Ok, will someone please explain to my husband that

[kijip]

moving into a new house does not require making an extra mortgage payment directly to Home Depot? Seriously, we have made it years with the same small tool box, a drill and a saw. We are both fairly handy. It used to be that I was more handy than him, now it is reversed as he has made all of this his hobby over the last few weeks. He went into Home Depot for some toggle bolts this morning and came out $200 later. Same thing last week, went for paint came home having spent a lot more than paint. I am happy that he is reading up on routine maintenance and being proactive about learning this stuff but it is amusing to see this transformation to handy dandy man the second we placed an offer. And when he commits to something for a few weeks, it becomes a permanent thing for him. I swear, I am sending him to the store the next time with cash in hand, no wallet with that tempting debit bank card. :P

And in somewhat related news, I need to chill about curtains. I was up all evening hemming them to the *exact* length I wanted. We have not even moved in our furniture and I am fussing with window coverings.

LOL. Interesting gender stereotypes at play here I guess!

****Rocking out while parenting my smart little munchkin Toby. Just trying to do good in the world, a little at a time. Words to live by: it is *never* the wrong time to do the right thing :)

[kedss]

Hugs, Katie-
It's his way of nesting, LOL :)
At least yours shops at a store when you might be able to slow him down, mine is an all night online researcher/shopper. I never know what gadget for our old computers he will buy next.

slight hijack:
But, we might need to research for a new digital camera, since my DS decided that ours needed a bath in the sink...didn't occur to him that it might not be good for the camera, DOH!!! Haven't told his father yet, hoping it will dry out enough to get the 500+ pictures we have stored on it, sigh.

hang in there, Katie(hope the hem looks right this morning, LOL)

[AddiesMom]

Regarding the digital camera... I once put a cell phone throught he wash. It took TWO WEEKS but I finally dried it out and it worked again!

It finally dried out completely when I put it on the dashboard of my car on a warm day! Good luck!

[kedss]

it looks like the digital camera recovered and we got the pictures off the card! :) thanks!

Katie-
I hope J is almost done with his nesting. :)
hugs

[DebbieJ]

I think we spent $800 in one single trip at Home Depot when we moved into our first house. (And of course we spent tons more in all those little trips to run out and pick up that one thing you need). DH had some list of tools he "needed" to have on hand.

Guess how many of them have been used...

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[StantonHyde]

When my brother and SIL moved into their first house in a new city, they figured out right away where Home Depot was and spent lots of time and money there. Like every weekend. When it came time to buy the Christmas tree, SIL said, anywhere but Home Depot. They couldn't find another place so back to Home Depot! I think it's just as addicting as a crafts store, music store or, heaven forbid, the bookstore--ack!! When I was a teen, my mom could give me a blank check to a clothing store but not the bookstore. I love Home Depot--dreaming of all the things i could do and the satisfaction of teh projects I have done. Now I just go to let DC sit on the lawn tractors and potting soil!

[Jenn98]

I have news for you Katie: It doesn't stop after you move in. You will probably make regular trips to Home Depot for years to come. And it never gets any cheaper!!!

[bostonsmama]

Poor thing...moving into your first house is so expensive. I read in a Consumer Reports issue one time that the average household spends $9,000-$12,000 the first year of home ownership. We got pretty close with $3,500 in new carpeting, $1,000 for new ceramic tile flooring, $250 in paint & supplies, $2,000 in new appliances (W/D), and since we decided to clear out our mix-matched furniture, about $3300 for a bedroom set....and that's EXCLUDING all the kitchen and living room renovations we made throughout the next 5 years. I don't even WANT to remember our Home Depot bills. We replaced sash locks, door handles, towel bars (crappy builder's grade ones pop off), you name it! Save your receipts, though! All those costs for home improvement will make a tax deduction off the profit when you sell your townhome one day.

We did rent quite a few of the tools we needed early on. Home Depot has a great rental center. If you really want to save money, you can do like we did and forbid new projects until holidays and birthdays. DH only gets new tools on holidays since they can cost so much $$$. Even if you've been married for a while while apartment dwelling, owning a home costs so much (Jenn is so right). The most startling thing is that when anything breaks, it's your own responsibility. (Just bitching right along with you, not trying to be preachy). It sucks.

Hugs and sympathy...it's never ending...and secretly fun sometimes to get new goodies for something you OWN. ;)

[shilo]

Tools = Toys around here, and come out of the appropriate budget :P.

DH right after we closed on our new house... "but honey, i NEED that $85 laser activated measurer..."

me "why, we already have a tape measure"

DH "because i need to know the exact dimensions of the room for my computer model of the house"

me "so i'll help you with the tape measure, why would you need to spend $85 bucks on a laser beam thingy"

DH "because it's cool"

uh huh. straight to his toy budget i say! i so feel your pain. i try not to let mine go to HD alone :), it's better for our marriage that way.

lori
Sam 5/19/05 How lucky I am that you chose me.

[kijip]

>Poor thing...moving into your first house is so expensive. I
>read in a Consumer Reports issue one time that the average
>household spends $9,000-$12,000 the first year of home
>ownership.

Yeah, I hear you. I was hoping to avoid a touch of it because the home is brand spanking new (so nothing like a water heater to replace right away or a roof to fix). I should not have much besides paint (optional, but needed unless I wanted the whole place looking like a pottery barn catalog with brown walls), appliances, draperies, and things like a ladder (not needed before). But we are rapidly gaining on that $9000 mark. However, most of it is for optional stuff, nearly 1/2 just on appliances which have to be considered optional extra expense since we could have gone way cheaper. So J has a card to play whenever I poke at one of his tool purchases...guess who insisted on the expensive refrigerator? :P