is it CHEAPER to DIY a PAVER fire pit AREA or to HIRE a CONTRACTOR?

[@MAXDMGMUSIC]

I think the best part about this video is your positive attitude. The project looks great but hearing you overcome criticism while busting your ass is inspiring. Keep up the hard work 👍

[@justinferry7741]

Wonderful work! As a landscaping contractor, I see a lot of other peoples work. You do better than lot of the professionals I see around the Midwest! I would highly recommend renting a sod cutter to remove sod! It’s super cheap and does all of the hard work for you.

[@lmginnovations-deck-builders]

I appreciate how you break down complex projects into manageable steps. Your clear instructions and practical advice make even the most daunting tasks seem achievable. Thank you for being such a great guide and mentor.

[@TapirTot]

As for your retirement question, I would say that anyone who is arguing that 401ks are a waste of money are probably selling whole life insurance. I understand that income tax rates changing is a legitimate risk, not saving in tax advantaged retirement accounts is passing up on a great opportunity. Roth IRAs are retirement accounts that have any gains from the investment not have to pay income tax. These are great for people that are worried about tax rates increasing or people that are young or want to do a two bucket tax strategy.

[@redlord4321]

id say the main advantage of 401ks is the company match as its "almost" free money.

[@isJay]

Anyone calling a 401k a scam or worrying about tax rates is out of their minds and completely unread. They probably don't even understand a progressive tax system to begin with.

[@MariselaCastillovwvianelly]

This man’s commentary alone 💯😂

[@IanSmitson]

People say "Happy wife, happy life" but I think it's more "Happy spouse, happy house". Great job on the project!

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

lol 😂 I think your right. But luckily I was able to figure out a way to make her love it with adding the extra planter and flowers.

[@jesusgirl2470]

​@DesignsbyDonnie you are worrying about retirement ??? Man you got skills!!! You can make tons of money doing just what you did!! I mean you can help out the retirement community 😊like me for instance 😊😂. I don't know where you reside but I hope it's Orlando Florida because I would surely higher you. I just love the way you design the area behind the fire pit 😍 I am definitely subscribing to your channel and I am definitely going to try to duplicate it. Fabulous 👌 just fantastic ❤

[@jesusgirl2470]

@@DesignsbyDonnie it was beautifully done!! Tell her she's blessed beyond measures!! I have to depend on handymen to do mine and most of the time the job is not done properly 🙃. It's very hard to find someone that really enjoys his work. And the prices are extremely high.

[@taxman9910]

Like over 2k for materials but what about your time. You are not taking that into consideration. If you are earning passive income then maybe but if you are not then you must also take into account the time value - like I said your time.

[@PawPawsClan]

Outstanding job, way to go. My only comment having just completed a paver project two weeks ago is: I put mortor under the outermost ring of pavers to prevent movement and lock them in. Not sure if yours needed that but that's what I did. Again, no critisism, great job

[@kylaalaraquentes]

I’d be in heaven to have a hubby who is a DIYer! Great job!!! I think you should be very very proud of the job you did! Some wives don’t appreciate having a handy hubby. Just my 2 cents 🤷🏻‍♀️ and why isn’t she out there helping you? I’d like to know where you got those banana trees? They are huge!

[@pamelasprings6723]

Yes I agree I saw she was laying by the pool.

[@otallono]

especially when it comes to planting, most women would help there. It's bizarre a guy would have to work that hard and still not being enough. Huge character flaw there.

[@andy_swart]

Great job, Donnie! Love it! Love how you consider your wife's perspective and made it special for her, too!

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Thank you so much! She had me nervous for a bit, but luckily I was able to pivot and give her more of what she wanted. And in the end we both love it. I had a blast on this project, minus the heat lol

[@otallono]

men and women aren't kings and queens, there's only one king in the universe. Truly Godly men and women should be humble and appreciate all hard work done by their spouse. No one should be nervous "am I doing enough to please him/her." When you know you're working hard. That can't be healthy. The project looks great, because hard work was put in to it.

[@vydel]

Wow! It looks amazing! I would sit out there daily enjoying my coffee and the weather.

