I will be 72 in September, and my answer to the question is “not much.” My first career as an Army officer I did everything I could to save money. But my second career, as a consultant who traveled extensively, I needed the house to be looked after even when I wasn’t home, and the pets cared for. So I have had a lawn service and home cleaning team for 30 years, and I would miss meals (I don’t) to keep these. I take my car to a car wash, and hire window cleaners once a year. I’ll change a light bulb, that’s about it. Life is short, spend the money.
At 72 my list of projects I can’t do or don’t want to do is increasing. I was on my roof cleaning my patio cover the day before I turned 72. That is probably the last time for that! As a women raised in the 50’s and 60’s I always felt compelled to be self reliant or at least try to do things once! Such as change the oil in my car and put on snow tires but once was enough! Hate house work so it is sorely neglected. But love being outside so I landscape and garden. But need a Task Rabbit person to dig some post holes so I can build my next fence. If I can do it (wire a light, paint, assemble IKEA furniture) I usually do to save money for more fun stuff!
I do our travel planning, manage our finances, and do our taxes. I also plan, shop for, and cook our meals (most of them, anyway).
I have outsourced housecleaning since I was a young professor with young children. When we had a yard, we had a gardener. Neither one of us is the slightest bit handy, so we pay people to paint, do repairs, install things, and hang things.
Grrr! There has to be a better way to authenticate me than going thru 6 pictures.
DIY. I am now a widower and do most things in and out of our house. Laundry, groceries, cooking, housecleaning, cutting grass, blowing leaves, clearing brush and bamboo, caring for our 2 acres of land, and anything else that is needed.
I do my own taxes, financial planning and business related stuff.
I have always done interior and exterior painting but will hire that out next time due to arthritis in my hands. My son is a remodeler and has remodeled almost all of our 52 year old home. I helped him by doing demo, which I am good at, but not so good at the renovations that followed (other than painting/staining).
What do I not do anymore? I limit use of ladders to step ladders. At 80 years of age, even that may not be wise. Also, most things that require power tools. I used a chain saw for many years, but retired from that after trying to cut my leg off (22 stitches).
When I bought my house, which had a small amount of grass, back in 2009, I also bought an electric lawn mower. The first time I mowed the grass I got heat exhaustion. I tried again, towards evening. Again, I got heat exhaustion. Ever after, I used a lawn service. I also employed a cleaner. When I retired I did try doing it myself, but I’m not particularly good at it, and I hate that you no sooner finish than you need to start again.
However, I DIY my finances. Once a year I take QCDs and RMDs, and rebalance if I think it’s necessary. Monthly, I move money between my money market account and my bank account. Why would I pay someone to do that? I do pay a fee-for-service planner every few years for a sanity check.
I approached this as time, money and exercise tradeoffs. I never hired a painter until we purchased our current abode in 2024. I learned to troubleshoot the RV systems. This was incentivized by a shortage of qualified technicians. I’ll probably stain the deck in MI in August. That 2022 task was interrupted by a health issue. I have the stain. Easy task with a paint roller on a long handle. I no longer trim the trees and I’ll issue a contract for the new patio. Previously I built the decks and patios.it is nice to have options.
I change lightbulbs, clean the dishes, take out the garbage (the refuse chute is only 47 steps from the condo door), and use spreadsheets to TRACK our finances.
My wife does all the laundry, 98% of the cooking (she lets me vent my aggression by chopping things to her specifications), makes all the decorating choices, and PAYS all the bills.
Everything/anything else … we hire someone to do the work.
Our trash and recycling chute is only 12 steps away. I offered to do the laundry, but letting me near those machines seemed a marriage ending DIY project. I struggle with loading the dishwasher “correctly.”
I put DIY in the same category as spreadsheets and budgets – stay as far away as possible. 😎
I never liked any DIY, my limited attempts were disasters. In my younger days I cut grass and shoveled snow and raked leaves. Now I don’t have any of it to worry about.
On Cape Cod we have someone cut the grass, clear the leaves, clean the cutters and clean the house every couple of weeks.
