(jb0)
Debt Ninja reasons that many of day-to-die life’s seemingly built-in-costs are just the price of sitting on the couch and doing as little as possible. He meditated in his money-saving samurai way and came up with four things he could do himself that he routinely pays for.
His reasons from the post, with my commentary:
*Eating out. Is a mid-workday McDonald’s run really all that tastier than a sandwich from home?
*Oil changes. Doing the deed yourself takes a little bit of know-how and 15 minutes of your time, but instead you lug your car to a mechanic and waste away in the waiting room for an hour or more.
*Taxes. It’s just easier to shove a box of receipts in your accountant’s face and forget about it, right?
*Greeting cards. Just make them on your computer and fold a piece of paper in half.
What sorts of easy things would you rather pay for then do yourself, and why?
How much does being lazy cost you? [Punch Debt In The Face]
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couple of things. Having a certified accountant do your taxes helps if you get audited or anything like that .
Also some of uys live in condo units and have nowhere to do our oil ourselves.
also considering deli meat here is like $11 a pound it can be a lot cheaper to go to mcdonalds or taco bell then making a sandwich.
DIY oil changes in 15 min? In some kind of gear-head heaven maybe.
I used to do my oil changes until I got a 1993 Toyota Tercel and realized that these guys made it nearly impossible to change the oil filter without a special oil filter wrench. Also those oil filters seemed to have a tougher case so jabbing a screwdriver into one was much more difficult.
Also oil disposal became a problem in the 1990s, right around the time you couldn’t legally dump used oil into the garbage and before widespread oil recycling.
I gave up changing my own oil by 1995 and then paid someone to do it for me and I have never looked back.
Eating Out: All fine and dandy as long as you remember to make the sandwich and bring it, and don’t eat it at 10:00 a.m. when you get the dread munchies. Me? I’d try to skip the lunch altogether, and lose productivity by letting the blood sugar drop too much.
Oil Changes: My husband has caused two car repairs in the last year by doing the oil changes himself.
Taxes: What accountant lets you shove receipts in his face? I find working with our accountant more time consuming than doing it myself. And usually, I get thousands of dollars more back from using him. But then, I’m a business owner.
Greeting Cards: It’s even cheaper to skip the greeting cards altogether, and send a warm heartfelt greeting via Facebook.
One year, I hired someone to do my Christmas shopping. Another year, I hired someone to wrap my presents. These days, I skip the presents and just hand over a wad of cash with a mumbled comment to enjoy spending it on beer or something.
Uh…changing the oil in your car doesn’t take 15 minutes. In my car it’s more like an hour on my back in the sweltering heat where the only thing keeping half a ton of American-assembled, Chinese-made car from crashing down onto me is a Chinese-made jack because despite being tiny, I still need space to move around underneath my sedan…hence I have to jack it up. Plus oil gets on my driveway and on my clothes. 15 minutes my rusty ass. It’s much easier to pay someone to do it and frankly if I DID do it myself, I’d save NO time and about $4. For that, I’ll be taking it to the local lube. What a total crock of shit.
And if someone with a job gave me a card they had printed on their computer, I’d be kind of pissed. You can get cards for as little as a buck at some stores.
They’re right about taxes though; the only time I ever paid an accountant to do my taxes for me was the year I moved back here from abroad AND they changed the foreign earned income exemption rules to not make any sense. I massively increased my refund too, so the $300 fee paid for itself 5 times over. But most people don’t have that situation to deal with.
Eating out is a total money-waster; I agree with that one. I never go out for lunch. Not only do I save a ton but I don’t WEIGH a ton, plus I have more energy to get me through the rest of the day because I haven’t stuffed myself full of crap halfway through the day. Plus, since I lunch at my desk, I get to leave half an hour early. Can’t beat it.
I totally agree with what others have said about being willing to trade money to get more time. I pay a gardener to keep the plants from running amok. I couldn’t even tell you what my taxes involve, but every year it comes back from the accountant with a lot of schedules attached and I am so glad that I don’t have to take the time to learn all the applicable rules. I wish I could pay someone else to fix all my food, but all the options I’ve explored are too unhealthy (restaurants), unpalatable (frozen diet food by mail), or way too expensive (personal chef). Food preparation probably takes at least a dozen hours out of my week and I resent every minute of it.
Lawn care…our yard is a huge corner. $35 per mow sounds like a good deal to stay cool and clean vs sweating and dealing with allergies for 1-2hrs. But some days I add it al up and hate myself for being lazy.
*Eating out.
I rarely eat out for lunch because I can’t afford it. Every few months a coworker and I will go. Mostly I bring food and write during my lunch hour. Leftovers or a sandwich usually suffices. Sometimes I find myself scraping the bottom of the barrel because there’s nothing in the house that doesn’t have to be cooked.
*Oil changes.
I don’t want to do this, so I don’t. It’s not that much money for something that only gets done every few months or so.