[@wendylow5748]

Holy crap I'd NEVER complain at that awesome work and look.

[@jane-fw4nh]

Anyone saying 401k is a waste of money is trying to make money out of you

[@pdubyaz]

☝This. Anyone who tells you a 100% instant return with your employer match is a bad investment is an idiot. As a tax vehicle alone it's not the best as a Roth is better if you want something that is tax advantaged, but you should always match whatever your employer match is first, then max your roth, then choose whatever investment suits your fancy depending on your finances (IRA / HSA / SEP / Backdoor Roth, etc)

[@papabrose]

A 401k is a waste of money

[@kailubrivera8320]

Pros cons depends on your goals plans and needs.

[@daricsmith]

Roth 401k.

[@lacydoe]

@@papabrosehow? You can literally borrow your own money and pay it back.

[@Ruben-sg4xu]

Came out pretty awesome, the price is even better. My wife and I are looking to do something similar, but we would need a higher retaining wall on one side

[@lorriehernandez469]

I think it turned out beautifully!

[@JHamid-qh1nx]

Your wife might need a lesson in gratefulness. This is beautiful.

[@grey5751]

You might need a lesson in relationships. What on earth were you thinking here

[@kalanidodd7304]

thanks for cost comparison, how much time did you spend? can you add that measure to your project?

[@ZOOKASEA]

Donnie great job! Now you can enjoy the tropical atmosphere at home.

[@lvonthecoast]

This is SO nice! Your backyard space looks like heaven❤️🌴

[@qconard]

Thank you for your service! Yes, this is definitely doable. You did a fantastic job on it and made it look so simple. At the end of the day, if you have the time and have the ability to do it then save the money. Thank you for your videos.

[@anitaelizabethluanamaepere6262]

Can you post a video of your DIY on the chairs? I love them! The firepit is beautiful! Awesome job!

[@stevewasilow5556]

You do nice work. The finished job is top shelf. They rent sos cutters at local rentals for cheap, I would save my back on that part. Stay well and Thanks for your Service

[@ariasd2006]

I really liked your video, thanks for posting. Definitely going to consider doing more DIY stuff at home for the wifey and I. Just a heads up, a 401k is not a gimmick, and helps with being able to save into the future. It also grows with inflation, giving you a hedge, just my opinion.

[@honest1966]

Yes I would dyi that project it is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing!

[@Kmi4880]

Yes there is a lot of fear mongering regarding investing. I think they trying to sell you something. I love your fire pit. It looks great. Keep up the hard work.

[@chavis46]

Did you remove the pulled up sod yourself from the property or did you have a removal service come do it for you? I don’t own a pickup truck to haul away soil. Retired female asking.

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

I removed the sod myself. Which sucks because I’m the one who laid all the sod too. lol 😂 I never thought at the time that I was gonna do these projects. But rented a dumpster and filled it up several times with my sod.

[@leothelion1796]

Nice work my guy💪The commentary kept me entertained and engaged🔥

[@rudolphyss]

Amazing work, and really Nice finishing touches with the plants! Definetly worth the effort. ❤

[@trinaclay1118]

This looks great! I loved all the extra information that you provided along the way as well!! I would definitely do this if I had the room in my yard.

[@JamalKhaffaf]

Beautiful setup you have. Curious where you got the fire pit from? That might be the perf solution for my setup

[@Mary-zd6ow]

I would definitely DIY this project. However, I know it will take me a bit longer to do which is fine. I find that contractors are up charging for the craziest things . . . including when you tell them they need to fix their mistakes! So, I rather just do it myself if and when I can. Your project looks great! One suggestion would be to take the stickers off of the planters. That was the only thing that stood out to me.

[@AlokSharma-br7jd]

Came out pretty cool. Great job!! Just wondering since its a little lower than the ground, where will the rain water go?

[@royjumonville7026]

That's one heck of an awesome job! Looks perfect! But I have a question since I'm still a rookie at DIY. Can you go into full detail of that method you used to level out that area? I have a 15ft above ground pool I'm about to do and need to level the ground first and haven't found any great videos going into detail of how to do that.

