The Myth of Cost Savings

[jackleberry]

. However, I can't believe people pay what they do for a "bush buddy" but that is just my opinion.

Heh. I thought the same thing, but by the time I did all the R&D, tweaking, making of prototypes I had spent well over $200, several months of nights and weekends--and lets not forget the disrespect of my GF ("You'd rather play with CANS than play with me?")-- and didn't even have something made of stainless steel. Granted, what I ended up with is definitely not a Bush Buddy (may be better, may be worse), but still. Combustion is very fiddly! In the end, I'd have to admit that if it works as well as or better than the stove I made, the Bush Buddy is worth it--if for no other reason than you won't have to build another one after 20 burns or it gets wet.

...

Regarding the OP; All things considered, I think I've saved money with my hammock DIY--mostly of it on quilts. The hammocks were an immediate fail, having bought the material for $6.99/yd at Jo-Anns. A Grand Trunk would have been about the same price BUT not as long as or in the color that I wanted. Keeping the costs down is a constant struggle, though, and I definitely lost money if you count what my time is worth in my field of expertise. But, knowing me, I probably would have spent just as much time fretting over which $300 quilt to buy as I did just making one.

DIY is definitely a hobby in and of itself. You're getting two things out of your project: Mostly DIY fun/frustration with a little bit of gear (and perhaps scarring) left over to show for it.

There's always the whisper of hope that the investment now will save you money in the long run (hint: it never does). Take changing your own oil for instance. Quicky change places can do it for less than I can do it myself. That's because our economy is anti-DIY and 'parts' are premium novelty items for individuals. I still change my own oil though... I'm not even going to mention how much it cost me to rebuild the engine on my Kawasaki... Why do I do these things? Clearly, like all DIY'ers, I'm often more interested in the process (sometimes to learn, sometimes to know that the job was done right) than the result.

Think of all the money that gram weenies spend trying to get rid of an ounce. There's no argument on Earth (that is, excluding missions to space) which could justify the outrageous costs involved in shedding that ounce. That doesn't seem to make it any less satisfying though. I mean, Titanium Spork is fun just to say! Cuben fiber is nifty. Novelty has value to many of us.

In short, money saving in DIY can be a wash. All things considered, I think that DIY type activities have allowed me, over the years, to have a somewhat higher standard of living than my peers. But many of my projects have been unmitigated money pits. In the end I think it has made me a more interesting an well rounded person. There are certainly less productive things which I could have been doing with my time...

[Ramblinrev]

I want to make sure I am properly understood.

I am not saying there is no point to DIY. I am saying DIY is not a sure money saver _for the beginner_ . If you intend _solely_ to save money... DIY may not be the best way to do it.

[jackleberry]

Wait, I forgot something! There is one easy way to make ANY camping equipment pay for itself.

Any night that you camp instead of staying in a hotel saves you $70 to $$$!....

I remember spending 10 nights in hotels while driving out to Oregon from Tennessee (there was no room to sleep in the moving truck)--If I had known I could have instead spent that money on a premium hammock camping setup for two plus any required site fees! Wouldn't have had to keep sneaking the cat into the hotel rooms under my shirt either!

[finskie]

My bushbuddy comment came out wrong! I am sure it is worth the money in materials and craftmanship alone. The videos I've seen on it look cool. More or less I find it fun and easy to make my own, and get satisfaction out of using it. I'm just a classic dirtbagger and love showing off how a coffee can, and a dremel can produce something that can boil the water for my coffee in 4 minutes. However it is not fun and easy for me to make anything with the thread injector, and that is where my money will go for now

[jackleberry]

My bushbuddy comment came out wrong! I am sure it is worth the money in materials and craftmanship alone. The videos I've seen on it look cool. More or less I find it fun and easy to make my own, and get satisfaction out of using it. I'm just a classic dirtbagger and love showing off how a coffee can, and a dremel can produce something that can boil the water for my coffee in 4 minutes. However it is not fun and easy for me to make anything with the thread injector, and that is where my money will go for now

I forgot to mention the ruined dinner table (see attachment)... I still haven't heard the end of that one... But I sure had fun burning things!

[MrClean417]

Think of all the money that gram weenies spend trying to get rid of an ounce. There's no argument on Earth (that is, excluding missions to space) which could justify the outrageous costs involved in shedding that ounce. That doesn't seem to make it any less satisfying though. I mean, Titanium Spork is fun just to say! Cuben fiber is nifty. Novelty has value to many of us.

Ultra light backpacking, the best way to make walking expensive. Dang well worth it to some.

I am saying DIY is not a sure money saver _for the beginner_ . If you intend _solely_ to save money... DIY may not be the best way to do it.

Agreed.

