....a big one. I completely scrapped my plan of using my own two hands to build that laundry basket dresser. I broke down and bought a laundry sorter from a store, because, as it turns out building one laundry basket dresser would have cost about the same, if not more, than the sorter that I found at Target.
Here's the whole story: I had convinced my husband to spend Friday evening working on the laundry basket dresser that I'd planned to make. I had convinced him of how easy it was going to be and that it was only going to cost about $30. I even convinced him to go to Lowe's and pick up the supplies. When he got there he discovered that it was going to cost a lot more than $30, but he couldn't convince me (shame on me).
I had to see for myself, so I went to Home Depot and found a very nice employee (who was very knowledgeable) to help me. I told him that I wanted to build the laundry basket dresser for as cheap as possible, I showed him the plans, and he pointed out the most inexpensive materials they had and sure enough, there was no way I was going to get out of there without spending $50. He wasn't just trying to over-sell to me either, he actually ended up asking me if I was sure I still wanted to make it and ultimately told me to look around and see if I could find something pre-made before I committed to making that thing.
So that's what I did. I drove across the parking lot, went to Target, and lo and behold there was the solution to my laundry mess. It's about the same dimensions as the laundry basket dresser, holds the same amount of clothes, and even has a lid to serve as a little counter top. I had $18 left on a gift card which made the original price of $60 come to about $48 after tax.
Usually saving money means making something yourself, but in this case it didn't. "Cheating" paid off. I have no idea how other people have made that laundry basket dresser for as cheap as $30. Maybe they already had some supplies on hand or they were just smart enough to figure out another way to get it done.
I was a little heart broken when I found out that I was not going to be able to build the dresser for as little money as I'd originally thought. That's how stubborn I am....heart broken over a laundry basket dresser...ridiculous. BUT, it was soooo nice to not spend a single second putting something together. My husband put the sorter together and it only took him about 20 minutes.
I'm writing all this, mostly as a reminder to myself, to say: do the homework before getting stuck on a plan or idea. I was shocked to find out that something store-bought was going to actually save me money and, maybe even more importantly, time. Thank goodness for that Home Depot employee that convinced me to go elsewhere!
I'll have my whole laundry room posted tomorrow morning!
p.s. I think it would make sense to build the laundry basket dresser if you need two of them, otherwise, because of the way plywood is sold and the amount you need, you end up spending money on more supplies than you need.
I had to see for myself, so I went to Home Depot and found a very nice employee (who was very knowledgeable) to help me. I told him that I wanted to build the laundry basket dresser for as cheap as possible, I showed him the plans, and he pointed out the most inexpensive materials they had and sure enough, there was no way I was going to get out of there without spending $50. He wasn't just trying to over-sell to me either, he actually ended up asking me if I was sure I still wanted to make it and ultimately told me to look around and see if I could find something pre-made before I committed to making that thing.
So that's what I did. I drove across the parking lot, went to Target, and lo and behold there was the solution to my laundry mess. It's about the same dimensions as the laundry basket dresser, holds the same amount of clothes, and even has a lid to serve as a little counter top. I had $18 left on a gift card which made the original price of $60 come to about $48 after tax.
Usually saving money means making something yourself, but in this case it didn't. "Cheating" paid off. I have no idea how other people have made that laundry basket dresser for as cheap as $30. Maybe they already had some supplies on hand or they were just smart enough to figure out another way to get it done.
I was a little heart broken when I found out that I was not going to be able to build the dresser for as little money as I'd originally thought. That's how stubborn I am....heart broken over a laundry basket dresser...ridiculous. BUT, it was soooo nice to not spend a single second putting something together. My husband put the sorter together and it only took him about 20 minutes.
I'm writing all this, mostly as a reminder to myself, to say: do the homework before getting stuck on a plan or idea. I was shocked to find out that something store-bought was going to actually save me money and, maybe even more importantly, time. Thank goodness for that Home Depot employee that convinced me to go elsewhere!
I'll have my whole laundry room posted tomorrow morning!
p.s. I think it would make sense to build the laundry basket dresser if you need two of them, otherwise, because of the way plywood is sold and the amount you need, you end up spending money on more supplies than you need.
1 comment:
My home depot had a special grade of plywood that was only $25 a sheet, and it works great for this project ;).
But I agree that making it yourself does not always mean it will be inexpensive. Sometimes it is just worth it to buy something premade.
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