Just spent $400 on supplies to build what I thought would be a simple playset extension. Materials have gotten absolutely ridiculous. Is it just me or is anyone else's budget getting absolutely demolished by this stuff?
Actually thinking about switching to more hiking/biking focused weekends just because they're cheaper lol
Just wait until your kids grow taller and the first thing breaks. That $400 playset will need $200 in repairs within 2 years. At least that's been my experience.
The Home Depot part of parenting is no joke. I thought I could build a simple sandbox for like $50. Ended up being more like $150 when you add in the wood sealant, the good sand, the drainage material, etc. Every single item costs way more than you think.
Pro tip: always add 40% to your initial estimate and you'll be closer to the real price. I learned this the hard way on like my fifth project.
The real cost is the trips back to Home Depot because you miscalculated something. I've probably spent $100 just on gas for extra runs to grab one thing I forgot.
Four hundred is actually pretty reasonable for a playset extension depending on what you're building. I spent $600 last summer on a swing set addition and swore I'd never do another project again. Then my daughter asked and here we are planning a treehouse.
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This is why I started keeping a spreadsheet of all my projects. Helps me see where the money actually goes. Spoiler alert: it's always the fasteners and the stuff you didn't know you needed.