Friday, October 19, 2007
Do It Yourself (DIY)
| By Lynn Forgy There are many things that I've had to learn to do myself, particularly since becoming a homeowner. Not all of them are fun, and I often make mistakes. But I have learned that I can save a tremendous amount of money, as well as building my character and perseverance, by doing things myself rather than paying someone to do them for me. I have painted the exterior of my house - saving $2,000.00. My mom helped some, and I talked my brother into helping for a couple of hours. I bought the Wal-Mart brand paint (which I was told was actually made by a name brand company), borrowed a paint sprayer, climbed the extension ladder, and got to work. I have also cleaned the gutters. This has saved $150 every 6 months. I clean my own house. It would be much easier to pay someone else to clean, but in order to continue working towards my goal of becoming totally debt free, this is a luxury that I can ill afford. I mow the yard, weed eat, etc. This has saved approximately $50-$100 per month.  The point is that there are many things we pay others to do, that we can do ourselves. Now I am in no way suggesting that you rewire your whole house, or rip out the plumbing. That will probably call for a professional. But there are things that we can do for ourselves. Sometimes it may be hard, difficult, and time consuming, especially if you've never done it before. However, you may not only learn a new skill, but you may also learn something about yourself - you're stronger than you think. |
posted by Krista at 7:53 PM
