Your time is not free

[greasemonkeyok]

There is no bright line marker between "work" activities and "entertainment" activities. Some "work" activities are enjoyable.

On the one hand, I enjoy mowing the pasture. I don't enjoy having to call around to find someone to mow, and having to wait on them to show up.

On the other hand, I don't enjoy cleaning the septic tank.

 

[Marveltone]

Wow, this went to h@ll in a hurry,now didn't it??!!

It was just put out there as food for thought..... It wasn't mean't to incite rage over the current state of society, or time vs. cash.

No rage. This is all in good fun.

90$ an hour is not absurd in 2010. It's not absurd for a journeyman, its not absurd for a lawyer, and it's not absurd for a surgeon.

But it is absurd for a factory worker.

Joe

 

[tungularafishcamp]

It is for a lawyer too, U can't get one here for less than 250 an hour and the good one in town charges 450.
Rick

 

[Travelover]

I'm glad my rate isn't $90 an hour - I could not afford to sleep or go to the bathroom. :laughing:

 

[Zick]

I don't agree with that of course, and it's not really based on money in the strictest sense anyway. It's more a way for me to figure out whether it is better to build or buy. The time I would not spend building would be spent on my wife and friends, pursuing other interests and probably napping. Napping trumps welding every time as far as I am concerned. So does boating.

let's say i see a piece of tractor equipment on Craigslist and I think, "hey that's super cheap for a (fill in the blank)" If I have to put in 8 or 10 hours cleaning it up, installing new parts and getting it to work, have I really saved any money? Well, sure I guess but it's likely still not worth more than what I paid and if I bought a new one I'd be out more cash for sure but at least the thing would work and if it didn't i could take it back or get it fixed under warranty. Plus it would have more resale value so if I sold it I wouldn't be out more than the cost of the piece of junk one I might have brought home.

In that case then, you should have made the title say; "My time is not free".

 

[PutnamVictor]

My hourly rate is $1000 an hour for the jobs I don't want to do and $1 an hour for what I do want to do.

Even at that rate, I have happly lost money doing projects. Like my $5K garden tractor loader project. :laughing:

 

[silvertramp]

A couple of winters ago I made a low buck cafe racer outa a '79 Goldwing. Even with used parts & $0 labor costs, I'm upside down on it. Somethings you can't put a price tag on. Getting thru a winter with your sanity is one.

 

[MaJYk]

I think it's safe to say most of the people here are the type who work to live, not those who work for the magic green paper the OP holds so dear. They'll gladly slip on their boots that need replaced in order to save that $90 so maybe their children won't have hands as calloused as theirs. And when they come in at night they're greeted by the wife an kids that love and respect them, I doubt they have time to consider what they could have paid to have that job done. After all, it would take a cold soul to think about $ before pride in a job well done or their family that knows true value. Because we do these things because of and for our family, not instead of family time.

 

[Marveltone]

I think it's safe to say most of the people here are the type who work to live, not those who work for the magic green paper the OP holds so dear. They'll gladly slip on their boots that need replaced in order to save that $90 so maybe their children won't have hands as calloused as theirs. And when they come in at night they're greeted by the wife an kids that love and respect them, I doubt they have time to consider what they could have paid to have that job done. After all, it would take a cold soul to think about $ before pride in a job well done or their family that knows true value. Because we do these things because of and for our family, not instead of family time.

Well said! :thumbsup:

 

[LD1]

Personal satification is also something not taken into account here. At times it can be priceless. Knowing it is something you built from start to finish instead of buying at a box store can go a long way.

Another reason people tend to build rather than buy is because what is on the market may not be exactally what they want. So instead of spending big $$$ and then having to modify it to suit their needs, sometimes it just makes sense to start from scratch regardless of cost.

And not to mention all this talk about taking time away from spending with the family etc. etc. etc. Most times in my case, it is time WELL SPENT with the family. Nothing like letting a 12 year old practice welding for the first time, or letting him steer the tractor while you are mowing for the first time. Moments like that can be priceless. Much more meaningfull than sitting on the couch watching TV.

And all this talk about $90 per hour:confused2: I bet 90% of the member here dont even come close to that. So yeah, it is obsurd. If I need a laeyer or a doctor, I will hire one. But if I need something done that I can do, I will refuse to hire it done. Being self sufficent on a lot of things is a great feeling.