We are presented with dozens of make versus buy decisions every day.
Some are for convenience.
Make dinner or go out?
If we make dinner, will we make the chili lime marinade from scratch or buy premade?
Some are financial.
Should we hire a painter or paint the cabinets ourselves?
If we do it ourselves, should we refurbish the door pulls, or should we buy new ones?
Some are emotional.
Do you want to make charcuterie boards for Christmas presents or buy something?
If we make the boards, should I cut the wood from the trees we just took down or use planks from the hardware store?
Some are capability-based.
Should we hire roofers or replace the roof ourselves?
If we do it ourselves, should we borrow a truck and get the shingles, or should we have them delivered?
In our culture, we can buy (or hire) just about everything and need to make very little ourselves. Thank God. I would never want to go back to a time when I needed to make most or all of the stuff I use daily.
Most of the time, whether you made it or bought it, you haven’t moved the needle much.
However, every once in a while, the decision to make pays off in spades. You learn something new, connect with someone new, or connect with yourself in a new way.