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Thank you so much. Well… for me… I dug down about 10” below my grade. At this point it was very far from level. But I laid down two pvc pipes and leveled one of the pipes by pushing dirt underneath the pipe until it was level. Then I placed another pvc pipe down about 2.5 feet away from the other pipe. I placed the level and m both pipes and leveled out the second pipe by building dirt underneath it and some places removing a little more dirt until both pipes were level. Then I put dirt in between the two level pipes and I took my level and slid it across both pipes. This will ensure that the dirt will be level between both pipes. And you keep repeating that process until you’ve completed your area. I was surprised that this method worked but it was really dialed in and perfectly level.

[@royjumonville7026]

@DesignsbyDonnie that sounds easy enough, and makes sense. Thank you very much for the breakdown. Also, I showed my wife your video and now, I have another project I have to add to the backyard! Lol. So now, it's time for me to get to work and make out own backyard oasis!

[@kevinu12]

Thank you for your service and all your sacrifices

[@jvarblaze7495]

Man that looks amazing! Great job. I don’t understand how an HOA can regulate your backyard. But I’ve got the same problem. I should have made a KZbin video like you did. Brilliant! Anyways great job. Love your work

[@DAT-TEXAS-DUDE]

Looks awesome bro continue to enjoy these projects. Yes id DIY this project no hesitation. Great job buddy

[@dianesorbello9676]

You have done an excellent job..its awesome. ❤❤❤

[@bigrob029]

When Bob Ross takes a beautiful scene and puts a big black stripe right in the middle of it... and he's like "trust the process." And it turns into a beautiful forest. This is that. Well done!

[@maraiskotze9241]

Well done. Looks stunning

[@wilsongv95]

this is great work i tip my hat off to ya. believe me this is great. As a contractor the reason for the pricing is really for labor, insurance and taxes. For outdoor construction workers comp is close to $18 perr $100 we pay each worker. this doesn't include taxes either. Just remember this next time we try to shame contractors and letting the audience think we are "over charging" - this is also back breaking labor. We are not slaves.

[@darrenpassmore9927]

Amazing job! Well done.

[@francinebrissey3985]

absolutely beautiful!

[@jennifergalli3260]

Love this project, but I’m ready for you to do the kitchen 🙌🏼

[@sdsrfr831]

I would def DIY over hiring. It looks really good, my man. Bravo Zulu! The one thing I would have done dif…being in a hot, sunny, humid climate, I would have rethought the color that you painted the chairs. Those things are going to absorb a lot of heat.

[@MCsCreations]

Beautiful work, Donnie! Really well done! 😃 I don't know how the climate is there, but I hope the bananas gives fruits! It's amazing to eat something fresh from your own yard... Anyway, about retirement, all I can tell you is to never put all the eggs in the same basket. You know? For example, I have a few houses that I rent. It already helps a lot, but whenever I can finish paying for them (😬) I'm going to put some money into another thing. Perhaps some stocks (but not to trade, but to hold and get the anual money - I forgot the correct name). And then something else... You know? Anyway, great luck! 😊 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Our climate should produce some fruit 🍌 for sure. I can’t wait for that to happen. Great perspective on the retirement stuff, I didn’t look at it that way but I’m glad you said that though because now it’s got me thinking. I need to get something going…

[@MCsCreations]

@DesignsbyDonnie Yeah, and for stocks, for example, you don't even need that much money. You know? For other things you do, but you can always start saving little by little.

[@SAOKAROLINA]

Looks fantastic and professional diy. Well done friend! 🙌👏😍

[@jenjam021327]

This came out so amazing!!

[@aidenandzhuri]

Great job! We do a lot of work ourselves but let me say, our bodies are not happy the next day😂very rewarding tho! And sore 😊

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

You’re so right. I just started my next project and my body is so sore. Literally been broken for two days. I guess this one took a toll on me. Bummer. I never usually feel this beat up. 🤕

[@aishapatelstyle]

@@DesignsbyDonniethis was a lot!! Good luck on the next project.

[@Express2BU]

What a lovely project you have created with you bare hands 🙌🏾 ❤ it looks amazing and I am very happy to see how you did it and saved a ton of money (DIY)‼️✅🆒👍🏾 most Definitely would 💫

[@Natisha1120]

You did an amazing job!!!

