5 Things It's Cheaper To Do Yourself

Decent · #1 10-21-2008, 09:41 PM

5 things it's cheaper to do yourself

Paint your own house? That might be a bit much, but several everyday tasks can cost less if you take matters into your own hands.
By Liz Pulliam Weston
You can make a good argument for hiring out certain tasks because it frees your time or because the person you hire will do a better job.
In fact, people have. Author Timothy Ferriss turned the idea of outsourcing your life into a best-selling book, "The 4-Hour Workweek."
But when money is tight and you're looking for places to cut, some of the places you're outsourcing now should get a second look. Perhaps the cost-to-time-saved ratio isn't what you thought, or maybe your need for cash is so pressing it has to take a front seat to other considerations.
I polled folks on the Your Money message board for ways they've found to do it themselves and save money. I didn't agree with all the notions, as you'll see, and even when I did I included exceptions (the "yeah, buts").
Still, if you're looking for ways to save money, consider these:

Your daily bread
Despite some assertions to the contrary in "Is eating out cheaper than cooking?" the simplest and fastest way for most folks to cut their budgets is to stop outsourcing food preparation.
That means cooking meals at home -- and opting for raw ingredients over convenience foods. If the word "tray" is involved, the markup can be truly breathtaking.
My local grocery charges $30 for a tray of veggies and dip that will feed 12 to 16 people. I can reproduce the same tray, lettuce liner and all, with less than $10 of ingredients and about five minutes of rinsing and slicing.
And all those 100-calorie snack packs? A cute idea, a serious waste of money.
"Instead, buy a large bag and measure out a serving into smaller containers," advised poster "psugrl." "It is cheaper and makes less waste (I use reusable containers)."
Cooking doesn't have to be a big, fat, hairy deal. Bookstores and the Web are replete with cooking advice for those with attention spans of 30 minutes or less.

Yeah, but: Eating out occasionally is a lovely treat. And if the meal involves gazillions of exotic ingredients, takes all day to cook or requires skills that you don't have, it's far, far better to outsource it than subject yourself to a day of misery (and your guests to pie crust that's hard to distinguish from the pie pan).

Many home repairs and improvements
Just as painting isn't rocket science, neither are many minor household repairs, from fixing a leaky faucet to installing a dimmer switch.
What they take is time, some patience and a good how-to book. What you can save is, well, lots.
A few posters on the Your Money board said they painted interior rooms. Poster "agilemom" said her husband completed a much bigger job: He painted the exterior of their home last year.
"Finished in a weekend. Cost about $500 with supplies, but the estimates were in the range of $2,800," agilemom wrote.
And there's clearly some satisfaction involved. Poster "Snuggle Zach" has never had a handyman. He fixes everything around the house, "except the roof, because I am afraid of falling. . . . Saved thousands of dollars and job was done right, the first time."

Yeah, but: You have to consider safety and inertia.
I like the line that one poster draws between jobs worth attempting and those not:
"I am willing to take on my own home repairs when there is no risk of death (I won't mess with electrical stuff)," "WeWillBackGowron" wrote, "and/or when whatever I'm doing will not result in damage that costs much more to fix than had I just hired someone to begin with."
Hear, hear. I still regret an "easy" plumbing fix I attempted on my first house that turned into a sizable repair bill (and an afternoon spent repairing the plaster wall I ruined). "How to Fix Everything for Dummies" might have been a better start.
Another factor to consider: Will the job get done? All the good intentions in the world might not matter if the repairs and improvements never happen. In those cases, you might be smart to hand your to-do list over to Mr. Handyman and be done with it.

Personal care
After reading all the grooming tasks Your Money posters perform on themselves, I was waiting for someone to volunteer that he did his own plastic surgery.
Fortunately, I was disappointed. But I did hear from a crop of folks who cut their own hair, or their kids', or color or highlight their own tresses.
Poster "p7eter" shaves his own head -- "I'm going bald anyway" -- and "StillOnTheRoad" buzzes his locks using a $30 set of clippers purchased years ago.
I was more in tune with poster "hateditanyway," who gives herself a manicure and pedicure every Saturday morning. "Everyone at work thinks I hang out at the salon on weekends, but, nope, it's all my own doing," hateditanyway wrote. "It is VERY easy to cut, file and polish one's nails -- all 20 of 'em."

