For two and a half years I’ve been using a square of plywood on the metal cabinet that used to hold my radial arm saw as a work bench. It was always frustrating trying to clear enough space to lay out a project, or cut a board with the miter saw.

I had been meaning to put a loft in my shed to move some of the boxes out of our house, stuff that we don’t use often but don’t want to get rid of. Initially I was planning on using 2×4’s, so I picked up 10 or so. After consulting with my father in law, I went with 12′ 2×6’s instead. (Always take the advice of engineers, particularly structural engineers.)

Rather than go through the hassle of returning the 2×4’s, I just left them leaning in the shed. There is always a use for 2×4s.

Sure enough, this month’s copy of Family Handyman came and there were plans for building a workbench. Hey! I’ve got 2×4’s, I’ve got some scrap sheets of plywood, why not?!?

The directions in the magazine were pretty darn easy, particularly the cut diagrams reducing waste. I didn’t build the top shelf because I already have peg board on my wall, but here is the finished project:

New Work Bench

The 2×4’s were on sale when I picked them up. 8′ 2×4’s were $1.40 or so, and I used 8.

The plywood was scavenged (with permission) from the in laws garage: free.

Family Handyman subscription: ~$14

Not a bad workbench for under $40, huh?

Peace,
Tony

*I would have linked directly to the Family Handyman website, but it is heavy with popups and bulky to navigate.

Wow has it been a long time since I’ve updated Dad on a Dime!

We just got back from the gym tonight, and I don’t remember if I wrote about it here or in our old project Dadcenter. I am all about saving money and trying to eke out as much as we can, but one thing that may seem like a splurge ranks in the “need” column for us. That is our gym membership.

The expense of it adds to the importance of getting our butts in there a few times a week. We’re paying for it, we better use it! My wife and I started a running program a couple months ago that has added incentive to getting in there. As an added bonus, the one we joined has steam rooms in the locker rooms as well as a sauna and hot tubs out in the pool area. There is something very relaxing about finishing your workout and sitting for a steam before a shower.

Keeping physically active helps me sleep better and puts me in a better mood. I’m sure it has kept my doctor visits less frequent as well. It is a win win in my opinion and something that should be looked at in every budget. Sure, you can buy a work out machine (and we had a couple) but will it get used? That Nordic Track from a garage sale turned into a clothes tree!

We’re really happy with our membership, it bears looking into, for sure.

Peace,
Tony