Translation: Do It Yourself or Let Someone Else Do It?
The bunk bed debate made me think about this. I always…well…almost always want to do things myself. I don’t know if it’s a control thing or a I-just-like-things-how-I-like-things thing or I-just-have-expensive-taste-and-the-only-way-I-can-afford-what-I-like-is-to-make-it-myself kind of thing. I’ve just always been that way.
Now, it’s hard to shut off. I’ll look through a catalog and think, “I can make that myself.” My floors needed to be refinished, I was five months pregnant. “No problem. I can do it myself.” I want slipcovers for my furniture. “I think I can work that out.” I’d like to refinish a table. “I think I can do that, too.” Get the idea?
Back to the bunk beds. Many of you sweet ladies provided the link to Ana White’s amazing website complete with plans for a DIY bunk bed. I actually printed these plans a few months ago and we were going to build them, but the pile of other projects kept pushing this one down the list and my 2 1/2 year old is still climbing out of his crib each morning.
36 Responses
We put bunkbeds in our six year old's train themed bedroom and we are thankful we did! When guests come to stay we bunk the boys together and that way the guests have their own space and the boys get to sleepover :o)
Good for you! I like your decision. 🙂
My in-laws bought our bunk beds for us, too. Thank goodness for grandparents!!
Wow, this is a tough one. That could have been me writing that post! Yes, I have a REALLY hard time paying something to do just about anything around here anymore if I think there is the remotest chance I could do it myself. A really sweet friend of ours, who is a licensed contractor gave us a brand new set of French doors he had removed from someone's home, because they weren't "quite right". Anyhow, we are waiting until we can afford to pay him to install them. I look at them every day and think, maybe I can do this myself? Then I picture my house, literally falling down and the doors ruined. This stops me from going for that sledgehammer to the wall. Nice to know I am not the only one with this problem!
My hubby can do just about anything..he's truly amazing. But, he is a busy exec. and when it came time to drywall, mud, tape, and sand the kitchen walls – well, I surprised him when he was out of town and hired a contractor friend to do it. He was SO relieved when he came home and it was done. He can do it, but because he doesn't do it a lot and he can't stand it not to be perfect, it would've taken forever! So, we were both happy – money well spent! I also hired to scrape all the popcorn off our ceilings…I'm painting them, but having a crew of men come in and scrape them, skim and sand them twice, was WELL worth it to me!!
Becky B.
http://www.organizingmadefun.blogspot.com
Organizing Made Fun
For us it's the cost verses time. If a professional or a furniture item will cost less then our time spent working we definetly will LSEDI. We purchased a new desk versus me repurposing one. It was more cost effective to pay the price and have those hours to repurpose something else for sale. We are all good at something, pay those who are good at their expertise and focus on what you excell at and the cost should work itself out.
I definitely enjoying every little bit of it. It is a great website and nice share. I want to thank you. Good job! You guys do a great blog, and have some great contents. Keep up the good work.Asian Stationary
Sometimes you have to pick your DIY battles. Since I became ill I try to pick the ones that will bring me pleasure and I let someone else do the boring stuff.
Traci
Good choice Marian. I've built lots of Ana's designs with kids in the background and I can say the value of your time to make the bunk beds is well worth purchasing on this one. We all love to DIY but that's a big one to tackle.
We are in the very slow process of remodeling a room which will be our new bedroom, freeing up a room upstairs for kids to have their own rooms. With our busy schedule it is a project that has taken far longer than we would like.
Most of the project hasn't been too bad to DIY, but what I wished we would have LSEDI was the dry wall mud, the sanding alone is a bigger pain than I like to deal with and it could have been done so much quicker, and probably better. Save some money, but at a price I no longer want to pay and we still have one more coat of mud to put on and sand. Ugh.
I prefer to do it myself, but sometimes I have to give in and LSEDI. I mean, yes I have the "time" but I'm a stay at hom mom with 2 boys 18mo apart, so I cant get everything done on my own.
I LOVE your website, and Ana's, both of them re assure me that I can do things, even when my hubby asks,"are you sure…?" Thanks for all you guys do!
I'm a "I could do that myself" girl, too. I guess a lot of us bloggers are. Anyway, YES, there is a time to just buy or pay for what you need and channel your energies to what you enjoy, or would do you or your family the most good. Have fun with the bunks–you'll probably invent a whole new way to decorate around them ;). Hugs, friend. ~Kim
I'd say 95% of the time we are DIY because if we can do it ourselves, we do. The other 5% is because it is something we cannot do, like build a set of drawers. I know how hard it is to get things done when you have littles. I don't know how you get all you do now!
I know your kids will love the bunk beds. Mine have been asking for a while. The only thing holding me back is that their beds aren't that old and I don't want to sell them!
Drywall, drywall, drywall. When you've got major taping, mudding, sanding to do, it's going to look like crap unless you want to spend your whole life working on it. That's one skill that is definitely worth the $$$!!!
For me it's the thrill of the challenge although hubs would disagree and say it's a control issue.
If the cost to have someone else complete the task is more than the value it will add (like drapes) I complete myself. If however it will add more value than the cost(bathroom remodel) we hire out. The cavet to the previous iis the third element, if we have the education/training to complete the project we do it ourselves. ie, hubs has background in plumbing,electric, HVAC so we would hire a carpenter to build walls and we would complete plumbing, etc.
Now all this would go out the window if we had a busy, home based business : )
When my husband says he is absolutely, in no way, while he is still married to me, you couldn't pay him enough, are you out of your mind?, never in this life time going to do that project, then we hire someone else.