My ability and desire to work with my hands is limited to a keyboard. I attribute my physical ineptitude and laziness to not living in a house until I was 29. Living in an apartment eliminated most need for DIY.
The last time I changed a lightbulb I dropped it. When I change batteries it usually takes me two tries to get it right.
A few days ago Connie mentioned the deck should be washed – she called some who is also going to wash the windows. I learned long ago I never get that type of thing right, so any cost is well worth the price.
I do all the grocery shopping, 99% of cooking and cleaning up after dinner. Do I get any credit?
The thing is we can pay for this stuff because I didn’t retire until I could replace 100% of my working base pay. 😁😁it’s a joke🤗🤗
You are perceptive. To an engineer, there is always a way to make something better. So, left to an engineer only, a project will never get done since it is always undergoing improvement.
We also like things to be yes or no, black or white, 0 or 1. Sometimes it takes us a long time to realize that while many things can be quantified that way – people can not.
Joe, as an engineer, I worked in design optimization for 20 years. There is never be a deterministic answer to a problem. Drawing a box around the final answer ended the day I received my BS. In the engineering world, one defines what is success, or an acceptable answer, and then works toward that goal.
There are ranges of answers because the contributing variables have ranges of value. This is true in engineering, personal finance, and so many other facets of life.
At 67 years old I still have the philosophy that I will not pay for something I can do myself (BTW usually better than a professional, as I care).
For the past year I have been having repetitive lawn mower repairs. I finally decided I had to do something about it. Considered a rider, but yard has steep hills so standard tractor wouldn’t work, would need (very expensive) zero turn mower. Considered a mowing service. Many in my neighborhood use the same in town service. I have the only green lawn, others are brown, scalped, and were still cut this week 🤷♂️.
I sucked it up and bought another Toro. Last one only worked for 4 years. Told my neighbor with my luck this one will never die and I’ll still be using a push mower in my eighties.
Nick, thanks for the link to an excellent article. I expected it to be about DIY financial planning, but enjoyed the author’s ability to how economic theory intersects with our everyday lives.
I still cut the grass, although not today, because it’s 90F out.
I do all the small stuff around the house – fixed the stove, fixed the fridge, replaced the microwave, replaced the garbage disposal, painted (indoors), and many other minor jobs.
Anything that requires expertise I leave to those who know what they’re doing.
Retired 8 years in late 60’s. In the past few years been wrestling with DIY jobs around the house, and telling myself I would be better off hiring someone to do these jobs. My younger self generally didn’t mind doing these jobs, and liked the accomplishment of finishing the job. Now at times, I’m thinking I could be spending the time on my hobbies, or excercise pursuits. I may try out a handyman service in the near future if can find a good one in our area. We’ve had bad luck with handyman services in past few years (passed away, poor workmanship).
That is a good article! Here are a few that come to mind:
Lawncare such as planting, weeding, and mowing. Good exercise! Washing my car by hand rather than running it through a car wash. I’m kind of picky about maintaining its appearance.Managing our family finances so that we spend (mostly) wisely, donate to church, increase our savings, and will leave significant inheritances to our children and grandchildren.
Fixed! When I was editor of the student newspaper at university, we used to “paste up” the weekly paper on Thursday night, typically wrapping up the paper around 6 or 7 a.m. Yes, for three years, I didn’t sleep every Thursday night. Can’t believe I did that. One Thursday, we were adding the final headline, which referenced the National Union of Students. But instead of NUS, I wrote NSU….
Sorry Jonathan – didn’t realise it was your heading. Just thought it was a slow pitch easy joke. So you pasted up Varsity? Before or after typesetting software?
Re spellchecking more generally – my typing is getting worse as my phone keyboard “helpfully” substitutes the words it thinks I’m trying to write rather than what I intend.
I will be 72 in September, and my answer to the question is “not much.” My first career as an Army officer I did everything I could to save money. But my second career, as a consultant who traveled extensively, I needed the house to be looked after even when I wasn’t home, and the pets cared for. So I have had a lawn service and home cleaning team for 30 years, and I would miss meals (I don’t) to keep these. I take my car to a car wash, and hire window cleaners once a year. I’ll change a light bulb, that’s about it. Life is short, spend the money.