[@phillhart2990]

Great job man. Hard work - and it paid off. I learned a lot from what you shared too. Thanks heaps.

[@jenniesmythe8188]

Honestly if you enjoy diying. I’d say start a busy doing this for others for fun and practice. That way you can charge a mom reasonable price and make yourself more money for retirement and you can post the videos as content of you doing the work bringing in more money for retirement

[@WedoweeHandyman]

Really nice project the decor was icing on the cake

[@kristilewis3411]

This was awesome!

[@JesusHernandez-yo3zn]

Great job brother, God bless you!!!

[@stevenk4920]

Amazing job!

[@reneerobertlancaster8714]

Great job! Thank you for sharing!

[@Basedmursenary]

That’s awesome man, very tasteful. I’d like to try it

[@shaynnacole109]

Wonderful job! This is amazing

[@deborahmartinez3930]

You did an amazing job 👏 🙌

[@dvdgnzlz25]

Great job! If you knew you werent putting any drainaige, i wouldnt have dug down that deep, so that the pavers are just a little higher than grade.

[@RoaringOrange]

My man, this looks nice, but don't you need to add some kind of drain going into the ground?

[@_the_MIK]

What do you do if there is a sprinklers coming out of an area where I wanna build a fire pit?

[@andrewstradley8365]

Dig up the sprinkler heads and pipe and reroute them or remove. It’s just small pvc pipe under the lawn.

[@joejoe-lb6bw]

Wow, great job. Looks great. One nit, while you were talking about retirement, you neglected to say what you are putting down after the paver base. Also, I didn't know you could use a table saw to cut pavers.

[@peterl.4997]

Great job, looks fantastic!

[@gabygol70]

I love the chairs Do you have a video on how you made those

[@eddiecarrizales]

Eek banana trees. If you haven’t had those before, you’ll probably regret it. 😬 nice project. Love the patio.

[@OSODIY]

Care to explain? I know nothing about plants

[@eddiecarrizales]

@@OSODIY basically IMO having had banana trees, huge maintenance and time commitment. Just require more attention than I want to give to a fruit tree. my .02. they are like weeds for me.

[@livingwithlexyoutube]

It looks beautiful you did an awesome job 👍🏽

[@Gee-Dee-q1e]

I think that was a good size space to DIY, any bigger and it would have maximized my personal laziness levels. Great job with it. It looks great! P.S. I share your concerns regarding retirement and 401k, though I don't know of a solution either.

[@jamesweaver5489]

Great job. I really enjoyed your video.

[@gabrielaguevara1349]

It looks amazing

[@mikeyfoofoo]

Sod removal is miserable. -- Tip -- You could have skipped it around the trees. Save up boxes or go find free ones. Break the boxes down. Build a small 6 inch trench around the area in the shape you want. , then lay the boxes on top of the grass. Cut the boxes for the curves. Put straw on top of that. I use bark if I expect wind. The boxes will smother the grass. It will be dead in a few months and decompose. It's way less than half the effort. -- For what it's worth I usually avoid the fabric. In a couple of years it will have a layer of dirt on top of it. Roots and weeds will set in on it and it will be really hard to pull up. -- Great job on everything.

[@jenniesmythe8188]

I think most won’t actually be able to retire like the old fashion way. They say you need per person well over one million dollars to retire. So idk

[@jennyanimal9046]

Where does the water go when it rains?

[@glennnelson3275]

Any material be it rock, soil, mulch is going to be at least twice as much at Lowe's, Home Depot, or Ace as it is from your local yard. However, if you don't have a truck or trailer to haul away yourself, the delivery fee will eat you alive on these small projects. At my local yard, they charge a flat $50 for the first ten miles, then a per-mile rate. So obviously for a dozen bags worth of material you'll win at Lowe's versus Yard + Delivery

[@rseg2707]

Beautiful backyard

[@cesarmalejos]

Looks great 👍

[@akilcyrus6289]

What about drainage when it rains?

