Am I the only one here....?

[fixit]

..... Whose wife is trying to convince them that he's old and decrepit? I am energetic and active at 58 years old, and I feel like my wife is trying to convince me that we need to spend more money to hire people to do jobs that I know full well I can do. To my surprise it's becoming a serious point of contention.

[Winger Ed.]

It's a old wife trick.

When I put a project off too long, the wife threatens to hire it done.

It's a great motivator.
I have these visions of large amounts of money being sucked out of my 'Whiskey and gunpowder fund',
and get right to it.

I've tried telling her to get the money out of the shoes, clothes, and war paint fund, but it hasn't worked.

[Gray Fox]

I'm in my early 70's and still want to do much of what I used to do, but will have to admit I just can't perform some tasks any more. My wife's frequent comment is, "You have to remember you aren't 45 any more", and I guess she's right. GF

[Freightman]

I am almost 81 and I still do my big yard with a self propelled mower not a rider. I am redoing a bath now new vanity top, sink, faucets floor and trim. Wife says if you feel like it do it. Dr. said do what you feel like sitting will kill you.

[xs11jack]

I am going to be 78 this Sunday. When my wife and I have differences we sit down and work them out. As an example right now we are waiting for the VA to get back to fixing knees and in the mean time I pop some pills they give me and I mow the lawn and she does the trimming. We love and respect each other and we don't force the other to do the things we want to do. And our belief in Jesus help us with the love and respect.
Ole Jack

[Lloyd Smale]

64 and am stronger and in better shape then I was at 50. I lift every other day and walk every day. For me its my son in law. Hes always over trying to do everything for me like im a helpless old man. I let him do some of the crappy stuff to make him feel better about his self:kidding:

[Hickory]

64 and am stronger and in better shape then I was at 50. I lift every other day and walk every day. For me its my son in law. Hes always over trying to do everything for me like im a helpless old man. I let him do some of the crappy stuff to make him feel better about his self:kidding:

I'll give you my address and you can send your son-in-law here to do some work for me, because I am a helpless ol' man!

[pcolapaddler]

Similar discussions some times here.

My wife's motivation is that she thinks I should be doing to something I would enjoy doing more - fishing, kayaking, tinkering with other projects.

My motivation is that about half the time we pay someone to do work, they do poor work or some other issue. My quality of work may not be up to professional standards in every case, but we're not paying the professional premium and having the stress of dealing with crummy workers.

I also enjoy seeing the finished product and the problem solving that goes along with the jobs.

Sent from my SM-G935U using Tapatalk

[Bulldogger]

I agree that sometimes it's a way of convincing us to prioritize a job, rather then a criticism of inability. On the other hand, it could be she wants some of your time for "quality time" which is not a bad thing.
With my wife, we are both DIYers and enjoy projects immensely, but we're becoming conscious of over-committing ourselves so that the only time we see each other is the supper table or passing by each other in and out of the garage.
If your wife wants you to hire someone for a few jobs, and you can afford it, and the other option is time spent together on something more fun than doing those jobs together, maybe it's not all bad?
I admit, it's hard getting used to. I'm married less than a year now, and having gotten married at 47, I'm barely housebroken. But we both work, and can afford to hire someone (now and again), so if it's a dirty job we have the luxury of watching someone else do it now. Takes getting used to. My fingernails keep catching my attention because they look odd. It's because they're clean...
Bulldogger

[MrWolf]

^^this. She may be trying to tell you she's wants some quality time with you. You are not old enough for the decrepit status unless there are other issues. Talk to her. After my divorce I decided no more quessing what signals were being sent and that whomever I am with we will talk. Actually working out a lot better that way as my girlfriend and I uh ave been together almost 1 1/2 years now and it is great.

[Froogal]

One of us is 69, the other is 72. We still enjoy taking care of the yard, vegetable garden, and flower beds. We also both participate in cowboy action shooting as well as just plinking on the backyard range. BUT, when it was time for new windows a few years ago, we hired it done, and when the appliances need to be replaced, we choose the deliver and install option, which includes hauling off the old appliances.

[lightman]

..... Whose wife is trying to convince them that he's old and decrepit? I am energetic and active at 58 years old, and I feel like my wife is trying to convince me that we need to spend more money to hire people to do jobs that I know full well I can do. To my surprise it's becoming a serious point of contention.

If I didn't have MS my Wife and I might be having a discussion like this. My suggestion is to do some of what you feel capable of doing and to try to compromise with your Wife on the other stuff. If you are a healthy 58 just remember that even though you still feel good that your reflexes have slowed down and that you don't bounce as well as you once did.

It was hard, very hard, for me to face the fact that I could not do the things that I used to do. And to have the wisdom to know not to try. I'm 62 now, but at 55 I could stand on the top step of a 12 ft ladder and work on lights. Yes, the very top. Now days I try to stay plumb away from ladders! We pay a yard service to keep our yard, something that I used to enjoy doing. We pay to have our cars serviced, another thing that I always did.