At 72 my list of projects I can’t do or don’t want to do is increasing. I was on my roof cleaning my patio cover the day before I turned 72. That is probably the last time for that! As a women raised in the 50’s and 60’s I always felt compelled to be self reliant or at least try to do things once! Such as change the oil in my car and put on snow tires but once was enough! Hate house work so it is sorely neglected. But love being outside so I landscape and garden. But need a Task Rabbit person to dig some post holes so I can build my next fence. If I can do it (wire a light, paint, assemble IKEA furniture) I usually do to save money for more fun stuff!
I do our travel planning, manage our finances, and do our taxes. I also plan, shop for, and cook our meals (most of them, anyway).
I have outsourced housecleaning since I was a young professor with young children. When we had a yard, we had a gardener. Neither one of us is the slightest bit handy, so we pay people to paint, do repairs, install things, and hang things.
Grrr! There has to be a better way to authenticate me than going thru 6 pictures.
DIY. I am now a widower and do most things in and out of our house. Laundry, groceries, cooking, housecleaning, cutting grass, blowing leaves, clearing brush and bamboo, caring for our 2 acres of land, and anything else that is needed.
I do my own taxes, financial planning and business related stuff.
I have always done interior and exterior painting but will hire that out next time due to arthritis in my hands. My son is a remodeler and has remodeled almost all of our 52 year old home. I helped him by doing demo, which I am good at, but not so good at the renovations that followed (other than painting/staining).
What do I not do anymore? I limit use of ladders to step ladders. At 80 years of age, even that may not be wise. Also, most things that require power tools. I used a chain saw for many years, but retired from that after trying to cut my leg off (22 stitches).
When I was younger, I did everything, now, I mostly write checks for everything.
When I bought my house, which had a small amount of grass, back in 2009, I also bought an electric lawn mower. The first time I mowed the grass I got heat exhaustion. I tried again, towards evening. Again, I got heat exhaustion. Ever after, I used a lawn service. I also employed a cleaner. When I retired I did try doing it myself, but I’m not particularly good at it, and I hate that you no sooner finish than you need to start again.
However, I DIY my finances. Once a year I take QCDs and RMDs, and rebalance if I think it’s necessary. Monthly, I move money between my money market account and my bank account. Why would I pay someone to do that? I do pay a fee-for-service planner every few years for a sanity check.
I approached this as time, money and exercise tradeoffs. I never hired a painter until we purchased our current abode in 2024. I learned to troubleshoot the RV systems. This was incentivized by a shortage of qualified technicians. I’ll probably stain the deck in MI in August. That 2022 task was interrupted by a health issue. I have the stain. Easy task with a paint roller on a long handle. I no longer trim the trees and I’ll issue a contract for the new patio. Previously I built the decks and patios.it is nice to have options.
Living in a box … ok a one floor condo …
I change lightbulbs, clean the dishes, take out the garbage (the refuse chute is only 47 steps from the condo door), and use spreadsheets to TRACK our finances.
My wife does all the laundry, 98% of the cooking (she lets me vent my aggression by chopping things to her specifications), makes all the decorating choices, and PAYS all the bills.
Everything/anything else … we hire someone to do the work.
Our trash and recycling chute is only 12 steps away. I offered to do the laundry, but letting me near those machines seemed a marriage ending DIY project. I struggle with loading the dishwasher “correctly.”
I wish that dishwashers and washing machines came with robots.
I put DIY in the same category as spreadsheets and budgets – stay as far away as possible. 😎
I never liked any DIY, my limited attempts were disasters. In my younger days I cut grass and shoveled snow and raked leaves. Now I don’t have any of it to worry about.
On Cape Cod we have someone cut the grass, clear the leaves, clean the cutters and clean the house every couple of weeks.
My ability and desire to work with my hands is limited to a keyboard. I attribute my physical ineptitude and laziness to not living in a house until I was 29. Living in an apartment eliminated most need for DIY.
The last time I changed a lightbulb I dropped it. When I change batteries it usually takes me two tries to get it right.
