Your time is not free

[Iplayfarmer]

... I don't think many of us are building implements and tools for the **** of it. I mean it would be pointless to build a backhoe just cause you love to build stuff if you just left it sit unused once you were done. Clearly you would build it because you wanted to use it for WORKING.
Can't see why that is so hard to understand.

I think this is where the friction and tension in this thread is coming from. Obviously from reading the replies, there are a number of us who are building implements and tools for the ****of it. I know I am.

I could have accomplished everything I needed to do with a $50 garden cart, but I took the time and built a hydraulic dump cart because I wanted the challenge, and I thought it would be fun (it was). I can do everything I need for any planned projects with an $80/day rented trencher, but I've always thought it would be fun to build a backhoe so I am. If I hadn't had so much fun building the dump cart I'd have never decided to tackle the backhoe.

Please grant us the freedom to be the kind of people that do this kind of silly stuff for the fun of it. Building a backhoe for the fun of it is no less pointless than chasing a little dimpled ball around a a golf course all morning just to hit it away from you again. Or taking off in a boat just to end up right back where you started from. Or, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane just for the excitement of free falling for a few seconds before deploying a parachute. Or, leaving the comfort of a nice home to spend a few days living in a small tent, cooking food with primitive methods, and peeing in the bushes.

It's called recreation. It doesn't have to make sense.

 

[GT2]

I think that the reason there is so much "disrespect" is because of the title: "Your time is not free", Then the wording in the first sentence.
These two items put everyone on the defense immediately.

Should have been : My time is not free.
:thumbsup:

 

[o2batsea]

I think this is where the friction and tension in this thread is coming from. Obviously from reading the replies, there are a number of us who are building implements and tools for the ****of it. I know I am. .

This is our theoretical parting of the ways, my friend. You build it to DO STUFF with, complexity of the implement is immaterial. The moment it goes into service it becomes an asset. If it is an asset that you took time to build it has intrinsic value part of which is your labor and expertise. My premise is that you must include the time you took to build it into account when placing a value on this asset. By extension you must also include any resources and facilities that cost you money in your time equation. (You can't say that your tracked dumper is only worth the materials you purchased to build it.) Therefore your time is not free, even though you used your "free" time to build it.
It only has hobby value if you build it as your hobby but do not include it as an asset over and above it's enjoyment in building. So if you build it for the h-e-*-* of it, you cannot use it, just build it. Am I making sense?

 

[beppington]

O h b o y h e r e w e g o a g a i n

 

[o2batsea]

I think that the reason there is so much "disrespect" is because of the title: "Your time is not free", Then the wording in the first sentence.
These two items put everyone on the defense immediately.

Should have been : My time is not free.
:thumbsup:

I think I am getting people stirred up because they think I am accusing them of wasting time, or that their time is less valuable than mine. Neither is true. I'm trying to get them to see that their projects are more valuable than they give themselves credit for because I think they devalue their time. I stand by what I wrote.

 

[grunewald]

Think what the OP is trying to say is, as an example: If you build a picnic table on your free time, total material cost at say $100, for your use only at your house, same picnic table you could have bought for $200. Somebody stops by house, wants you to build same table for him, what would you sell it for? Difference here is most people here build for themselves, not expecting a profit. I build things for myself because I have a fixed amount of cash on hand, say $200, built this same table for $100, still have $100 in my pocket, good feeling. If bought table for $200, no good feeling and broke. Building it did not cost money to myself, I SAVED $100 for something else.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

This is our theoretical parting of the ways, my friend. You build it to DO STUFF with, complexity of the implement is immaterial. The moment it goes into service it becomes an asset. If it is an asset that you took time to build it has intrinsic value part of which is your labor and expertise. My premise is that you must include the time you took to build it into account when placing a value on this asset. By extension you must also include any resources and facilities that cost you money in your time equation. (You can't say that your tracked dumper is only worth the materials you purchased to build it.) Therefore your time is not free, even though you used your "free" time to build it.

I agree to disagree, but I do want to understand your point as much as possible.

You're right... my dump cart will never have as much value to someone else as is has to me. It makes a heck of a conversation piece, though.

It only has hobby value if you build it as your hobby but do not include it as an asset over and above it's enjoyment in building. So if you build it for the h-e-*-* of it, you cannot use it, just build it. Am I making sense?

I don't really count any of my hobby builds as any kind of asset as they are all very amateur. What I don't understand is why it can't have hobby value if after the fun part is over I decide to use it? Does someone who knits for a hobby not wear what they knit? Does all of your time spent boating come back to haunt you if you all of a sudden picked up a paid passenger? Can I only enjoy baking homemade cookies so long as I don't eat them?

 

[beppington]

Think what the OP is trying to say is, as an example: If you build a picnic table on your free time, total material cost at say $100, for your use only at your house, same picnic table you could have bought for $200. Somebody stops by house, wants you to build same table for him, what would you sell it for? Difference here is most people here build for themselves, not expecting a profit. I build things for myself because I have a fixed amount of cash on hand, say $200, built this same table for $100, still have $100 in my pocket, good feeling. If bought table for $200, no good feeling and broke. Building it did not cost money to myself, I SAVED $100 for something else.

Well I hoped a nice, concise post like that would help me understand, but no I guess I still don't get it.

Maybe it's really a "feel" thing that differs for each person. OP wants to use a firm 90 bux an hour to determine whether he will do something, whereas I just go, "Do I want to do it?" If so, I just do it. If not, I start comparing the cost of hiring a pro to how bad I don't want to do it."

 

[firedog]

Perhaps the OP stated and I missed it, but one thing thats not being mentioned here is the value (not necessarily monetary) of the satisfaction you get from working on projects. Whether it's actually building the project or using the project when complete. This must be added back into the equation.
Yes, when compared against all other things, my time has value. While I can't place a number on it, the OP has attempted this to help rationalize the usage of his time.

If you think about it, deer meat is by far one of the most expensive, when you consider the cost that goes into it. (rifle, ammo, lease, feeder, 4 wheeler, etc.) But the enjoyment received, time with a son, time in the woods, etc. must be considered. For most of us, we come out in the positive, if we didn't we, would no longer do these things. I think "smstonypoint" stated this, just in a more elegant manner. :thumbsup:

Now on the lighter side. Having used my time reading all these post. I'v come to the conclusion that each of you owe me a sum of money. I'm just not sure whether to bill the by the word or by each post.:licking:

Now I would like to be standin' on the corner when that strange & wonderous duo "o2batsea & mace" came a walking. BTW, ...wasn't there an animated SNL skit titled that, years ago.

 

[smstonypoint]

Now on the lighter side. Having used my time reading all these post. I'v come to the conclusion that each of you owe me a sum of money. I'm not sure whether to bill the by the word or by each post.:licking:

OK, I will pay up. Here's my :2cents:

Steve