*Taxes.
Oh HELL no. I tried to do my own taxes a couple of years ago and messed up. I figured I’d let someone else do them from now on so they don’t think I’m trying to hide something!
*Greeting cards.
Usually I buy them but I have one of those fancy programs and some card stock, so sometimes if I get a wild hair, I’ll make one. I usually put a thing on the back that says “[my name] Productions” and the year. I made my own Christmas cards for a couple of years, but they were funny and creative, not cheap foldy junk.
Why has no one (that I noticed) included the cost/hassle of buying a proper grease gun?
I’ve never had an oil change where they didn’t also lube all the fittings (16 on my car). Having a ball joint go out because it ran dry will cost far more than the few bucks saved by doing oil changes yourself. Having to jack up the car twice (to also get to the rear grease zits) finally put me off doing my own.
with the exception for eating out, this is pretty poor advice. It is certainly indicative of “digging to the bottom of the barrel” for content.
I concur with item 1. Unfortunately, my support ends there.
2) Oil Changes – if one if judicious with coupons, a professional oil change can be had for under $35. Buying the supplies for a DIY oil change will easily cost $20. Then after the time investment is factored in? And the cost for those of us who have no mechanical know-how? All of the sudden the $15 (max) premium we’re paying for a professional to change our oil (once every 3 months for a total of $60 per annum) isn’t really a stretch.
3) Taxes – if you take a standard deduction, then yes, there is absolutely no excuse for you to pay an accountant; assuming you completed the 3rd grade. However, if you itemize (and if a homeowner, chances are that you do), there is absolutely no wisdom in scrimping here. When everything goes smoothly, it’s easy to discount the (tax deductible) cost of a CPA. However, when you open your mailbox in July to find a letter from the IRS (and chances are, they’re not just saying “hi” and checking on the kids), it’s nice to have someone to call that knows the law and your rights when it comes to an audit. 5 years of paying CPA fees can EASILY be erased by one successfully avoided audit situation. Again, from an attorney, if your taxes are any more complicated than a standard deduction, this is foolish advice.
4) Greeting cards – For the love of all things holy, how cheap do you want your friends to think you are? The comments behind your back aren’t worth the $2 you saved (if you shop for greeting cards at dollar stores and card outlets) by printing out some ghetto-fab card at home. And really, what message does that send your friends? “Hi, you’re so special I couldn’t even spend $2 on you.” Think about that one.
Consumerist…usually a good site. This article? My fifth grader pulled this to my attention and the lack of wisdom involved.
Skipping McD’s is not only doing your wallet a favor, but doing yourself a favor. I never understood why anyone eats their substandard shit food.
I once went too fast up the little ramps when I was getting ready to change my oil. Scared me half to death. I took mine to the quick change shop after that. One I went to I could watch them, make sure they did it right.
I just hate greeting cards period. They are thrown out after two days. I skip them all together.
I tried that once. The response was not positive.
I make my cards because I wait til the last minute. I bring my lunch to work because it’s cheaper and healthier. I do my own taxes because my tax situation is very simple. However, I have no interest in learning how to change my car’s oil, and I get decent coupons from my dealership for $20 oil changes (and my car uses synthetic which is more anyway), so I’ll just do that instead. Also, it only takes about half an hour of waiting and they have free WiFi.
Eating Out: It’s less healthy and more expensive, but tastes better, and fits better in some schedules.
Oil Changes: It costs about $15 and an hour to do it yourself. It takes $25 and 20 minutes to drive into the local qwik-e-lube and have them do it. Plus I feel better about a professional messing with my car, and like another poster said, they can spot trouble. It’s worth the $10
Taxes: I do it myself, it’s way cheaper than an accountant.
Greeting Cards: 90% of the time a store-bought card looks better than a cheezy printed one. The other 10% is when a kid sends one to grandma. It’s basically, “You cared enough to stand in the aisle at Wal-Mart trying to find someone else’s sentiment that fits this situation” vs. “You care enough to press print on your computer.” Either way, it’s the thought that counts.
My opinion: I enjoy paying to be lazy. The best money I spend is to the guy who cuts my grass in the 100 degree heat while I’m sitting here posting to some consumer website.
for the 15 min oil change I could do it on my old 1992 silverado. It was high enough no jacks needed just crawl under drain, replace filter, pour in new and go. Disposing of the old oil was a PITA. Now the new WRX goes to the shop would take me way longer than 15 mins to jack it up and get the skid plate out the way so I could get to the filter.
Taxes, my tax situation is complicated. the $250 my CPA charges is a bargain to save me from the headaches.
Dunno about greeting cards but me and the wife printed our own wedding invites. Buying the fancy paper and running it through my laser printer was way cheaper and looked just as nice as any others we’ve seen.
Now I do spend $150 a month to have someone mow and weedeat my 1/2 acre lot. I hate mowing grass.
