Reply to How Do We Know if We Can Afford a Kid in the DMV?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Advice from a few years in:

Learn to repair your own house. It’s amazing how many bad contractors are out there. Many have 5-star reviews because they are timely, courteous, and the job looks pretty. We have found that it’s often not up to code. My husband does 95% of the work on our house, and it has saved us a TON of money. Start researching home repairs now, and get familiar with code in your state. That way, when you go to buy a home, you will be looking with educated eyes. Not only will you avoid buying a money pit, you’ll save on repairs.

In addition, prioritize paying down debt and having an emergency fund.

One kid is 50 times easier than two. I was shocked. If the time comes and you can’t swing two, you’ll love your one and only. Promise.

You sound very responsible. I know you will make good choices.[/quote]

DH started by reading three how-to books. I think one was by Black and Decker. Another was by Reader’s Digest. Any reputable publisher will do. The point is to read three, so that when two disagree, you have a tie breaker. Avoid a YouTube until you read published materials. There’s a lot of junk online. One of the most popular videos on how to change a headlight on your car instructs you to remove the entire bumper. The author has restricted comments on the video, so professionals can’t tell you that it’s rubbish. People see that it has many views and just trust it. We saw a neighbor changing his headlight with the bumper off one time. It was so sad. After you’ve read through the manuals and local code, you should know enough to just YouTube it and pick. the best video to refresh your memory. It was an arduous process for DH, but contractors are always impressed by his work. I’ve hired guys to check behind him multiple times, and they’ve never found anything wrong.

How did you learn to repair your own house? I’d like to be able to do this but I know nothing at all. Not relevant right now because I’m a renter, but hopefully relevant one day. [/quote][/quote]

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