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redbucket75 t1_jdpmswh wrote

Wait you still write your own Reddit posts? As a large language model AI, I feel the need to point out there are chat bots for that, dude.

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Apprehensive_Lynx_33 t1_jdpn6e1 wrote

This is why I love being from New Zealand. We have such h a DIY culture, that is strange to see folks who can't do this stuff themselves. I can't imagine living like that.

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thin_veneer_bullshit t1_jdq41n3 wrote

Yeh as a kiwi I've always noticed that NZers will spend time to save money and the Yanks will spend money to save time. Different mindset I spose..

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Saltmetoast t1_jdq711l wrote

Tbf things cost less in the states. I would rather pay someone to plaster my walls but I can't afford a second mortgage

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RunninglikeNaruto t1_jdq9ok2 wrote

How many kiwis are there in this sub?? Imagine if we all put our hands up and suddenly it was like 95% hahaha I love the self sufficiency and satisfaction I get from it, and money I save!

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Apprehensive_Lynx_33 t1_jeee8ik wrote

I feel like there are more than we all though 😂 ... yeah the money saved is a massive incentive for sure. New Zealand has amazing tradies (for the most part of course) but they charge and arm and a leg.

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combatwombat007 t1_jdqhboi wrote

We have a culture that ingrains the idea that money is infinite and time is scarce so it’s best to trade money to save time because you can always make more money.

In reality, time is also infinite, but not on the scale of one human life, and we’re an individualistic culture.

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age34act12 t1_jdqj0hm wrote

I've never heard this kiwi comment. If a yank called you a kiwi to your face is this considered to be a racist or ignorant statement??? Does that mean NZers are fruits

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thin_veneer_bullshit t1_jdqqplm wrote

The kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand. The fruit is named after it (much later). Typical NZ slang has NZers referring to themselves as Kiwis. Our dear dear cousins across the ditch (aussies in case that not immediately obvious) call us that, where as we call the Aussies ( or bogans). Yanks is abbreviation of Yankees, a affectionate nickname taken from WWI (I believe) when US soldiers served alongside the Brits and her colonial lackeys... I mean subjects. All slang is pretty much affectionate, not meant to be a diminutive or derogatory... mostly.. ;-)

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IronSmithFE t1_jdr1pfy wrote

i appreciate the former more than the latter. you can't always depend on other people to do your work for you.

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Ottoclav t1_jdy65fu wrote

Especially here in New York. I can’t say how many times I’ve heard a friend say that they tried to get a contractor or handy-person to even show up for a quote on a job and got stood up. Personally, I’m from Alaska and a contractor that flakes doesn’t get business, because word of mouth travels quickly.

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Apprehensive_Lynx_33 t1_jeedo4x wrote

Different mindset alright. We all have some free time to do things around the place, and who doesn't enjoy the satisfaction of finishing a project?

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RubyRaven907 t1_jdpmsp9 wrote

I just shrug and say “I value self sufficiency and learning new things”

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headphonz t1_jdq7mv4 wrote

I DIY cuz I'm cheap AF. Simple as that.

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nize426 t1_jdq2zt7 wrote

My coworker called in maintenance because his door was sagging. I was like, "...you can usually just fix that with a screwdriver."

The dude literally did not have a screwdriver in his home.

Absolutely nuts.

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its8up t1_jdpreru wrote

If you don't have one already, get your epa 608 certification for funsies to totally cut out an entire industry of price gouging vultures. I got the study guide on a Mon, read bits over the next few evenings, and took the test that Friday, then went out of town. Came home to find a universal certification in my pile of mail. After spending few thousand in tools, I'm set. No more calling the hvac guy. The tools paid for themselves in less than a year by using them to tackle a few side jobs at a heavily discounted rate.

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TGIF-42 t1_jdpv0wn wrote

Whaddaya mean!? 2lbs of refrigerant is obviously worth a $300 service call.

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combatwombat007 t1_jdqhkat wrote

Around here, $300 is what it costs for someone just to show up and tell you that you need 2lbs of refrigerant. The refrigerant is another $300.

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An0mndr t1_jdqjnry wrote

Don't forget the environmental fee, that's another 50$. Oh and the refilling fee (which is not included in labor for some reason), which is another 80 bucks. Combine that with an off hours call (yes, it was only 2 pm when you called, but by the time we made it here, it was past 4:30 pm), so that's an extra 200. With tax (depending on where you are), that brings your total up about 1,050$. Will that be in cash or on a card? Oh you want to put it on visa? There's also an extra 2% fee for using a credit card instead of debit, it's only to cover the same cost we pay to use the system.

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age34act12 t1_jdqjo7c wrote

I can make good money doing things for homeowners for 1/3 of the price. It's crazy how much someone has to pay for the simplest of tasks in the northeast.

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Darklord_Bravo t1_jdq0nmj wrote

>I live in a middle class neighborhood in FL panhandle,

Say no more.