I’m not allowed to change my oil in my condominium complex parking lot. Is there a co-op garage I could take it to? No? Could I also get all the other free checks and maintenance that my garage puts in with their oil changes? No? I’d have to actually take it to the garage for that and pay for that anyway, since a lot of it involves things I can’t do at home?
I hate it when people try to act like I should just change my own oil. Yes, back when I lived in a rural area I would, or my brother would do it since he had the proper tools to check a lot of other things and make sure the car was in proper working order in more ways than just an oil change. Now that I’m not allowed to do more than maybe change a tire in my parking lot and I don’t have access to my brother the handyman, I take it to a well-priced garage with people I trust who do a lot of extra work because I’m a loyal customer. I get more than my money’s worth.
Also, who wastes away in the waiting room? My mechanic is right next to my husband’s office, three places to eat, and several shops. They also offer a complimentary service to shuttle you anywhere within a few miles, and they’re within range of one of the biggest malls in the country. I have PLENTY I can do while getting my oil changed, thanks.
Everybody should evaluate what is the better use of their money, but these four things are not automatic fails, and they’re not laziness, and they’re not wastes.
I’m trained as a mechanic, and I just don’t bother changing my own oil anymore. It’s just a drag, a time waster, and after cleaning up the oil from everything, getting out & putting away tools, and just plain messy to do it at home. Plus, I think I’d save like 5 bucks. It’s just not worth it.
BUT, when I go to the oil places, I ALWAYS bring my own filter. Fram, usually. There was an issue once with their store filters were manufactured WITHOUT a gasket. And the oil schmuck just stuck it on and didn’t even notice it. Let’s just say, they’re lucky I lived almost right across the street, or they would have ended up buying me a new engine. (I also now go to a DIFFERENT oil change shop.)
The tax thing depends on how complicated your return is.
I’ve used TaxAct for several years. The basic version is free; the deluxe version ($12.95) includes free e-filing.
Earlier this year, H&R Block ran a commercial offering a special on filling out and filing the 1040EZ for $39. If spending an extra $10 for someone to change your oil is lazy, what do you
call paying $39 to fill in about 8 lines and do basic math?
I dunno, I pay like $16 for an oil change. Not worth the hassle to me to save $3 or $4 to do it myself.
I change the oil on on three of our vehicles. Quality filter is $3 on sale, generally but two at a time for each vehicle. Gallon jugs of quality oil on sale is roughly $12-$13. New air filter is $6. Jiffy Lube types places charge north of $30.
For $20 I can change my oil knowing that never again will my drain plugs be stripped, rounded over or otherwise screwed up. Disposal of the oil and filters is free in my area through numerous outlets. I also know that every fluid I top off is one of my choosing. So I am saving some coin here.
Now, the third vehicle is a Can Am Spyder, and that change at home costs me close to $50… Versus the $100+++ at the dealer given the amount of hassle to change the oil.
I’m lucky in that I like doing it, and am fairly handy. Having a house, level driveway and a large garage helps a lot.
Wow, it must be a slow day for Consumerist. There was no information in that story that any adult doesn’t already know and some of it is inaccurate. Doing an oil change yourself takes longer than 15 minutes and with a lot of people living apartments and condos, there is not enough room to safely jack your car up to get to the drain valve and oil filter. Don’t forget trudging your used oil to a recycling center. I am a huge Consumerist fan, I read the site everyday, twice if I am bored. That this guy wrote a blog this boring and Consumerist decided to “report” it shows a bit of laziness. This story is a FAIL!
I disagree with the oil change. I can’t do it for less than the Jiffy Lube which sends me an $18 coupon every other week. Even without the coupon it would cost me the same + my time and effort to do it.
With almost no effort you can find something else to do while they do the dirty work. You don’t have to rot in the waiting room.
Like many others, I generally disagree about the oil change, though Jiffy Lube and many shops often make money by sucking people into repairs they don’t need or want. Then I also hear about poor people who pay $200 for an oil change at the dealership.
I do often change it myself as it’s simple enough to do and I like to make sure it’s done properly, but my mechanic only charges $10 for the job if I bring in my own oil and filter. I had a very difficult time finding someone who would wait for all the oil to drain out before replacing it. On my mother’s Mercedes, it takes about an hour for all the oil to drain out and you have to remove a billion plastic panels. It probably also costs me about $70/materials to do it, but the mechanic will change it for $110 which I find well worth it.
Taxes I also disagree with, I think there are many people who simply are not able to read or figure it out even if they try their best. I don’t think the people are lazy, they are simply incapable of doing this. I think the tax forms are way too confusing and should be simplified for people who simply have a job and just need the standard deduction. I’ve seen way too many people mess this up and not do it properly and lose out on more money than they would’ve spent at the H&R Block.
Greeting cards? Print out? Geez, most people will consider you just cheap.