DIY Network pros and cons

For some reason our DIY Network disappeared for a few months. I’m not sure why our Dish Network didn’t have it for awhile, but it’s back. I have a love/hate relationship with this network.

I love the ideas I get when I watch it. I love how much variety they demonstrate in style. I am definitely inspired. I feel like a part of their club because I am definitely a DIYer. I value how much I can save when I do things myself (when I say I…I mean my hubby of course).

But, this weekend, I found myself watching the “best” ways to remodel kitchens, bathrooms, yards…etc. After a couple of episodes, I saw a clear trend. I am far too thrifty for sentences like, “and this project only cost her $1200.00 for the back splash” or “these cabinets were $33,000.”

The words “only” and “$1200.00” just don’t belong in the same sentence in my book. I realize that the DIY network uses certain products because of their sponsorships, and I get that. I’m just a little baffled. I know it is all in the perspective of the viewer, and “only $1200.00” could apply to a certain perspective. My perspective is a little skewed on this because I found myself thinking, “How in the HECK did they spend $1200.00 on a back splash that they installed themselves?”

I’m afraid I like sentences more similar to “only $5.00” or “only $200.00”. Am I alone on this? Am I just jealous that they don’t come and crash my backyard? Probably. Will I still watch the DIY network? Definitely.

Published on October 12, 2010

31 thoughts on “DIY Network pros and cons”

  1. You are so not alone in this. "Only $1200" is ridiculous. It's a backsplash. You can do that for WAY cheaper. I'm totally with you on the $5 or $200 for bigger projects.

  2. Im with you on this one too! This day in age, people just don't have the resources to spend a huge chunk of cash on something that they can do themselves. Everybody is looking for new ways to save money! I look at price tags about $30 and under!

    SimplyStoked.blogspot.com

  3. I totally agree. Some of my favorite shows lately are still Design on a Dime, Income Property (because he does MAJOR renovations that look BEAUTIFUL at a fairly reasonable price), and the new one Professional Grade (because it's everyday people trying to reno for the lowest cost possible so that they can keep the difference between what the contractors think the reno cost and what they actually spent). All these are on HGTV.

    Long live cheap-o's!

  4. HGTV use to be on my tv 18 hrs a day maybe more i watched all the shows…but in time i seen some new shows that i thought host was a bully…..everything that was done was done on the up scale of things….or shows that had nothing to do with my style…..i enjoyed house virgins for long time till i read that the house was already picked and people were living it already….just took the fun out of picking anyways now i don't even turn HGTV on.

  5. Both networks have lost their original reason for being. And its sad. I miss the craft shows and the real do-it-yourself shows. It seems the great bloggers have had to take up the slack.

  6. I with you there for sure. I'm always watching those shows and thinking, that's what they call inexpensive, WHATEVER! But of course, I still watch them anyway.

  7. soo true!!! I get frustrated with that as well! I just try to take their "bargains" and do them myself for even cheaper if I can:) I am sooo a $5 -$200 budget kinda gal….

  8. I too was in love with decorating cents. Does anyone remember trash to treasure, i loved that one too. I loved the christopher lowell show, some things weren't always so cheap but he always had good ideas. i would think that in todays economy, hgtv would showcase more thrifty shows instead of getting rid of them all together. i think that all of us out here in the blogging community should do something about it.

  9. I saw a small bathroom transformed for the bargain price of 15 THOUSAND dollars!!!! And the owners were more than happy to pay that price tag. I have no idea what planet they were broadcasting from, but I know we did not both live on one and the same!

  10. They seem to have lost the concept of what "normal" DIY's will spend. Most people that have that money cant/wont do it themselves. I just spent $148.12 on updating my kitchen cabinets and that was a more expensive project for our household.

  11. Yeah I am 100% with you on this one. Another thing I hate is fashion magazines that are like "Everything on this page under $100!" and then you total up the whole outfit and it's like $700…uh….no thank you, I'll stick to Target.