Yeah, but: Hairdos have to be pretty simple to undergo a do-it-yourself cut without looking, well, do-it-yourself. And salons -- hair or nail -- can be as much a social event and a retreat as a grooming experience. Still, you can save some money learning how to do a simple bang or mustache trim or polishing your own nails every other week.

Remember your iron?
A good tailor can be a godsend, particularly if you aren't a perfect-sized anything. A few alterations can make basic clothes look terrific.
But you don't need a tailor to sew on a button or hem a pair of jeans. And you certainly don't need to drop clothing off at a dry cleaner just to be pressed. Any task that's simple enough to do while you're watching "American Idol" is something you can tackle yourself. If you're not sure how, ask a handy friend.
Poster "GCG1RL" said her husband "was always taking things to the cleaners to have them mended or pressed." Then the couple bought a steamer and GCG1RL took over the mending.
"Really, it takes like 40 minutes to steam shirts for the week and 10 minutes to iron the pants," she wrote. "Sewing on a button takes like five minutes."

Yeah, but: Some people really, truly hate ironing, steaming or anything involving a needle. If you've got that big a phobia, maybe you can swap the task with a spouse or friend for something you're more willing to do, such as scrub the toilets. Speaking of which, you might want to rethink . . .

Lawn and home care
Several posters did the cost-benefit calculation on housecleaners and lawn services and found both came up wanting. Poster "justeloped" touted the exercise and enjoyment to be had from gardening, mulching and landscaping, while poster "ARCHIEtheDRAGON," who bought a mower for $65, knocks out the task in "30-40 minutes every week or two."
When it comes to housecleaning, others said the effort involved isn't onerous enough for them to hire help.
"I find that the decluttering prior to cleaning is what takes longer. Running the vacuum, swishing the toilet brush around and running the mop over the floor really does not take that long," poster GCG1RL wrote. "You have to declutter for the cleaning lady anyway, so just save the money and finish the task yourself."
Poster agilemom said hired cleaning help "was totally worth the money" when her children were young and she and her husband "were on the run all the time." As the kids have gotten older, they've been more able to pitch in.
"A few months back we looked at each other and said, 'Why are we still paying for this?' Now we do it as a family then spend the money we saved doing fun stuff."

Yeah, but: Consider harmony. If you and your significant other are just going to fight over who doesn't do what, the investment in cleaning or lawn care services may be worthwhile. You have to consider the community as well. Don't make your neighbors seethe as the new crop of dandelions is overrun by the crabgrass.

5 things it's cheaper to do yourself - MSN Money

Abuela · #2 10-21-2008, 09:51 PM

Interesting article! As a frequent DIY-er around the house, I'm often surprised to see the huge differences between what folks with my same basic skill level will tackle. For example, the article mentioning someone who won't touch electrical - from my perspective basic electrical stuff is one of the easiest DIY jobs out there, and yet I'll do almost anything to avoid the one job that most people consider easiest which is PAINTING. I'm getting ready to remodel our bathroom, and plan to do the tear-out, electrical, drywall hanging, tiling and basic carpentry myself, while leaving the plumbing and drywall finishing to the pros.

And I had to laugh at another comment, because I do not iron. I made it clear to my spouse on our second date that I don't iron unless absolutely necessary for a very special occasion. I can do it just fine. I know it really doesn't take all that much time. I just hate doing it.

19720 · #3 10-21-2008, 09:57 PM

How to Pull out a Tooth

Pulling teeth, called tooth extraction by dental professionals, is not something that can be done without dental training. Tooth extraction is a form of surgery, and like any other surgical procedure, extraction requires specialized tools, medical training, anesthesia and often sutures. There are two cases where you may consider pulling out a tooth at home, the first being the removal of a child’s deciduous or primary teeth — when they are ready to fall out anyway — and the second being teeth in older individuals suffering from severe long-term gum disease. Even in these cases it is better to visit a professional to be sure the very loose tooth is not still connected to the bone of the jaw and is not impacted, infected or otherwise complicated by additional unforeseen problems.

