Yeah, that's the ticket, I'm adding value to the house...
DH and I said we were going to put a dishwasher in our house when we closed in July. One because it'll add value to our 1969 kitchen, and two because we're a couple of slacker anti-dishwashing fools. Don't ask me why, don't ask me where it came from, but I've hated doing dishes since I was 10 years old. HATE IT!
My parents made me do the dinner dishes for our family for about 2 months, and I was so bad at it my punishment was to have to wash every dish in the house. Nice thinking, pops: now ALL the dishes in the house were only halfway washed, not just the everyday dishes... My mom finally had it UP TO THERE (you know where THERE is, right?) and told me I wouldn't have to wash the dishes, but she would never wash a stich of my clothing again. COOL! I like laundry, and love to iron, so we were both very pleased with this compromise.
Anyways, I digress. I hate doing dishes. I'm better at it than I was in my youth, but I'd still rather iron king sized sheets than wash a load of cutlery any day. And DH, well... Let's just say he means well when he washes a dish.
Add to this the fact that the cast iron drain pipe from my kitchen sink leaks like a seive (no exaggeration here, I'm afraid) into my basement, and you get a kitchen that is an absolute wreck. Intead of washing the dishes as they're used, they get rinsed and then wait for a full load since all the dishwater is going to drain into the basement anyways.
Needless to say, the dish situation made it difficult to work up the motivation to do something so frugal as to cook and eat at home. So, well, we didn't.
Over dinner last night I told DH I enjoy eating out, but I enjoy eating at home too. Add to that it's financially healthier to eat at home, and my preference becomes clear.
He didn't understand what I meant when I said it was financially healthier. So I told him what we've spent the past 2.5 weeks in groceries and eating out (mostly eating out). I cannot, I will not repeat the number here because it is utterly appalling, mortifying even. He asked me to repeat myself, because surely the number I had just given him couldn't be right. Could it?
Oh yeah, it was right. His response? BLINK BLINK.
After a very long pause he said "Maybe we'd cook at home more if we actually put that dishwasher in. Of course, that means we'll have to fix the cast iron drain pipe, first..."
HALLELUJAH!
The cost of repairing the pipe will come out of my monthly budgeted amount for home improvement and repair 'stuff', so no extra money spent there. The money for the dishwasher? Well, the house had some cash sitting around unallocated in savings from the era of my 'save it aimlessly till you need it' mentality. Since it is in no way figured into our existing budget, we're gonna use that to pay cash for the dishwasher.
Total cost for the dishwasher and materials/tools to fix the pipe: approximately $350
Total saved doing the pipe repair and dishwasher install ourselves: approximately $250
Total value added to the house: WHO CARES!!!! I WON'T HAVE TO WASH DISHES!!!!
Well, I do care of course, but it'll be several months before we get it appraised so I guess we'll find out then. Alls I know is it appraised for 74,500 without a dishwasher, cook top, or oven, and with that freaking huge tree in the yard. Tree's gone, cook-top is in, dishwasher is moving in; now I just gotta find a built-in-oven for cheap.
Total saved by eating out less: I'm so ashamed, I really can't reveal that. Let's just say it's, um, A LOT.
Adding value to the house...
January 15th, 2007 at 04:48 pm
January 15th, 2007 at 04:58 pm 1168880309
January 15th, 2007 at 05:03 pm 1168880600
We got our current dishwasher on freecycle. Worth an asking! I also do a lot of give aways that way.
Some loverly woman is enjoying my ol'dirty mini blinds as we speak!
Did I forget to mention I don't like to clean either???
Well....
I don't!
haaaaaa!!
January 15th, 2007 at 05:10 pm 1168881005
as for the blinds: UGH!!! i hate miniblinds! there is no way to keep them clean and nice for the long term, i don't care who you are! there are 2 up in our kitchen windows that came with the house, and as soon as i find something else i like, they're hitting the trash.
DH wanted some in the den until i made him look closely at the ones in the kitchen (ew!), so we got fabric/bamboo roll ups. put the brush attachment on the vacuum, and TADA they're done. spritz w/ febreeze, and good as new.
January 15th, 2007 at 05:50 pm 1168883408
I hate dishes too, ummmm and blinds and laundry and......
Yes, it would be waaaaayyyy easier to hire a maid! The kids costs too much and get mouthy and lazy. Cheap, easy labor they are NOT!
January 15th, 2007 at 06:03 pm 1168884219
Anyway, you surely deserve a dishwasher. Just don't be surprised at how short a time it will be before you're grumbling to yourself, "Oh, crap, I have to unload the dishwasher again!"
January 15th, 2007 at 06:06 pm 1168884390
O bother - I'm going to have to readjust myself big time when these last two move out!
Yeah, yeah, lifeskills that's what I'm talking about!
January 15th, 2007 at 07:42 pm 1168890149
January 17th, 2007 at 12:31 am 1168993861