I completely agree with you. My “motto” if you will is: if someone else can do it, I can do it. Maybe not as quickly or as well, but I’ll learn a lot.

I am self-taught when it comes to working on cars, but I can now take an intake manifold off and replace fuel injectors as well as clean valves. Brakes and calipers are something I don’t ever think I’d pay someone else to do again

I used to feel the same way about brakes. But forty or so brake jobs and 25 years later, I do pay somebody else to do them when one of my daily drivers needs it, just so I don't have to bother. I still work on my 'toy' cars, but then that's what they're there for.

Interesting motto, so you could prove Fermat's last theorem?

Great comment! I had a laugh!

You may be skipping bit of nuance from the article. She wrote "I DIYed for the same reason most people do. To save money. To make it exactly the way I wanted (can we say control issues?). And to put my personal stamp on it." It's not just money. And sometimes if you're caught up in something too much and stop enjoying it, it's nice to have a break and reevaluate. Kind of like a drug if you need to figure out if you want to keep going.

I was a little suspicious when I got to the pitch at the end. I like to read through blog archives and I've seen a pattern of blogs becoming more commercialized as they become popular and the authors realize they can monetize. I wrote a post about a particularly clear example:

https://wordpress.com/posts/bancosparenting.wordpress.com

I'm sure there's more money to be made from as an interior decorating consultant vs. by providing inspiration and tutorials to budget-conscious DIYers. Not to discount the truth of her story but it leaves me skeptical that this is the whole story.

As someone who aspires to grow a blog audience and reach people with my ideas it makes me want to keep a close eye on my own values and how they may change over time once there's a personal financial benefit depending on the kind of advice I give.

Honestly, I don't care about DIY costs. I tend to make things when I need something specific or different that isn't readily-available. I can make things, but I have other priorities. Like hydroponics: I bought an automated garden rather than putting one together because time and simplicity. And, I have so much stuff already, I don't need anymore. Plus, the accumulation of tools and supplies to DIY is never-ending and costly.

Oh, and maintaining, restoring, and customizing my VW van is plenty of DIY for me.

Wow, an automated garden? Can you share more on that or drop some links about it?

I used to grow weed and was trying to go in that direction before shutting down.

I was able to tie alexa into water pumps, so I would just say "Alexa, flood top tray" and it would water my clones.

I half joked about the goal being "Alex, grow weed"