Last week I was doing a small job for a customer when an insulation salesman came by to do an estimate for a top-up of insulation. I heard him ask the customer when the house was built and she had indicated that it was probably in the early seventies. The saleman then went onto say “Ah yes, back then they weren’t concerned with insulation. Energy was cheap so they didn’t care.”
I nearly swallowed a mouthfull of screws I was holding. I wanted to jump into the conversation and tell him that the first house I built for myself was wayyyyyyy back in 1973 and we thought it was space age technology putting 3 1/2 inches in the walls with a vapour barrier and 6 inches in the ceiling with a vapour barrier. Including lots of roof and soffit vents. Wayyyyyyyyyy back then we thought energy prices were terribly high and did everything we could do to save money and used the best building techniques of the day.
I wanted to tell him all this but I didn’t.
I really don’t feel that old but I have to admit I seem to see my dad every day in the morning when I shave. Maybe I need new glasses. Yep, that’s it, new glasses
roger.
Replies
He is just a youn wipper snapper, ignore him.
Or asking about the oil crisses in during the 70's.
Or the natural gas shortages. I built my house in 79 and there was talk of limiting gas connections here.
And I know of places where they did. In Lousiville people where buying up cheap houses for the gas meter rights.
And when I was at the home shows there are energy saving systems.
One that I remembered used staggered 2x4's on a 2x6 plate. Then there was a molded styrofoam with slots that fit between/around the studs.
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
When we bought our house in the fall of 76 we couldn't hook it up for a year. On the bright side, we made $50 on the last of the propane -- the price of propane went up that much between when the tank was last filled in the spring and they pumped it out in the fall.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Not quite as bad, but yesterday the conversation turned to high school. The lead guy on the roof crew graduated in 96. I was married in 96.
I'm 37 (just turned) and i'm starting to find that i'm not youngest one on site anymore. It doesnt really bother me but it kinda does.
My helpers only 23.
Just wait and see. It'll happen so fast you won't know what bit you.
One day you seem to know all the hot bands and music and then someone talks about a band you never heard of. What's worse is the band you never heard of is old to the person who's telling you this. Pink Floyd was it for me. Never heard of them at the time.
I was always and I mean always the youngest kid in the class from public school through high school. Even when I became a policeman I still didn't have to shave every day. Now, even when I shave I miss so much it looks like I haven't shaved.
That being said I still enjoy construction and learning.
The one thing about looking mature (plus I dress relatively neat when working) most workers think I'm the building inspector which is whole bunch of fun.
roger
roger
Don't feel so bad.
One of my sons is 37.
Joe H
Okay you beat me on that one. I remember having a brother in law who was 40. Wow! 40! Old!
You have a son 37 OUCH!
roger
One of my sons is 37
Is that the youngest? Youngest turns 39 this year, Oldest son is 42 next week.
About age - Wish I knew back when what I know now (or had some of the $$ then that is available now)
Neighbor 2 houses away is having a new drive put in, old one fine, just not the fancy 'textured' fad.
Crew of 3 guys, 20-somethings, with a rented jackhammer and rented small Hertz dump taking out the old - needed some brocken concrete, told them I'd take it all but be sure to rebate the dump fees ($30 load here for 2 yards) to the neighbor.
Also took over the backhoe to break some of the drive out - told them DW let me buy one after tearing rotator cuff with heavy labor <G>.
Put that new-fangled insulated glass in own house built in '72-74. Bad decision, should have stayed with storm windows. Windows were a full 10% of the cost of the house.
About age - Wish I knew back when what I know now
Probably if I had listened to my parents I be way ahead of the game too, but kinda late.
By the time you realize whats happening, it's happened.
So why don't my kids listen?
Joe H
Circle of life. If kids listened more in each generation parenting would get so easy that even Brittny Spears could do it.
I can't tell you how much that comment made me laugh! I was celebrating the tenth aniversary of my second marriage when you were getting hitched.
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Yeah, I know, i'm still a relative pup, but its gaining on me.
LOL, similar to Piffin, but had been married about 32 years to first wife then and with grandkids, hard to remember when everything happened <G>
The ages of our crew. Painter is 62, Carpenter is 57, Laborer is 59, Property Manager is 54.
Just for curiosity how would you rate this group of men in regards to productivity, work skills, work habits etc etc. It would be interesting to hear your view.
roger
They all have drivers license, come to work everyday, and do a honest day's work. I can't find a young guy that wants to work.
Scarry isnt it not that these guys are getting older but no line up of young guys wanting to really have to do manual labor for the rest of their lifes.
To he really honest, I was actually the laziest S.O.B. on the face of the planet as a kid. When I think about it, the change came when it was MY MONEY and what I could do to make more of..................................MY MONEY and what I could do to keep from spending......................................................MY MONEY. I think it's called incentive. I will still work hard all day doing the things I like...................................for money.