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chriathebutt t1_jdqhd7j wrote

Ok but really you get a lot of retired military in the panhandle and they are s-t-u-b-b-o-r-n. That and people who have lived in their small town since they were born, so it really does track lol

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julz22vit t1_jdpqlmn wrote

Years ago I used a tampon when my carburetor butterfly got stuck. The look on the guys' faces when I got to my destination...priceless!

Thank you, this made me smile.

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AsILayTyping t1_jdqixiw wrote

I didn't even know humans had carburetor butterflies. Thought that was a car thing. Glad you worked it out anyway.

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BlownCamaro t1_jdqja43 wrote

As someone who has rebuilt many carburetors, I can't wrap my head around this.

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julz22vit t1_jdtrr20 wrote

It was stuck in the closed position. I have never completely rebuilt a carb but knew it needed air and that was the first thing I found in my purse.

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BlownCamaro t1_jdv3z7m wrote

Oh now I get it! The choke plate was stuck closed.

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TGIF-42 t1_jdpv3a7 wrote

Imagine watching another man change your tire xD some people genuinely gross me out.

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nize426 t1_jdq2s7r wrote

I would feel so embarrassed. Like not knowing is one thing, but just sitting in the front seat. At least get out and attempt to learn a thing or two.

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JackfruitExisting128 t1_jdqd1w4 wrote

If you are a surgeon or pianist it's quite stupid to start to do such things. You just don't know what can go wrong, and that's ok, your fingers are precious tool.

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IronSmithFE t1_jdpo4hh wrote

some people in oregon don't know how to fill their gas tank.

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DarthGuber t1_jdpq4w0 wrote

To be fair, we're not allowed to fill our own tanks except in rare circumstances. Besides, they literally pay someone to do it.

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Weekly-Reputation482 t1_jdqaz4c wrote

Everyone had to learn once. If you've grown up in a state that doesn't let you pump your own gas... It might take a while... Or forever

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lueVelvet t1_jdqf4x3 wrote

I love doing my own work but admittedly I’ve reached a point in my life/career that time has become an issue. I just don’t have time to work on everything myself so those projects stay waiting for a year or two, or I break down and call someone for help.

Recently a pipe clogged at my moms house and no amount of plunging/snaking made a dent at all. I finally broke down and just called a plumber since I have a few other renovation projects going at our house and I just couldn’t dedicate anymore time to it. The plumber had to hydrojet the whole drain line only to find years worth of built up grease. It took him a couple of hours to get it all out. I wouldn’t have known what to do even if I tried at that point and was very glad I called someone in. It cost a few hundred bucks but that guy earned it that day! lol

My point is, we all enjoy doing our own work but sometimes it’s ok to call someone in for whatever reason. Sometimes you just need to pay a pro what they’re worth to get passed whatever you can’t figure out in your own.

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PhilipKendrikRichard t1_jdq6l17 wrote

I would like to say I am here because I like to be self reliant but honestly I’m here because I’m broke. That doesn’t mean I don’t get a sense of satisfaction when I actually do fix something that other people would imagine was even possible without special certifications and specialized training (nothing crazy, just like suspension and I fixed my water heater and my furnace too)

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nitro912gr t1_jdq3wcf wrote

You know this is all so weird to me, we in Greece sure have people like them around but they are so rare that they get lost in the noise of the DIY people. I mean we even have a dedicated word for hacking things to work "pateda" :P

And if someone have a flat tire and don't know how to change it, most likely will call a friend or just plain stop some other driver around to help like "lol wtf I'm not calling the road assistance on that".

I'm not doing everything myself but I can't get my mind around of getting a professional to do some very basic things. But I have heard from my electrician that there are people out there that will call him to change a burnt light or just plug the TV antenna...

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fangelo2 t1_jdqbof9 wrote

I’ve always done everything myself including building my own house. My wife is the same. Her father and brothers were in construction so she just assumed every man knows how to do all this stuff. Her father was staining his deck when he was 94 while in a wheelchair. My father was the same . I would go visit him and find him on a ladder or on the roof when he was in his mid 80s. I’m getting pretty old myself now, 72, but I just can’t bring myself to hire people to do work at my house. It’s not the money, it’s just something I like to do myself. My wife and I are always amused when we see people that don’t know how to do anything. My sister and her husband can’t do the simplest task. They recently hired a plumber to change the hoses on the back of their washing machine.

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parkinglotviews t1_jdqidff wrote

Honestly, you probably shouldn’t have made your wife build her own house when you’d already built one…

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bcsublime t1_jdqk1gw wrote

His father and FIL both stained decks at 94 years old in a wheelchair.

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BlownCamaro t1_jdqjl1i wrote

We are born not knowing how to do anything except cry and piss and poop. Everything else is learned. Why do people reach a point where they refuse to learn?