[bishopgrandpa]

81 in August. Both knees replaced, a hip and a shoulder replaced. I have arthritis and myasthenia gravis. If you can still do the chores be grateful. Luckily I have grown children still willing and able to fill in where needed. Do what you can when you can and be glad you can.

[David2011]

I see this on a social media site keeping up with high school classmates. We all just hit retirement age. Most of the men and a lot of the women are still vital and active but a few, mostly women are old far beyond their age. Maybe they want company that acts as old as they act/feel. My parents were still blowing and going at 80. They’re past 85 now and slowing down.

[missionary5155]

I remember for years hearing the old saying "Use it or loose it"...…I decided years ago it was true. Sure glad I did.
Be 70 not to far away Walked 6 miles Tuesday to get some anti-convulsion meds for a 11 year old.
Ya know ya just have to decide what ya want in life and not live by the desires of the masses.

[jimlj]

I'm 62. I have done 99% of anything I have ever needed done in the past. I still do, but it takes longer for me to recover between each job. The reason I started doing most of my own projects is I couldn't afford to pay someone else to do them. My skill level has improved over the years to where the work looked good and was done right.

Lately I have decided I don't want to do a lot of the jobs I used to think nothing of. I also am in a financial position to where I can pay someone else to do what I no longer want to do myself. I will likely never shingle another roof. I doubt I will ever tile another shower, and a tile floor may be a project I'd hire out. Cement work is no longer something I'd even think of doing myself. I need a 5' x 100' retaining wall built in my wife's mothers back yard. There was a time a wheelbarrow and shovel would have moved all the dirt to fill in the yard, but I'll pay someone to build the wall and haul the dirt.

If you are capable of doing the work and WANT to, go for it. If not hire it done.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup ive got a hip replacement an ankle replacement and 5 back surgerys in the past and I don't let them slow me down.
81 in August. Both knees replaced, a hip and a shoulder replaced. I have arthritis and myasthenia gravis. If you can still do the chores be grateful. Luckily I have grown children still willing and able to fill in where needed. Do what you can when you can and be glad you can.

[Lloyd Smale]

I went to reunion in 14. It was my 40th. What made me chuckle was all the good looking athletes and hot cheerleaders looked like they swallowed watermelons. Couple of the girls were skinny but they looked like crack queens. My wife even said that it looked like everyone in the place was 10 years older then me. That was with my hat one though:kidding: not much hair up top! Another sad thing was the person up front asked for all the veterans to stand and I was the only one in the room that stood up.
I see this on a social media site keeping up with high school classmates. We all just hit retirement age. Most of the men and a lot of the women are still vital and active but a few, mostly women are old far beyond their age. Maybe they want company that acts as old as they act/feel. My parents were still blowing and going at 80. They’re past 85 now and slowing down.

[Boaz]

I remember when people ahead of me started holding the door open for me at business to be courteous to an old man . I didn't like it . LOL But I always thanked them...............still don't like it .

[Boogieman]

At 77 I can still do most things I use to do. It just hurts more the next day.

[Huskerguy]

Well, I am 66 and my wife and I have done all of our own projects since we hired someone to put in a bathtub surround when we were first married. We said that would be the last time we hired anyone if we could help it. Looking back over several houses and two rental homes there were a couple of things I wish I had hired an expert for and paid the price. The main thing was sanding and repairing the wood floors in our home. They look good but the pro that did them around here was an artist. Looking back, that would have been money well spent. Last year we gutted a rental only leaving the sheet rock in the ceilings and some of the plumbing. We rewired the entire house, made new cabinet doors, and put in some crown molding over new sheet rock. It looked wonderful but after a while, you start asking yourself if things are worth it or not.

I am getting close to finishing my basement that has a ton of space for reloading and bullet casting. It is coming out very well. One last major project (I call major a full room with some wiring, plumbing, flooring, etc) is our kitchen. I plan for months before tackling them and when I am ready to start I have the stuff in hand.

My body doesn't work quite as hard as it once did although I do alright. I lift weights and exercise and try to keep fit. I think that makes a tremendous difference. I am blessed in that my wife rarely badgers me about projects. She is right there helping me with each one so I have zero complaints. Now, my knees do complain a bit, and sometimes my back, and oh my shoulders, and there are my hands but really I am good! :)

[frkelly74]

At a gas station I was getting gas and there was a man , about 30, at the next pump.. He looked over and casually said " how's it going old timer?'' I took it as a friendly inquiry, we were in out the middle of old Florida where there are lots of Confederate flags and people tend to be polite. I have asked people at Menards and/or Home Depot to lift stuff for me once in a while and they usually do. I had a guy lift some rolls of roofing for me because they were on a shelf and he was close by and easy to get in contact with and he was happy to do it. I still had to carry them up to the roof and roll them out though. I cannot say that I mind someone else doing the heavy lifting.

I have done my last roof job three times now.