My Dad came from north London (almost Cockney) and had a good education of about grade 6 and he always told me that "if you want to be like everyone else, act like everyone else BUT if you don't WANT to be like everyone else, don't act like them"
Still good advice.
roger
I keep hoping somebody that wants to work will show up.
i remember me and my brothers saving for months to buy my dad a power miter box when they first came out.
Electric drills were not real common and I remember seeing one that went in reverse. My god is there no end to mans technology! I don't remember anyone using a drill for screws because there was no variable speed. Only on and off. Screws were pretty well used only in furniture making which is where the Robertson screw (square) was used and invented in Canada about 1910 or so. A person didn't need two hands to put in a screw in odd locations.
roger
9" Rockwell with a junky small PB table
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I'm sure you guys did the best you could back then. It was during an Ice Age afterall, right? ;)
Nah, there was no ice age when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
Oh that's right... don't know what I was thinking. View Image
Your day is not that far away.
Which day is that ?
His first midlife crisis?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Gees, I sound old and all this really wasn't that long ago . Even as a kid I used to hang around house construction and I used to go around picking up nails and straightening them if they were bent. This wan't something just to keep me occupied because if I didn't do it one of the men would have done it.
My first house in 72-73 I mixed all the mortar for a full cement block basement in a wheelbarrow. One load at a time. Because I wanted to do all my own wiring I didn't have access to a temporary electric pole ( a contractor would have supplied one) so every piece of lumber and plywood was cut by hand. When the excavation was done I didn't want to pay the extra to move the earth piles so I had to hand bomb every concrete block and every stick of lumber over and around all this earth. (not one of my brighter moments) All of which explains that I probably still have the first buck I earned. Those were the days you could move into a partially finished house. 8 years later when we wanted to sell it I had to finish it.
Glad I did it but would really think twice about doing it all again though it gave me lots of confidence to do anything after that.
roger
<I probably still have the first buck I earned>
LOL! Dad's REAL frugal; my uncles always said the same thing about him. When he retired (BSME plant engineer for many years at a Mobil Foams plant), got a financial planner to help with retirement planning.
Planner was able to determine that including dad's college summer jobs with FL Power and Light (mid-late '50s), adding up everything he had ever made until 1999, that's about what he had invested - few percent more, as I recall.
Dad was tickled - felt like he'd "done it".
Plays golf five times a week, only as long as he can win more money than his expenses. Looking forward to shooting his age this year (70).
Forrest
Financial planners. What a laugh. Where do these guys come from? About 30 years ago was when I first heard about them and prior to that I don't think they even existed. The way it works is that I work my butt off scrimping and saving the old fashioned way. Fixing my own vehicles. Fixing up mine and other peoples houses and losing a bit of flesh and bone along the way. Then after collecting and protecting this little nest egg I give it to someone I don't know who usually can't guarantee any of the results ??? AND HE GETS PAID FOR THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!
My wife drags me off to one of these people every once in a while and after listening to their spiel for awhile I gently ask them if their house is paid for. In most cases they admit theirs isn't paid for. These people are usually in their 30's or 40's and if they haven't got their house paid for due to financial planing I sure don't have faith in them looking after my money.
I may look like a cabbage but I sure as hel don't think like one.
roger
Financial planners. What a laugh. Where do these guys come from?
Well, first we have to have a college education.
Second, we have to take another two years of specialized training.
Third, we are required to have several years of experience in financial services before we can even apply for #2.
Fourth, it takes a real thick skin to avoid laughing out loud in the faces of know-it-alls that think because they were in the right spot at the right time and got lucky and now know everything there is about money.
Fifth, those that believe having a paid off house is the secret to financial success is what makes some of us rich. Because those people have little concept of the investment dynamics affecting all of us.
Sixth, When one person does something by himself, the learning curve is extraordinarily long. When one watches and learns from the mistakes thousands and thousands of others make, the learning curve suddenly shortens - significantly. Apparently, your wife has figured this out. I guess you haven't.
Is my house paid off? No. Why should it be when I'm paying 5% on the mtg and earning 25 to 30% on my investments? I did get my kid's house paid off, my mother's, and now am working on getting my MIL in a fancy assisted living center.
But I did retire at age 55 because: 1. I got tired of hearing all these bozos with an E-trade account brag about how smart they were when they made a buck or two off some speculative flyer. 2. I made my pile, a real nice pile (starting with crap). Why in the heck should I give my time away to vegatables that want to debate things completely unrelated to investment fundmentals and not listen to my 20 years of experience and success?
But I guess you don't trust many people, either.
BTW, I never, ever charged a penny for any of those financial plans. And just about every one I did made a enormous difference in the lives of my clients.