[@curtis906]

No thanks, I would just pay someone to do it the right way the first time! For me hopefully, I don't get shame for wanting to hire a professional contractor! Most do a great job and are worth the money you spend on them!

[@sheenarobertson7704]

Very nice!!! Love it!

[@Thatrandomguy485]

My back pain is screaming “ NO“ at the idea of doing this myself.

[@itshim2197]

Also if you do it yourself it will be done right vs some contractors just take short cuts

[@perezm714]

Great job!

[@Paul_MB]

Inspirational!!

[@rolfpierre8400]

umm brother.. what about drainage? has it rained yet?

[@chavis46]

By the way, Awesome Job !!!!!!!😊

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Thank you so much

[@phillipturner3034]

Retirement is available to everyone, no matter the job. I started watching and reading Dave Ramsey and it changed our lives. Also look up the Money Guy show.

[@PrimordialChaos1]

Thats a nice layout

[@Ian-Blake]

what happen if it rain, I can see a small pool?

[@FranklinDBluth-yq6ww]

115 degrees and you devoted that space to a firepit instead of a pool?

[@phoenixrisen3077]

Beautiful!

[@johncrombie9883]

Donnie, I'm retired and still working! IRA, 401k, Profit Sharing.

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

Yeah I’m probably gonna work until I physically cannot but I do want to get something planned and in place. I’m trying to figure out if a 401k or IRA is better for me start.

[@kouros0]

Good video, nice commentary more power to you brother

[@pamelasprings6723]

That turned out wonderful. Good job. That must have hurt after all that work and your wife says she doesn't like it. Are we a little spoiled?????

[@crossborn6375]

Impressive. You did a great job whether your wife liked it or not.

[@bellacity01]

I would but I just dont have the stamina. Still, would rather DIY even if it takes me longer to finish, so i can save that money and end up doing 3 or 4 of my desired projects for the price of one with a contractor. I think my biggest problem right now is getting started. I'm so afraid of doing something wrong and paying for the mistake later.

[@jdmichaels27]

Haha no investment "guru" has ever said that 401k's are a waste. In fact, 401ks are typically the #1 place to max out your savings first, especially if there is a company match, except for paying down high interest debt. I'm guessing that was just a bait so people would comment but I couldn't let it pass.

[@DesignsbyDonnie]

For the record, “me asking for advice” is not bait. In fact, it’s very sad that your type of personality would see it that way. I’m looking for financial advice on investments for retirement. So I put out there for my friends to respond and give me advice. But you already have an opinion on 401k’s so you didn’t actually listen to what I was asking for. So again, I’m wanting retirement advice because I’ve always thought that 401k was the best thing to invest in for retirement but then my account said that it’s the worst thing to invest in for retirement. He said the only thing that 401k is good for is for tax purposes. I took his advice and thought “wow, that seems strange.” Naturally I was a little skeptical of that advice so I started watching (ALL) the top financial guru’s and they (ALL) say only use 401k for the tax benefits but for retirement itself is a sham. LET ME BE CLEAR, that’s not my mindset but I am inclined to listen to TOP financial people regardless of what I think. More examples, an older 75 year old neighbor says he’s invested in 401k’s and he was so discouraged by it that he told me never to do it. He was too frustrated to even offer me the reasons why nor did he care. So for me… I have no clue rather it’s good or bad and have no take on it either way. But my neighbor, my accountant and at least 6 top financial gurus say to only use it for tax benefits but you will be scammed if you use it for retirement. With that being said, hopefully you can hear what I’m saying and understand why all this advice has left me wondering if it’s good or not. (It’s not bait) That statement has got to be the most ignorant response I’ve ever received. I was asking for advice not giving advice.

[@mitchellandre268]

What thickness paver base did u used here?

[@NoQuarter01]

As for retirement. If you are a salaried W2 employee and your company offers a 401k and will match a certain amount, it’s probably good. I prefer real estate investing to stock market though as it offers more control, you can use leverage, and there are tax benefits, appreciation, cash flow, etc.

[@jac14014]

loved too!

[@johnny6767g]

Max out your IRA, your Roth IRA, and invest in large index funds of your choosing, also just put the rest of your money into large index funds as well