A few days ago Connie mentioned the deck should be washed – she called some who is also going to wash the windows. I learned long ago I never get that type of thing right, so any cost is well worth the price.
I do all the grocery shopping, 99% of cooking and cleaning up after dinner. Do I get any credit?
The thing is we can pay for this stuff because I didn’t retire until I could replace 100% of my working base pay. 😁😁it’s a joke🤗🤗
“I put DIY in the same category as spreadsheets and budgets – stay as far away as possible.”
You’re cracking me up!!!
Some of us (perhaps engineers mostly?, it seems) relax by doing spreadsheets and budgets !
I worked in a company full of engineers. Every time one came to see me about their health benefits or pension, they had a spreadsheet with them.
It might have been relaxing to them but it drove me nuts. I wanted to shout- “make a decision already‼️”
One time many years ago an engineer attempted to explain something to me using a slide rule.
He had his Curta Calculator with him too. I thought he was trying to put pepper on my desk.
You are perceptive. To an engineer, there is always a way to make something better. So, left to an engineer only, a project will never get done since it is always undergoing improvement.
We also like things to be yes or no, black or white, 0 or 1. Sometimes it takes us a long time to realize that while many things can be quantified that way – people can not.
Joe, as an engineer, I worked in design optimization for 20 years. There is never be a deterministic answer to a problem. Drawing a box around the final answer ended the day I received my BS. In the engineering world, one defines what is success, or an acceptable answer, and then works toward that goal.
There are ranges of answers because the contributing variables have ranges of value. This is true in engineering, personal finance, and so many other facets of life.
At 67 years old I still have the philosophy that I will not pay for something I can do myself (BTW usually better than a professional, as I care).
For the past year I have been having repetitive lawn mower repairs. I finally decided I had to do something about it. Considered a rider, but yard has steep hills so standard tractor wouldn’t work, would need (very expensive) zero turn mower. Considered a mowing service. Many in my neighborhood use the same in town service. I have the only green lawn, others are brown, scalped, and were still cut this week 🤷♂️.
I sucked it up and bought another Toro. Last one only worked for 4 years. Told my neighbor with my luck this one will never die and I’ll still be using a push mower in my eighties.
Nick, thanks for the link to an excellent article. I expected it to be about DIY financial planning, but enjoyed the author’s ability to how economic theory intersects with our everyday lives.
I still cut the grass, although not today, because it’s 90F out.
I do all the small stuff around the house – fixed the stove, fixed the fridge, replaced the microwave, replaced the garbage disposal, painted (indoors), and many other minor jobs.
Anything that requires expertise I leave to those who know what they’re doing.
Retired 8 years in late 60’s. In the past few years been wrestling with DIY jobs around the house, and telling myself I would be better off hiring someone to do these jobs. My younger self generally didn’t mind doing these jobs, and liked the accomplishment of finishing the job. Now at times, I’m thinking I could be spending the time on my hobbies, or excercise pursuits. I may try out a handyman service in the near future if can find a good one in our area. We’ve had bad luck with handyman services in past few years (passed away, poor workmanship).
That is a good article! Here are a few that come to mind:
Lawncare such as planting, weeding, and mowing. Good exercise! Washing my car by hand rather than running it through a car wash. I’m kind of picky about maintaining its appearance.Managing our family finances so that we spend (mostly) wisely, donate to church, increase our savings, and will leave significant inheritances to our children and grandchildren.
Spellcheck?
Fixed! When I was editor of the student newspaper at university, we used to “paste up” the weekly paper on Thursday night, typically wrapping up the paper around 6 or 7 a.m. Yes, for three years, I didn’t sleep every Thursday night. Can’t believe I did that. One Thursday, we were adding the final headline, which referenced the National Union of Students. But instead of NUS, I wrote NSU….
Sorry Jonathan – didn’t realise it was your heading. Just thought it was a slow pitch easy joke. So you pasted up Varsity? Before or after typesetting software?
Re spellchecking more generally – my typing is getting worse as my phone keyboard “helpfully” substitutes the words it thinks I’m trying to write rather than what I intend.
It wasn’t my headline, but I did look at the post and totally missed the DIY/DYI mix-up until I saw your comment.