One last thing, a financial planner is a generic term - like a handyman. Where the Certified Financial Planners (CFP) set themselves apart from the hacks is through their education, experience, and ETHICS (a huge issue). Furthermore, they specialize. Either in Investments, Insurance, Estate Planning, Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits, or Taxes.
Perhaps, you've been with the wrong type of planner?
Well you sure can type.
You are right. I don't trust anyone, especially with my money. I like everyone I know have certain criteria that we look for where we spend our money and who we give it to. My criteria happens to be things like housing and such.
Let's take some of your points:
College education; might be good but I've know fence posts smarter than some highly educated people
specialized training: as a phrase it doesn't impress me, though it might be very good
financial service experience: still doesn't mean anything, just proves you put in some time
We must be 2 peas in a pod because we both believe we are right. It's not being in the right place at the right time but seeing an opportunity that is there for everyone to see but few take advantage of it. You see investments where I can't see it at all.
You are right, I don't understand investment dynamics but I make money. Isn't that the end result of both concepts.
I agree with you on the learning curve which is why I like real estate and don't understand why other people can't see it. My wife invested in silver when the Hunt brothers were playing with it. Needless to say the financial gurus of the day were wrong on that one.
My first house was paid for when I was 28. At 34 we took off and travelled the world for 2 years. A few years later we travelled for almost 2 years around North America in a Class A. So as you can tell my way hasn't worked out too badly for me. I'm glad I've done what I've done especially when I've done it because I have no intention of retiring when I get even older. Retirement isn't all what it is cracked up to be or at least what people think it is supposed to be like.
Again you are probably right hat I lumped all the financial planners together but that is what they are called. As far as doing due dilligence and checking these people out would be like checking the qualifications of a quantum physicist. I wouldn't know a right answer if it was given.
As far as not charging for your information, somebody paid you. I never said the client paid you, I only said they/you were paid.
Over the years I can think of 3 financial planners we had dealt with are no longer in the business so maybe we have gone to the wrong people.
It looks like we both got what we wanted in life and maybe both of us has shown in public our "holier than thou" attitude.
I do appreciate that you explained all the differences in financial planning though the end result is still like quantum physics to me.
roger
Let's put it another way:
You go to a professional - for their professional opinion to be established based upon the facts as you provide them.
But instead of working with that professional in the capacity that you hired him for, you choose to compete with him.
Although you openly admit you are not even in the slightest bit educated on the topic, you feel that you can do it better than he.
Now you refer to my post as a "holier than thou attitude."
On my last day, the boss asked me why. I simply said, "I'm tired of kissing people's azzes in order to do them a favor."
And I had all of the scorecards to form that opinion.
BTW, I think retirement is more than it's built up to be. I spend my days now simply doing favors for friends. (The type of favors they couldn't do for themselves.) Some don't even know my name. I like to give the credit to others that can make use of it.
There's a certain freedom in knowing you can do something for someone to make their life better without having to even think about what it's going to cost you - either in time or money.
I'm truly happy for you Peter. You knew when to get out and follow a path that you wanted. According to Mazlof's Theory of Hierarchy you have reached the peak. I too have reached the peak but as you probably know a person can't stay at the peak for long so I keep shuffling along.
As long as there are websites like this, construction sites where I can stop in watch, buy some tools, learn new techniques, makes lots of sawdust AND make money until I die, Ill be one happy camper.
Maybe I will take a better look at financial planners. You have given me food for thought. In another life (many years ago) I was trained as a Fraud Investigator. I'll try harder to bury the scepticism.
roger
My first house in 72-73 [...]
I was born in 1973. : )
Sorry, had to do it.
Jason
No you didn't "have to do it ". You wanted to do it.
Humour is good. I'd rather work with a guy who had a good sense of humour and average skills (cause I'm about average on most things) than a crusty genious.
roger
Bought my first house in 1972. First of two sons born in 72. 1972 was a good year.
I bought a new motorcycle in 1970, a new car in 1971, my first house in 1972, a son in 1972,and a son in 1974. Early 70's were very good to me.
Now I have 12 grandchildren.
LOL, Were you born yet when we were waiting in gas lines?
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"LOL, Were you born yet when we were waiting in gas lines?"
I waited in gas lines and everyone bought gas cap locks. The young guys today are too lazy or too stupid to steal gas.
The young guys today are too lazy or too stupid to steal gas
Oh, that's genius. View Image
I think I might just be the youngest guy to post in this thread at 29.
It's all relative. When I was 18, 30 was old, now that I'm almost 30 I've pushed "old" back to at least 50.... I'm sure when I'm 40 it will be at least 70.
Well, now I have to chime in. I give my wife a hard time because she's 30. We have 5 kids, and at 28 I still have the energy to keep up with them. I agree, when I'm 30 I'll push "old" off to 40. Of course, my father at 50 something seems just the same to me as when I was a kid.
Be sure to get the rose colored ones, when you get new glasses.