Steps

Pull deciduous or primary teeth

Be sure the milk tooth is ready to come out. Milk teeth need proper care, just like adult teeth, meaning regular brushing and flossing, so your child’s milk teeth may be loose or in pain from tooth decay, infection and other ailments. Pulling a tooth in this state can be extraordinarily painful and cause serious damage and possible hospital visits. Experts are concerned about the prevalence of cavities in baby teeth of children ages 2-5. It increased to 28 percent in 1999-2004, from 24 percent in 1988-94, according to the American dental Association.
Check for natal teeth. Some infants are born with teeth, just below the gum line. These are known as natal teeth and are found in about one out of every two thousand births. Natal teeth are not milk teeth or primary teeth. Natal teeth are usually removed by your dentist due to the prevalence of problems associated with them, but an X-Ray must be completed before that determination can be made. Problems associated with natal teeth include:
- Pain in the infant
- Difficulty feeding the infant
- Maternal discomfort if breast feeding
- Damage or even amputation of the tip of the newborn's tongue
- Natal teeth may indicate a hormonal problem called hyperthyroidism
Check that your child is in the right age range for the adult teeth to be coming in, or erupting, as dentists say.
- Primary teeth usually start to come in between five and seven months, although there is a wide range, up to one and a half years old. Teeth come in at different places at different times, in other words the lower teeth usually erupt before the upper teeth, girl’s teeth erupt earlier than boys etc.
- Generally the front teeth erupt first at about six months and most children have all their primary teeth in place by three years.
- The shedding or falling out of primary teeth begins around six years of age and continues until ages up to 13 or 14 years old. During this time the permanent teeth will be coming in, replacing the primary, and your child may well have a mix of milk and permanent teeth for years.
- Note that is a permanent tooth begins to erupt (become visible above the gum line) before the milk tooth has fallen out your dentist will usually remove the primary tooth.
Once you are sure you are dealing with the normal loss of a milk tooth understand that you are not really pulling the tooth, rather the tooth will fall out naturally given a little more time, rather you are probably indulging your child’s wish to have the tooth removed:
- Tie a piece of dental floss into a loop and slip it around the loose tooth. Try not to cause too much pain while doing this. If there is pain, then stop and go to the dentist.
- Tie other end of the floss to the door knob so there is no slack. Make sure you tie a secure knot on a round knob, not a thin handle. If that knot comes off you will have to do this all over again.
- Stand on the side of the door where it closes away from you.
- Slam the door closed. There should be little or no pain or bleeding. If there is, take your child to an emergency dentist or hospital and tell them what you have done.
- Have the child bite down on a towel or piece of gauze to stop any bleeding.
- Examine the tooth that came out; if it appears to be missing any parts, see a dentist as soon as possible.

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Decent · #4 10-21-2008, 10:08 PM

As a single Mom most of the years my kids were growing up, with no family or close friends to speak of, money was extremely tight. I used to hear this phrase all the time when I was buying supplies "Puttin hubby to work?" Used to piss me off. I'd explain that "No, this is for me, but if you see THAT bastard, tell him he's behind on his child support payments."

Or I'd be changing my oil or some other simple repair/maintenance on my car and there would always be some guy to try and give me directions, try and tell me what I needed to do next or what to watch out for. If someone genuinely wanted to help and was nice about it, understood I knew what I was doing but just wanted to help, I was grateful, but if he was just a bossy a-hole treatin me like a dumbass, I'd 'accidentally' spill used oil on his shoes, or 'accidentally' wipe a wrench on his shirt.

For some odd reason, it never fails, everytime I get talked to like I'm an idiot, I get clumsy as hell.... Weird.

But yeah, I used to cut my own hair and the kids hair, did as much as I knew how on my own car, I've fixed holes in the wall, painted rooms, replaced heating elements, fixed VCRs & vacuums, lots of stuff I just didnt have the money to pay anyone else to do. EXCEPT, sewing, I'd trade babysitting for that, lol, even a button. I'd even have other single Moms that I knew come and ask me to do stuff for them. I'd always answer "No, but I'll teach you how."