I LOVE Ana White's designs!! I am planning a project with the Lydia daybed that I cannot wait to start!!
stellaandgray.blogspot.com
I love to paint, and would never consider hiriing someone to do an interior job- until our current house. With the extremely open lay out and precarious second story areas that would have needed scaffolding and super hero stretchy arms, I hired. It was so worth it. They even scratched their heads at one spot, so I know I wasn't wimping out. The nice thing is that they were impressed with the painting I'd already done! 🙂
Have fun with the bunk beds!
I say, "BUILD IT!" My husband made bunk beds for his neices and nephews and they looked awesome. Beside that, building it will make them so much sturdier! Seems, to me, that when you buy them they just aren't made very well. Not to mention the bragging rights everytime someone says," oooo, I love your bunk beds!"
lol.
that's is such an adorable bunk bed! Way cooler than the one I had when I was young. 🙂
Parents are so great! Though I really enjoy DIY, there are times I wish I wasn't so stingy and would just hire someone to do it. But, the fact of the matter is, I AM stingy! And, I sometimes flat out don't trust others to do as good (detailed!) a job as I would do. Sigh.
Building of furniture is my line in the sand! No thanks.
How sweet of your mama to buy the beds.
Every cotton-pickin' chance I get!!
:))
I've had to learn that even if I can do something doesn't always mean I should do it. One of the hardest things is knowing when to LSEDI! And with as busy as you are, it sounds like a great time to embrace this new way of living 😉
Let someone else do it! is my vote,
How nice of your parents to offer to help out.
Fondly,
Laurie
I try to do about everything myself…then, when I thoroughly mess it up, I call in the professionals. Think I've about done it all now…from hanging sheetrock to installing hardwood floors. Hmmm…maybe it's time to let someone else do the dirty work:-)
Happy Valentine's Day!
Cheryl at My Sister's Cottage
We are definitely DIYers, but if my parents offered to buy my children furniture, I wouldn't refuse. I agree with Katy, above, drywalling is worth LSEDI. When we reno-ed the kitchen, it was a to the studs remodel, and my husband said never again in regards to drywall.
Can't wait to see the new bunks and what bedding you choose.
My 16 year old still sleeps in the bottom bunk! HA… but he sleeps like a turtle his head and all under the covers and pillow, I never know, at a glance, if he's gotten up to get ready for school! LSEDI… is my MOTTO, when it comes to furniture.
If my parents had offered to buy my boys bunks beds- we wouldnt have DIY ones either! YAY for fabulous parents!!!
You should totally go for it! My husband and I built the PB King Size Farmhouse Bed from Ana's website. It was only $240 for lumber, stain, and other materials. Her plans are very easy to follow! I know your version will look great!
I agree with the other Rebecca…..A time for everything…..
No guilt!
; )
Love,
Me
http://www.youaretalkingtoomuch.com
buy 'em, er, let mom and dad buy 'em… good deal, so very happy for you that they are doing this! and on Valentine's! how sweet!
Sometimes our time is worth more than our money and that tends to be what determines that for me. My dad always told me that my time was the most valuable thing beyond my family that I have because I can never get more of it.
Debbie
I am in favor of GTD. Getting things done.
I paid someone to paint some walls and trim in my house. We usually do this kind of thing ourselves. Or rather, we are really good at talking about doing these things ourselves. I came up with the following reasons to justify giving other people money to paint my walls and trim when I was feeling a bit guilty for not doing it myself:
1. It will act as a catalyst in getting the next steps of a project done.
2. They are faster and the chaos of the project doesn't last as long.
3. It frees you up to do something that only YOU can do such as parent, make art, do your own job.
4. It gets done instead of just talked about.
5. You hate doing it.
Another way to evaluate whether I should DIY or LSEI – will I need to buy a lot of specialty tools to DIY…and will I need to buy a lot of extra materials to account for the "learning curve"? AND finally, is this a skill I will use again and again or is it a one-time thing. If it's one time, and there are tools involved, and the materials are expensive….I LSEDI.
If the materials are inexpensive and the tools are not expensive, AND I will likely do this again….learn to DYI.
One of the hard things about being a DIY'er is that I always know that I will learn a ton of new stuff for every project I tackle. And I like learning new things and feeling confident that "I can do that!" However, I am learning that often it is worth letting someone else do it. We just went thru this with refinishing our wood floors. I totally knew that I could do it; but a professional was only about $200 more than it would cost me to buy all the stuff and rent the equipment. Plus the pro had an incredible vacuum system that meant no dust and no taping everything off. Plus I know that if there was a problem I could just call them to come fix it, not spent more money to fix it myself. In the end these benefits along with the fact that I just really did not have the time pushed me over the edge to let someone else do it. But next week I am totally replacing sink faucets and painting DIY!
So, I was just looking for a rack for multiple laptops. This seems to be a common enough problem that there might be a product. Instead, I found a number of DIY alternatives. It was then that I realized that I really didn’t want to do it myself. I wanted to buy it. I would rather spend my time using the laptops to do productive work, than reinventing the wheel. I wanted someone else to do it. So, just for a lark, I thought I would google a stupid acronym like lsedi. Who knew this was already a thing. So, I’m just posting in praise of LSEDI. There are definitely times when DIY is a really good alternative– if you have the time, and if you already have the skills, and if funds are an issue, then, yes, by all means DIY. But, if you have to trade time learning a skill that you won’t use many times, and if you are trading time building something to help with what you are doing, rather than doing it, and it won’t break your bank, then I IMO, you should really think hard about the time.