Grown-up stuff costs a lot!!!

This morning, before my daily Dissertation-ing, The Lady, The Kid, and I went to a sheds, carports, and garages place that The Lady's folks recommended. Their sheds and garages have metal frames, with sheetmetal skins -- the standard for Australia, since lumber is so expensive here. We got some more information on pricings, etc.

The initial cost for double garages (i.e. two-car garages) is pretty reasonable -- in the very low thousands. Sadly, though, by the time you add in the cost for the concrete floor and the delivery and assembly, you've doubled the cost.

And considering I'd like a window or two, and some skylights, and a person-sized door on the side of the building (rather than just the ''garage door'' on the front), this adds another AU$850 [US$650] to the cost. Not a deal-breaker -- but it all adds up.

And, this doesn't include the filing fees for getting approval from the city Council: probably a few hundred bucks there, as well.

So, it looks like my peddling around in the garage may have to wait. Bummer.


The cost wouldn't be a problem if we were on two incomes. But, as I discovered last year, when I start working full-time, my Dissertation productivity just plummets. Given that I **really** want to wrap this thing up -- by the end of this [North American] school year, no less -- taking a job right now wouldn't be strategic.


The solution, of course, would be to just pile our boxes, suitcases, Christmas ornaments, etc. in the spare bedroom (or some other room in the house), for the first year or so until we can build the two-car garage. The Lady's fear, however, is that once piled, the boxes will never leave.

A reasonable fear.


--GG