Best investment I ever made was a HUGE book full of repair instructions, I cant remember the name of it now, but it had everything from first aid to replacing a window, lol.

People would be surprised at the amount of money they can save doing the simple things themselves. Funny thing is, the people I hear complianing the most about money, are the ones hiring other people to mow their lawns, clean their houses, and do their personal shopping.

Decent · #5 10-21-2008, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 19720

How to Pull out a Tooth

Pulling teeth, called tooth extraction by dental professionals, is not something that can be done without dental training. Tooth extraction is a form of surgery, and like any other surgical procedure, extraction requires specialized tools, medical training, anesthesia and often sutures. There are two cases where you may consider pulling out a tooth at home, the first being the removal of a child’s deciduous or primary teeth — when they are ready to fall out anyway — and the second being teeth in older individuals suffering from severe long-term gum disease. Even in these cases it is better to visit a professional to be sure the very loose tooth is not still connected to the bone of the jaw and is not impacted, infected or otherwise complicated by additional unforeseen problems.

Steps

Pull deciduous or primary teeth

Be sure the milk tooth is ready to come out. Milk teeth need proper care, just like adult teeth, meaning regular brushing and flossing, so your child’s milk teeth may be loose or in pain from tooth decay, infection and other ailments. Pulling a tooth in this state can be extraordinarily painful and cause serious damage and possible hospital visits. Experts are concerned about the prevalence of cavities in baby teeth of children ages 2-5. It increased to 28 percent in 1999-2004, from 24 percent in 1988-94, according to the American dental Association.
Check for natal teeth. Some infants are born with teeth, just below the gum line. These are known as natal teeth and are found in about one out of every two thousand births. Natal teeth are not milk teeth or primary teeth. Natal teeth are usually removed by your dentist due to the prevalence of problems associated with them, but an X-Ray must be completed before that determination can be made. Problems associated with natal teeth include:
- Pain in the infant
- Difficulty feeding the infant
- Maternal discomfort if breast feeding
- Damage or even amputation of the tip of the newborn's tongue
- Natal teeth may indicate a hormonal problem called hyperthyroidism
Check that your child is in the right age range for the adult teeth to be coming in, or erupting, as dentists say.
- Primary teeth usually start to come in between five and seven months, although there is a wide range, up to one and a half years old. Teeth come in at different places at different times, in other words the lower teeth usually erupt before the upper teeth, girl’s teeth erupt earlier than boys etc.
- Generally the front teeth erupt first at about six months and most children have all their primary teeth in place by three years.
- The shedding or falling out of primary teeth begins around six years of age and continues until ages up to 13 or 14 years old. During this time the permanent teeth will be coming in, replacing the primary, and your child may well have a mix of milk and permanent teeth for years.
- Note that is a permanent tooth begins to erupt (become visible above the gum line) before the milk tooth has fallen out your dentist will usually remove the primary tooth.
Once you are sure you are dealing with the normal loss of a milk tooth understand that you are not really pulling the tooth, rather the tooth will fall out naturally given a little more time, rather you are probably indulging your child’s wish to have the tooth removed:
- Tie a piece of dental floss into a loop and slip it around the loose tooth. Try not to cause too much pain while doing this. If there is pain, then stop and go to the dentist.
- Tie other end of the floss to the door knob so there is no slack. Make sure you tie a secure knot on a round knob, not a thin handle. If that knot comes off you will have to do this all over again.
- Stand on the side of the door where it closes away from you.
- Slam the door closed. There should be little or no pain or bleeding. If there is, take your child to an emergency dentist or hospital and tell them what you have done.
- Have the child bite down on a towel or piece of gauze to stop any bleeding.
- Examine the tooth that came out; if it appears to be missing any parts, see a dentist as soon as possible.

My youngest son absolutely ABHORES going to the dentist. I hasnt taken him in 2 years because we didnt have coverage and I didnt have money, and when he got to the dentist he still had baby teeth in the same spot where his adult teeth were coming in. He didnt want to tell me because he said he didnt want to worry me about the extra bill. Broke my heart until he said "Not really, I just didnt want them pulled, they look cool."

5 Things It's Cheaper To Do Yourself

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