<p><pre><code>  It&#x27;s almost certainly not economically efficient for a software engineer
  to be darning their own socks.
</code></pre>
...or cooking their own meals. Or raising their own children. Or commenting on HN.<p>I don&#x27;t know about you, but I don&#x27;t do a very good job of software engineering 100% of my waking time, even if doing so would certainly be more economically efficient than the alternative. 8 hours a day? Sure. 10 hours? Maybe. 12? Probably not, especially for extended periods.<p>We all make decisions about how we spend our time, both on and off the clock. Personally, I&#x27;m perfectly capable of sewing a loose button while watching TV and still consider it downtime. Even if I could easily afford to buy a new shirt instead.<p>I agree with you that you shouldn&#x27;t at all costs repair everything or do everything yourself. But I&#x27;ll happily assign some of my spare time to maintenance tasks, and I think doing so does make economic sense as well as environmental.