[JohnSawyer]

Buzz-kill!

Oh, fine, just don't tell my wife I could have purchased a WBBB, Yeti and a TQ of your choosing for what I've DIY'd...

And don't tell her I would have had better equipment...

But I had fun doing it...

[dmrichm]

Rev,
I have to respectfully disagree with you. I can see that in the scenario you played out how one could easily over spend and it would be well worth the investment in a quality piece of professionally made gear. I however strongly believe that with the proper amount of research and planning someone can make tons of DIY gear for a fraction of the price (not to mention the added experience in gear making and thread injecting). For example, I have made a hammock, uq, tarp, down booties and a down hat for about 1/3 of the price it would have cost me to buy commercially. It did take me a decent amount of time and effort (and scratch paper to boot!), but at the end of the day I am really proud of the budget-friendly and quality gear I've made.

However, I can easily see the flip side and how easy it is to become a compulsive DIY gear junky.... I'm trying my best to walk the line of junky and budget-friendly (lukily I have my fiancee to help me with the latter )

All the best,

Dan

[Cold Butt Stephen]

I want to make sure I am properly understood.

I am not saying there is no point to DIY. I am saying DIY is not a sure money saver _for the beginner_ . If you intend _solely_ to save money... DIY may not be the best way to do it.

I understand, and I completely agree that it is well worth the time and experience to DIY without any money savings. That said, I definitely saved money on DIY so far.

The first hammock I made was a success.
4 yards 1.1 ounce ripstop nylon from BWDD ~ 15 Dollars
Utility cord I already had around for whipping and ridgeline ~Free
Sewing macchine already owned ~ Free
Thread ~ 5 Dollars
40 feet Amsteel at .20 cents a foot. ~ 10 dollars

Total is around 30 dollars. Only 20 dollars if you don't count the whoopie slings, which I would have had to buy anyways if that was what I wanted on my hammock.

I saved on the tarp as well.

8 yards sil ~ 32 dollars
Nylon for tie-outs ~ 2 dollars
Seem sealer ~ 3 dollars
Cord ~ 5 dollars

Total Cost of roughly 42 dollars.

I completely agree that if you're not careful, all of these projects will end up costing more. I think that many other DIYs are more difficult too, and so wasted material is likely to be higher, but I ended up with good products on my first try for both hammock and tarp.

I just think that it can save money if you are careful and already own a sewing machine. Still, if that's the reason you're doing it you will likely be disappointed because the costs do add up, and the time is more than you will ever anticipate.

[Krissa]

I always DIY and I always make sure the cost is at a savings - I get my materials second hand.

My rabbit's cage is 6 feet by 6 feet with multiple levels for him to play on - I made it myself for $40. Could I get a cage this large for $40? I doubt it. I did my research first though, and drew up tons of blueprints. I love this cage, so easy to clean and so much room for the bunny.

I made the desk I am sitting at, it is huge and cost me $25. It is an L-shape and is made of lumber and a counter top that I got from a friend. I love this desk, I can spread out and I even made it so that all the cords are rabbit safe.

I made both cat trees in my house, they are sturdy and match my decor. The cats love them and they are huge. Cost - $20 each. I used old carpet that we had torn up (the stuff under the couch is like new) and lumber that a friend didn't want. The only cost was the sisal rope for the scratching part.

This spring is a DIY patio and rock garden, the stones are already in the backyard - free from friends. Even the patio table (a huge 6 seater with a glass top) was free from my father-in-law.

My DIY hammocks are really nice, I am happy with them. Most of my fabric was free or found at a half off on all clearance materials sale and I researched the techniques needed for 2 months before even cutting anything. I got the proper webbing/rope the first time. The two hammocks together have probably cost me $100. That includes the materials for the snake skins, hammock socks and pack covers that I havn't made yet.

Now, hubby wanted a windstopper fleece jacket and I said I would make him one. Once I added up the cost of the pattern and material I realized that it was time to hit up Ebay for a used jacket. It was not cost effective.


So I say for DIY you must:
1) Know what you are doing or have a friend that does (ex. my father likes to woodwork, I asked him for help in designs).
2) Research! Read what others did and what went wrong. Add up material costs first. Google is your friend.
3) Ask friends for materials - people keep so much stuff lying around, they probably think it is junk! Facebook is wonderful for this.
4) Help others - when you are a 'good neighbor' you get stuff for free. When you help others they help you. Most of my materials came from people I knew as a child. My entire desk was made from quality materials from an old neighbor that I shoved snow for. Did she pay me then - no, I did it because she needed help.
5) Borrow or already have the tools. I have a sewing machine (gift from mother), I borrow my father's woodworking tools. Would these projects have been cheap if I purchased these tools for the project - no.