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oughtabeme t1_jdpwlai wrote

We just changed kitchen faucet. Took from 7,30pm yesterday to about 4,30pm today. That includes a constant drip (even though all water was turned off) 2 hacksaw blades, ruined 1 screwdriver as had to chip away at underside of countertop. Alarm for rotation to wake up to empty drip bucket. Fun times.

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_cjj t1_jdq7lj5 wrote

wouldn't it have been easier to shut off the mains tap for water overnight?

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oughtabeme t1_jdr9dez wrote

Water turned off everywhere. The Mains, the hot water heater, Warer softner system. I know they’re all connected, but still there’s the drip.

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shadybabynight t1_jdqg4wn wrote

Yeah everyone likes to talk about how much cheaper it is to do everything yourself but usually that only takes in to account the job going right first time

I was lucky enough to get a new build home but it’s made me terrified of giving stuff ago myself… if the job goes wrong and I break something I’m likely gonna have to shell out loads more money to fix something that didn’t need touching in the first place… always scares me in to putting stuff off

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combatwombat007 t1_jdqhyhj wrote

Nah. Breaking something is just an opportunity to learn how to fix another thing.

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CulturePractical2079 t1_jdqj1k3 wrote

Check YouTube for the model or the type of repair you are going to do. Can help lots on the front end.

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An0mndr t1_jdqkg7n wrote

My house was 15 years old when I bought it. Still had original everything. Since moving in a year and a half ago, I've learned to replace appliances, alter cupboards, remove carpet and laminate floors (previous owner had pets and the subfloor under the carpet was also ruined) also learned to replace subfloor, change light fixtures, replace a water heater, replace a door, fill holes in drywall, hang heavy things from the ceiling, and how to lay vinyl plank flooring. I can't imagine paying someone to do something that I can learn from a 5 minute youtube video

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IronSmithFE t1_jdr2dww wrote

in most cases it is cheaper to screw up a job 3 or 4 times before hiring someone is worth it, and only then if the guy you hire does it right (which they often don't).

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[deleted] t1_jdq9xze wrote

[deleted]

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age34act12 t1_jdqk5ui wrote

Yeah and you got to keep your money for the time spent. Common sense needs a class for kids today.

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fredsam25 t1_jdqeoqe wrote

Trust me when I say that some people are not certified to change their own oil. And because of that, they'll drive 30k miles without an oil change.

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ThePrinceVultan t1_jdqg7bu wrote

If you get an old enough vehicle, it will change its oil on its own. You just have to keep it topped off is all lol

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fredsam25 t1_jdqh2jm wrote

The older they get the thirstier they become. I had a roommate that was putting in a quart in every month. Our tandem parking looked like a murder scene.

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Spirited-Pin-8450 t1_jdqhlw1 wrote

I grew up with parents who always encouraged us to help out and thus learn things like changing a tyre, shingling a roof, laying a garden path. But I married a man whose family did none of these things and it’s hard to convince him that not everything is complicated. I love putting things together like ikea furniture, or hanging wallpaper, putting in a new faucet. Hopefully our daughters will do this too. I always try to do things myself first before hiring someone else.

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BlownCamaro t1_jdqjtrp wrote

My Dad built an apartment over his garage - with no permit! He didn't care. It's still standing and looks perfect 30 years later. Self taught.

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Usefulnotuseless t1_jdqhodw wrote

I lol’ed about the engine oil.

I work in a garage, and DAILY the amount of cars in my bay that have no detectable oil on the dipstick was shocking at first. And, bald-ass, deflated tires. Air filters that have never been changed. Simple stuff anyone can learn.

It happens so often now I just shake my head and add oil for them, add air or whatever. My manager doesn’t want us to lecture the customer, so I sometimes add snarky notes to my paperwork (if the customer even reads it):

“Insufficient engine oil, please see the manual for specification”

“The engine air filter is at the end of its life, recommend replacement”

“Please see the placard on your driver door frame for proper tire air pressure.”

I’m always tempted to write other things, of course.

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BlownCamaro t1_jdqj5t2 wrote

Man, do I know the feeling! I watched my neighborhood go from everyone mowing their own lawns to only 2 of us still doing it. I heard a saw running a block away and got excited that someone was actually building something!

A someone who as always done all of their own repairs, automotive and household, I just don't understand while people would rather pay for something they can do themselves! I am all about NOT paying.

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age34act12 t1_jdqiedc wrote

It's a enjoyable thing to be able to help people that I would guess was raised or think differently about being self reliance. Myself always hated to ask for help with the day to day issues of life. Hell I still remember the day I had to get someone to come and fix my furnace because I had no clue mainly because I grew up cutting firewood for the source of heat. Did enjoy because that technician was very helpful and allowed me to pick his brain about my gas furnace. This forum has taught me a few things and allowed me to help others so hope you can find some enjoyment with it. There is some hilarious moments as well!!!!

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Paejats t1_jdqg05a wrote

I think this is mainly an American issue, my boyfriend works around a lot of tourists and the american ones always seem to have trouble doing things themselves.

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