Can We Even Afford to Be Makers Right Now?

The cost of everything has gone up, and if you are trying to get into making or woodworking right now, those price tags can feel like a wall before you even start. In this episode, I get into real talk about the current state of material and tool costs, and more importantly, what you can actually do about it.

It seems like becoming a creator or a maker has never had more roadblocks than it does right now. Everything is so expensive that it's easy to get demoralized before you even start. So in this episode, I want to get into some real talk about why the cost of everything is so high, and whether we can even afford to be makers in this current economic climate.

The Wood Pricing Problem

Since COVID, we saw a major uptick in material costs, especially with wood. Sheet goods, for example. A four-by-eight sheet of birch plywood used to run around 30 to 40 dollars. I can even remember back in the day when MDF was considered the more expensive option. Not a lot of people used it for home projects because of its one big downside: get it wet and it swells up and gets destroyed. But MDF does make great speaker boxes, which is exactly what I used it for back in the day, over 20 years ago. Making subwoofer enclosures, actually. It's dense, it has good weight to it, and once everything is built out it barely moves. At the time I want to say MDF ran somewhere between 40 and 60 dollars a sheet.

Today? A four-by-eight sheet of birch plywood is around 80 dollars, sometimes more depending on the thickness and grade. And lumber pricing across the board has not really dropped since COVID, if it's dropped at all. So if you're thinking about getting into woodworking right now, the material costs alone are rough.

Tools and the Battery Ecosystem Trap

On top of wood pricing, tools are in the same boat. Cordless power tool batteries, in particular, are astronomical. When you look at getting into a tool ecosystem like DeWalt, Craftsman, Cobalt, Bosch, or Ryobi, the tool itself might seem reasonably priced. A brushless drill and driver combo runs maybe 150 to 200 dollars. But then you have to factor in the batteries.

Depending on the capacity you want, a single battery can run anywhere from 100 to 170 dollars, and that usually does not include a charger. So the tool body is almost the cheap part. It's the batteries driving the real cost.

And here is the thing you have to think about carefully: you do not want to mix ecosystems. Getting a DeWalt driver, a Bosch router, and a Craftsman circular saw means buying into three separate battery systems. That adds up fast. You also want at least two batteries per tool system so that when one dies mid-project, you can swap in a charged one and keep working instead of waiting an hour or two on the charger.

So pick one ecosystem and stick to it. Do your research, look at reviews, compare battery pricing and availability. Ryobi, for example, has over 200 products that run on their battery platform. That kind of compatibility has real value when you're thinking long-term.

It's kind of like the old Ford versus Chevy thing, where people get really tribal about it. But honestly? Both have their issues. What matters more is making a smart financial decision upfront.

It Is Not Just Wood and Power Tools

It is also worth pointing out that this is not a woodworking-only problem. Art supplies have been hit just as hard. Paint, brushes, canvas. I am not really a physical painter myself, but I understand that canvas prices have gotten ridiculous. A wooden frame with a sheet of canvas stapled to it should not cost what it costs now. It is remarkable.

The bigger issue is that the upfront cost of materials is now the first thing on your mind when you are considering getting into any creative space. And the question you have to ask yourself is: can I afford to make mistakes? Because you will make mistakes, especially at the start. You will measure once, cut four times, and burn through more material than you planned. When a sheet of plywood was 30 bucks that was annoying. When it is 80 or 100 dollars after tax, it stings in a whole different way.

Real Solutions: Used Markets and Shared Resources

Here is where things get more encouraging. The used market is probably your best friend right now, especially for power tools.

Yard sales and garage sales are genuinely one of the best places to find tools at reasonable prices. There are always people trying to offload stuff that has been sitting in their garage for years, taking up space, bought with good intentions and never used. I went through that myself. I got rid of a huge portion of what was sitting in our garage, stuff I had bought years ago and just never touched.

People selling at garage sales are generally not trying to squeeze retail value out of an old corded circular saw. They know it is worth maybe 20 to 60 dollars, not 150. And a used corded circular saw with a fresh blade is a completely functional tool that will serve you well for another decade plus. In fact, I have a circular saw from a neighbor where the cord had gotten in the way of the blade at some point. It was a pretty easy fix, and it is still a perfectly good tool. Just needs a new blade.

Sharing resources is another solid strategy, and that leads into makerspaces.

Makerspaces Are Underrated

If you live in or near a city, makerspaces are worth looking into. These are physical locations dedicated to makers and creators, equipped with tools and resources that are available to members. Yes, there is usually a membership fee, maybe around 125 dollars a month, but running a physical location is not cheap. Insurance alone will eat a business alive. When you think about what that fee gets you, though, it makes a lot of sense.

We're talking about planers, jointers, drill presses, large bandsaws. Equipment that would cost you thousands of dollars to own yourself and probably take up your entire garage. For a few hundred dollars a year, you can have access to a full shop's worth of tools for the specific projects you actually need them for, without committing to owning things you might only use once or twice.

And it is not just private businesses offering this. Libraries have been getting into the makerspace game too. In our area, one library branch has a dedicated pottery space with wheels and a kiln. All you need is a library card. You pay for materials and that is it. They also run events and classes throughout the year, especially around the holidays. It is a genuine community resource that a lot of people do not know about.

Now, if you are in a rural area, I know this gets harder. A makerspace 50 miles away starts losing its practical appeal. But if you are within a reasonable distance of a city, it is worth checking what is available near you.

Thinking Long-Term and Setting Small Goals

There is also the question of how you spend what budget you do have. Immediate gratification is a real trap. I know I want a SawStop cabinet saw. They look great, they are powerful, and a lot of people love them. But spending two to three thousand dollars on one tool when that same money could go toward multiple things that build out my shop more broadly? It does not make sense right now.

The better approach is to think in terms of long-term investment. What tool or material purchase is going to have the most impact on your workflow? What reduces wasted material? What makes you faster and more efficient over time?

And on top of that, set small, realistic goals. Not granular stuff like "I will wake up tomorrow and wear my red shoes," but meaningful, skill-building goals. Something like: I am going to complete a project that teaches me how to do X, or that gets me comfortable using Y tool. Small steps that build toward a larger goal you want to finish by the end of the year.

Planning better does more than just save money. It makes you a better maker. When you think through a project before you start cutting, you waste less material, you work more efficiently, and you learn faster.

The Bottom Line

I do not want this to come across as doom and gloom. "Everything is expensive, nothing is possible, give up." That is not what this is about. The reality is just that things are not going to get cheaper anytime soon. We have had 80-dollar sheet goods for six-plus years now. Lumber is not heading back to 2018 prices next month. It could be another decade before we see anything resemble a meaningful drop, and honestly it might not come down at all.

So the answer is not to wait. The answer is to become a better planner, a better strategist, and a smarter spender. Think creatively about where you source your materials and tools. Use the resources around you. Set goals that build toward something bigger. And understand that making mistakes and learning from them is part of the process. It always has been.

If you enjoyed this episode, a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify would mean a lot. And leave something in the review, not just a star rating. Even a little constructive criticism is welcome.

For more, head over to themakerdad.com. That is where you will find everything: the blog, links to the Discord community, and the Patreon. Talk to you next time. Later, taters.

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