How to Save Money » Frugal Living

Why you need to do more DIY projects

Do it yourself projects.

Why Do It Yourself

In my childhood, I always looked up to my mother for her sewing abilities. It was incredible to see how she was able to alter my sister’s hand-me-downs to make the perfect clothing for me. The feeling of trying on my clothing after it was sized to fit me perfectly was very inspiring. My mother showed me the importance of having a skill such as sewing and how useful it would be for the rest of my life.

Let me back up a little. First of all, you may be wondering – what is DIY? It stands for “do it yourself” and it is the ability to do or make something with or without formal training. DIY-ers are usually creative people but it is crucial to know that you do not have to be creative to do DIY projects! Just about anything can be DIY-ed; cooking, sewing, cleaning, building, plumbing, etc. You can go from hemming a pair of pants to building yourself your dream home.

Do it Yourself and Save

A common question about DIY projects is this: “why should I spend my time on DIYing?”

Here are a couple of benefits:

You can learn new skills

When you begin a DIY project, you’re able to challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone. The process of researching for a new project can bring you knowledge that you may not have expected to learn. The best way of learning a new skill is by doing; the internet is an endless resource where you can easily find a combination of expert and amateur advice.

Exercise your creativity

Everyone has their forté and creativity does not come naturally to everyone, but that’s alright! You can start small and use resources such as Pinterest for creative inspiration!

Pinterest

Customization

In a world filled with a cookie-cutter and mass-produced goods, this is your chance to create something to fit your own personal preferences. The beauty of DIY is that your unique creation will not go unnoticed – everyone will notice!

Save your money

In many cases, the cost of materials and labor can be much lower than purchasing goods or paying for someone else’s labor and this can save you significant amounts of money. For example, you could look up a gourmet cupcake recipe with many positive user reviews and tips, versus purchasing them from a gourmet cupcake shop. This will definitely save you a good amount of money.

Feeling of fulfillment

There is no better feeling than completing a project that you started from nothing. It’s truly a rewarding experience. You can be proud of your achievement and tell your friends and family what you’ve made! You can record your progress to look back on later.

A new hobby

For the times that you find yourself bored on a rainy day or a Sunday afternoon, you can work on your new-found hobby. You may find yourself sitting in your living room and watching a movie or television show; you could multitask by knitting a scarf or restoring an old guitar (if those are your new hobbies).

Being able to give a heartfelt gift

During the events such as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, there are so many retailers calling out to you to purchase their products. Everyone knows the feeling of receiving store-bought gifts but most people, especially your parents, will absolutely love your DIY present.

DIY Gift

Selling your new skill

With enough practice, there is definitely potential to sell your handmade products or labor! If you’re a stay at home mother or father that loves to sew, bake or do carpentry work – you can sell your goods (and your time) to earn a supplementary income on sites such as Etsy and eBay, or at local bake sales or trade shows.

The possibilities are virtually endless with DIY. Now that you’ve heard of some benefits, what type of DIY projects would you try? Or have you tried? What will you always DIY as opposed to buying from a retailer or paying for the service?

Comments

  1. teachermum

    I can’t even begin to add up the money my husband has saved us by knowing (or figuring out!) how to do repairs and small jobs around the house.
    *Change out or add light switches/outlets.
    *Change a failing cord/plug for a new one.
    *Build all sorts of shelving.
    *Build a new bathroom in the basement (we were living large by hiring out the plumbing, but if we hadn’t the money, he could have done that as well)
    *Drywall, suspended ceiling, move an exhaust fan (bless him, it was August and he was up in the attic…)
    *Install a garage door opener
    *Build raised veggie gardens
    *His latest was changing out the rubber gasket on the front of my front loader. I had one way back, before they knew to tell you to keep the door open when not in use…and the smell of the mold that couldn’t be washed off the rubber was making me insane after 13 years…$85 for a new one off ebay (over $200 from Sears, just for the part) and two hours one Saturday afternoon and I’m mold-free!

    I know how to sew, but I can’t say that saves much money…just gets you a better fit! Good fabric gets harder to come by and none of it is cheap. Knowing how to reattach a button, hem a pair of pants or fix a split seam is easy for anyone to learn and saves a ton vs paying someone else to do it. Knowing how to sew the basics can save you a ton on Halloween costumes alone!

    If something is broken, try fixing it before you toss it. 9/10 times we can fix whatever it is.

    I think the biggest DIY project is cooking! I don’t understand people who say they don’t know how or don’t like it. LEARN! I don’t like cleaning toilets, but it still has to be done!!! If you can afford to drive through anywhere, don’t be crying poor to me! LOL We don’t even need to discuss the nutritional issues…

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*