Labor is usually the largest component of any renovation work. Right behind labor is the capital investment the contractors make to support their businesses (that truck and all the tools, the sales people, the people who schedule the work, and the accounting people who manage the firm's money, and the fuel to drive everything to your doorstep). It all adds up.
When you do it yourself, very rarely do you consider the cost of your own time, or the cost of your own tools, or all the rest of the capital investment costs. So, the contrast is always striking.
and...
... if you lobbied for, or supported, a $15 minimum wage, you increased your landscape costs
... if you lobbied for, or supported, shutting down oil pipelines, you increased your landscaping costs (gasoline has increased more than 40% in a mere 6 months.)
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Gratitude! The daily practice of finding at least 3 things to be grateful about makes for a happier life.
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