Re:9M American men in prime working age can’t find jobs. I’m...
by bwigfield on Monday December 19, 2016 @11:51AM
(#13212728)
I grew up in a similar situation and thus gained the same sort of skills. However the area I grew up in is pretty depressed (Cumberland, MD for thoses who care https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-14/in-trump-...). What I'm seeing is that now we are at a point where so many people do things themselves that the service industry is also struggling. Contractors are no longer doing good business in the area as there has been a race to the bottom. If people don't fix it themselves most turn to a low cost do-it-all 'handy man'. Because everyone is trying to save a buck money doesn't really move around much and we're in a downward spiral.
Re:9M American men in prime working age can’t find jobs. I’m...
by ryandrake on Monday December 19, 2016 @07:18PM
(#13216253)
Yea, my parents taught me all that stuff, and I grew up believing it to be totally normal to fix your own car and maintain your own house. It was a shock to enter the real world and find there are people who pay others to do these simple things.
I'd add basic mechanics to this list -- things like changing my own oil and replacing my own battery have saved me a TON of money and there's a satisfaction that comes from being able to fix your own stuff.