I am a very frugal person.  I am not one that likes to overspend for a product or a service when I know that I can get it for less. And with the internet at your disposal you can always find that coupon code or that discounted product that you are looking for.  Everything from grocery’s that you have to buy on a weekly basis to being about to being able to spend less on a sonic are toothbrush right online!  I do not like to get ripped off either.  So, here is a frugal tip for you …NEVER hire a contractor by the hour.

Now, I did no hire this contractor by the hour.  He came in and gave me the estimate based on the square feet he had to deal with…70 square foot area to put fake bricks up on a wall and I already had the bricks and the z-ment.  Which by the way if you are a DIY person…NEVER by Z-Ment.  This is the worse product by far I have ever had to deal with not only on this occasion but when I got it for another project.  And the only reason I was using it after I realized it was a horrible product was because I am frugal and I was not going to let all that I bought go to waste.  In any case…back to the story…So, after 2 1/2 “days” and I say days loosely because it was only 15 hours in total even though he claims it was 17 – it was 15 tops because I write down EVERYTHING, he tells me that it is taking longer than he thought and he tripled…TRIPLED the estimated price.  Now, I know that there is usually a little bit of an increase but tripled!  So, that he gave me the estimate for $400 – I will pay for any extra costs of things purchased which came to $100…probably more like $50 but whatever, and then I said the job is now done and I will finish it when I have a chance.  I would have liked it to be finished because I only have so much uninterrupted with kids time to do something like this but I will finish it myself.  All of a sudden because he is taking longer than he thought that I now have to pay but the hour?  I don’t think so!  So, forget it – it was so upsetting that I would rather pay someone else than give him one more dollar.  I would never have hired someone that charges by the hour and I would have never have had this project done if I were told it would have costed that much.