DIY Tips That Will Save You Money

Doing it yourself, commonly called “DIY-ing,” is one of the best ways to save money. Think about it; if you are so familiar with your plumbing system that when it’s not working well, you know what to look at (or out for) and what to do, change, or repair to fix the issue, you ultimately save the thousands of pounds you would have otherwise spent on a professional plumber. And if you know how to make DIY crafts, you could for instance save lots of money that you would otherwise spend buying gifts for people. With DIY skills, you could make custom gifts for your loved ones using readily available and affordable materials.

The great thing about DIY projects is that their scope and nature is entirely up to you, depending on what you are aiming for or the kinds of savings you have in mind. You can embark on all sorts of DIY projects in your life.

For instance:

DIY Home Decorating Tips

If you want to save money on decorating, you can watch a 10-15-minute YouTube video showing how to install wallpaper, and then instead of hiring someone to do it, you can do it yourself and save that money.

You don’t even have to stop there. Instead of buying paintings and such, if you have a creative bone within you, you can create and hang your own paintings, collages, or home ornaments. If you are not very creative but are more practical, you can learn how to install things like floating shelves, and from this skill and knowledge, transform one of your walls into say, a floating bookshelf.
If creating floating bookshelves, your own paintings, or ornaments seems out of reach, you could choose to paint your home instead of hiring someone else to do it for you. In addition to saving you tons of money, most DIY home decorating projects are also fun.

Take the example of creating your own furniture such as a pallet sofa for your garden or patio. In addition to being fun, such a DIY project would be cheap and in the end, equip you with invaluable skills of organisation and persistence you can use in other areas of your life. It also gives you more control over the aesthetics of your space or home.
General maintenance is another area where DIY can help you save tons.

DIY General Maintenance Tips

Here, DIY projects include things such as creating your own laundry detergent — it’s easier than you’d imagine — creating homemade yoghurt, experimenting with growing your own food in the yard or in containers, making your own air freshener, cleaning and vacuuming your carpet, cleaning and detailing your car, etc. Most DIY projects in the general maintenance category have the potential to save you thousands long-term.

Take the example of plumbing. When you know your plumbing system and boiler well, and when you become familiar with its operations and how the various parts work together to provide you with running/hot water, then you effectively become capable of knowing how your boiler works and thereby capable of repairing your boiler or plumbing system. This can undoubtedly save you thousands of dollars in the long-term considering that a plumber can cost up to £100 per hour, with a typical flat rate of £250 a day, which can really add up in the long term. With a knack for plumbing, you won’t have to hire a plumber to do simple things like repairing sinks, toilets, bathtubs, fixing leakages, unclogging drainage pipes and much more whose costs can really add up in the long term. With experience you might even realise the benefits of installing a pressurisation unit, such as these Flamco pressurisation units from Complete Pump Supplies.

With general maintenance, even little things have the potential to lead to massive savings. Take the example of cutting your own lawn. The general cost of a professional home mowing is around £45, which is about £90 per month (assuming your lawn requires two trimmings each month). By cutting your own lawn through the summer, you can save £360 annually.
Directed to a compounding investment vehicle, and assuming a 10% growth each year, this £360 in savings would amount to approximately £7,200 in 10 years!

Conclusion

DIY projects are an amazing way to save tons of money. The great thing is that you can embark on as many as you want and within different areas of your home and work life.