If there is anything I managed to learn over the past couple of years it is that there is nothing more valuable than time. Some people plan their day out with a checklist of things that absolutely must be done. Others, like myself, do not always have a set in stone plan but we know that there are things that have to be done for one reason or another (chores are a good example). Finally, there are those that have no plan whatsoever. Like dust in the wind they go wherever they are lead, much like sheep.
Time, being the most valuable commodity in existence, is just that because we are given a set amount of time on this earth (though no one really knows how long they have) and therefore it should not be wasted, or in some cases, spent doing one thing when you have several other things that need your attention. Since this is an automotive blog, I am going to cover the following example to illustrate my point:
You have a necessary repair that you have to do to your vehicle. Let's say for the sake of argument that it is a fuel pump replacement. You have almost every tool you need to make the repair, and you have searched out the pump for the best price you can get.
Now let's add in that this is the weekend, and in addition to having to replace your fuel pump, you also have housework to do. To top that off you have to do yardwork at someone else's house, and you are under the threat of impending rain. You do not have a garage to work in...
You have to weigh carefully the pros and cons of the decisions that you make.
In this case, your part is $230.00. You budget that it will take you about three hours to complete the repair and you plan to start at 8 in the morning. When that is done, off you go to do that yardwork at someone else's house, and that ends up taking another two hours. You then get back home and you cannot do your own yardwork because of the rain, so you instead have to put it off until tomorrow, which cuts into the plans you had for tomorrow. Wash, rinse, repeat. By the way, these are best guesses and nothing goes wrong scenarios. What would likely happen is that you go to drop the tank out of the vehicle, you get the tank stuck between the frame and the pavement, the tank refuses to budge, there is a thick black cloud of curse words hanging over your street, the nightmare goes on and on until you get rained on or one of the neighbors comes outside to bitch at you about what you are doing, and nothing else is done that day. As an added bonus, she's none too happy with you either for spending all that time making a repair that is incomplete.
The second option goes like this: You call around to a few garages and while your garage that does your annual inspection can do it for $500 (a bit steep) but cannot get to it until Monday, the new shop down the street is offering to get it done for $300 and can get it done the next day. (Both prices parts and labor.) So, you drop the vehicle off at 8am, on your way to do yardwork. Yardwork is complete, so you go home and do housework. Meanwhile, that phone call that your truck is complete comes, you go pick it up, test drive it, and then return home to complete whatever chores you have. As an added bonus, nobody is upset with you about anything chore related.
What you have done here, following the second example, is essentially pay someone $70 to install a fuel pump that you have already spent $230 on. You got everything else you needed to get done finished while someone else was replacing that pump (and that someone else has a lift, tools, and replacing your pump is the only thing they have to worry about.) For $70.00 you are a hero! You are a hero that got their chores completed! Yard work completed! As an added bonus she takes you out to breakfast the following morning! (Ok, that last one I think was going to happen regardless but chances are getting things accomplished helped make that happen...maybe.)
You have to be honest with yourself when tackling a project like this. Any project, really. Sure, you may have the tools, the talent, and the space to get it done, but do you really have the time?
A good rule of thumb to follow is to take whatever time you have allocated to a project and double it (or more) to ensure that it will get done when you say it will be done. You should probably do the same thing with the money involved as well. With regards to planning out the time, most of us work five days a week, sometimes more than that. That leaves us, realistically, two days to get things done around the house, spend time with loved ones, entertain ourselves, whatever it is we do on the weekends. Using my second example above, sure, you could do that job yourself, but you are gambling on the time involved and the loss of time for doing other things, and sometimes you have to ask if losing that time is really worth it.
Again with the time, my current job as a "builder" (I replace and maintain parts for vehicles sold by a national used car chain) I will often get jobs that total more than one day's work. (Over eight hours) I could either do one job at a time, or do them concurrently with one another. Let's use this example:
2013 Dodge Charger R/T needs the following repairs and services:
Machine front rotors (one hour allocated)-pulsation
Machine rear rotors (one hour allocated)-pulsation
Oil and filter change (30 minutes allocated)-maintenance required
Repair lower engine cover (30 minutes allocated)-cracked
Secure rear speaker ballast in trunk (10 minutes allocated)-loose
Secure plastic trim by left rear door (15 minutes allocated)-loose
Inspect vehicle for hidden/undocumented damage (15 minutes allocated)-standard procedure
oh, and my favorite...
Replace front subframe (6 hours allocated)-WTF??!?!
So, a total of 9.6 hours to get this car done. I could do these things one at a time, or plan out how to get this done efficiently. So, I choose to be efficient, and I do the work order like this:
On the ground, secure the ballast and secure the door trim, about fifteen minutes total.
(Time remaining 9.4 hours.)
Raise vehicle, drain oil while removing the rotors. Oil continues to drain while all four rotors go to the bench lathe for machining, about 90 minutes total.
(Time remaining 7.9 hours.)
Lower engine cover was stowed in the trunk, and after reinstalling the rotors, repair with epoxy and paint. Maybe 20 minutes total,
(Time remaining 7.6 hours.)
Replace sub frame that was damaged (this is what damaged the cover) with new frame. Nothing wants to come loose and when I finally get the main bolts off three out of four of them leak what can accurately (according to the smell) be described as RAW SEWAGE WATER on me. This wonderful part of the job took longer than the allocated time, by about an hour. I still have time left over, that if I was billing at flat rate, I would still get paid for. It's not much, maybe the equivalent of $15 bucks but imagine doing things quickly and efficiently like that all the time. It adds up.
The key to managing your time is just that...managing the time. Have a plan and stick to it. Know your limits, and when push comes to shove, consider that it is sometimes worth it to just farm it out to someone else, if for nothing else, to save yourself some time.
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