. So much for saving money once I put that thing (tub) in.

[otto]

I guess we do save a lot. I don't do my own carpentry, at least not the finish work. We also need new carpeting. That I will have someone else do since I just don't want to deal with it. I do all my own car repairs, just because it's a 1990 J-body. Pulled a snow blower off the junker's truck and gave hime $30 for it. cleaned the carb, new belts. Saved $700 or more on that one.

[beenthere]

Years ago.
When I had horses.

My blacksmith was doing shoes, and telling me about his new barn. And how much he was paying another blacksmith to make an install his railings.

I asked him why he wasn't doing it himself, and saving that money.

His answer was.
He can make more money working, then what he would save not working, and doing it himself.

A small repair, that takes little time, you save.
But, if you had to take off work, or miss family events, it wouldn't be worth it.

JMO.

[jpsmith1cm]

You have obviously never been near one of my home improvement projects...

For a simple job, I usually have to drive to Lowes (they are closer) AT LEAST twice.

We just moved from a trailer to a house, and a bathroom project is upcoming. We shall see what kind of nightmare this turns into.


Seriously, though, I have been thinking a lot about this lately. I have an F-150 that I drive about 5k miles a year. I have just about every hand tool under the sun in my GMC toolbox.

I think a lot of people DIY stuff, we HVACR guys just have an additional knowledge base that can save us BIG.

[slant6]

sometimes i will fix it till its broke =[

[Snoring Beagle]

The real trick to saving money falls under the concept of...

What the eye doesn't see the mind doesn't want.

Thank you, Thank you very much

[Texas-Tech]

I personally will fix everything I possible can myself, up to a point. Some of the car repairs I won't do cause of the computerized issues. Other then that watch out cause I'm a fixin fool.

[Wheelbaron]

I have the problem of, Hey I know I can fix that, just as soon as I get time....

[RoBoTeq]

We in the HVAC industry, technicians at least, have an advantage that many others don't have. We have to be proficient in refrigeration, electrical, plumbing and construction and for the most part have the tools to work in these areas.

But how about our taxes? Vehicle repairs? Medical issues? Legal issues etc? There are areas of expertise where we spread our money back into the system so that accountants, automotive repair people, doctors, dentists, lawyers etc. will have money to pay us for what we are experts in.

I'll bet the average tax accountant also does all of his own financials whereas we would be more inclined to hire someone for most accounting jobs and even investments. You think those doctors don't save a bundle on DIY medical outside of their particular area of expertise?

I'd say it all works out in the wash until any of us get outside of our abilities because of some DIY TV show or magazine article that lures us into doing things that will wind up costing us more then if we paid experts in the field to do them. The last few times I have worked on my own vehicles wound up costing me more then if I had had the work done by experts in the auto industry the first time.

Then again, sometimes DIY work is just something we enjoy and don't mind paying more for doing ourselves.

[Catpower]

This place is turning into a bunch of DIY'ers


I build repair everything I can, and some times can't, the can'ts just take longer.

Sometimes my wife will come home with something that she has bought and say it was 30 bucks or what ever, and I'll look at her like I'm mad and say, hell, I could have built one for $300

[t527ed]

in the 27 years i have owned properties the only thing i hired someone else to do was a new 300 amp service for my apartment bldg( only because i was not allowed to do it) and a company to make and install the granite countertops in the house i'm in now.

besides the hvac knowledge helping out with many repairs and projects i worked with my father who went to school as a kid for cabinetmaking and kept with it as a hobby his whole life.

other things like tile flooring and rebuilding my inground pool i just figured it out myself.

probably could not afford half the stuff i have done around the houses if i had to pay someone else.

just put a bid in yesterday on a house down the shore, if i get that the projects will begin again..........

[beachtech]

You know. I fix the toilet. The fridge. Furnace. The Vacuum Cleaner. The Washer and Dryer. I do most if not all my other stuff. If I need anything done any kind of trade wise, I do it myself. If you need anything you pay wholesale for it usually.

How much do you think that saves compared to the people you go and do work for where they have to pay you for it.

It's a pretty steep savings. Plus, most of the year, your driving the work van, and not shelling out gas money or anything. Customer is paying for that. There is enormous cash outlay other people in normal everyday occupations have to pay for that we generally do not.

yea, we need to save that money because we cannot aford to pay someone else for service with the penny's we make

i am sure i save alot as i do everything myself too, add working on my own vehicles too (used to be an auto tech) and i cannot even imagine having to pay someone for all that i can do on my own. i know i cannot afford it!!! regardless