  12. I don't know about you, but I'm definitely jealous they don't crash my yard. My yard was a jungle when I moved in, it needs help, I like to entertain too, hello Ahmed, where are you?

    People like "us" are forced to find each other here to share out thrifty and re purposing ideas. If we took on sponsors and had to use their stuff or paid for the air time, we'd be going against our grain, right?

  13. So I'm not alone in thinking this! Whew! I was starting to wonder what was wrong with me and who in the heck is watching these shows! I hardly ever have these 2 networks on any more. I agree that bloggers have taken up the slack!

  14. Oh, I totally agree. I want show me how to do it on the cheap shows. I don't get DIY but HGTV has turned into real estate and expensive decorating shows. I miss Decorating Cents!

  15. I agree. Lots of great ideas on DIY but sometimes too pricey. As for Dish network…I know we have DIY right now as a free preview but it is not one of our regular channels. If this is your case too, it will be disappearing soon! šŸ™

  16. Every time my husband and I watch any DIY show he always says….."where are the normal people". I have taken him from a spend-a-holic to much thrifier person. Heheh…he claims I have ruined him because he hates to spend money now.

  17. I notice sometimes when they use super inexpensive means of accomplishing something, I can see where the effect will be short-lived, at best. I'm disappointed that DIY and HGTV discontinued so many of their crafting type shows and seem to focus on home renovation, interior design, and real estate almost exclusively. I enjoy those types of show but would like the variety of having some crafting shows.

  18. I hear you! My favorite shows on DIY and HGTV are the ones where they do makeovers for prices us normal folks can afford! (Shows like Decorating Cents and Funky to Junky)
    When the show announces that the homeowner has $30,000 to spend on one room, I usually turn the channel!

  19. I agree…I used to like that show with Joan Steffand, she always had good (thrifty) ideas. I also liked the old Design on a Dime and Designed to Sell with Lisa La Porta…but I agree some of these "budget remodels" are anything but! dontcha love when they reveal their budget is "35,000.00 for their guest-room makeover". Like, yeah give me 35grand and I'll make over 2 houses top to bottom! geez! The worst one was the Genevieve Gorder show, she made over a couple's master and they spent $17000.00 on a mattress!!

  20. I was watching the Nate Berkus show today and found myself thinking the same thing. He was talking about saving $50 a week if you are living paycheck to paycheck, and madeover a living room with the saved up money for $3900. I must be VERY cheap, there is no way I would spend that much on a makeover. I was looking for something more like $1000! And $50/week if you are living paycheck to paycheck? There is no $50 extra every week.

  21. Wow, I am so the same way. I just never understood, but I never thought I was tightwad or cheap. My thinking was that these people were just plain crazy! They have no idea of how to save and be a true DIYer.

  22. i hate that with everything, oprah saying you can get a great white blouse for only 65$ or the today show saying this outfit was under 200$! there are more real people in this world who want to save money than blow it on things you can buy for much much less! totally with ya!

  23. I'm there too. I drive my husband nuts when he comes home and I have a new idea fully graphed out and measured and always followed by, "Wouldn't this be so cool?! It would only cost us $2,000." So it lingers forevermore in the bursting graph paper pad. Thanks for posting your less expensive, but still so fantastic ideas. I'll be attempting your window box treatments in the next month or so. My windows aren't so big and I priced it out that it won't even cost me $75 to do four windows in my open plan family room/kitchen area. I'm saving a little bit more with spray painted PVC pipes for rods. Thanks again for the wonderful ideas!

  24. I'm guessing we'd all agree! I guess it's all in how you look at it and what your budget is. But i'm with you. I'm all for the $200 DIY šŸ˜‰

  25. I love your blog! Because of my love for it, I featured you on my Magnificent Monday Blogs feature :). Check it out at:
    karicorsi.blogspot.com
    I hope you're having a great beginning to your Monday!

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