When I was younger I had a father who took pride in fixing things around the house. This was not only the economical for him, but it also provided him a sense of accomplishment of handyman services. He used to fix things for a local fitness club too and was very good at it. I used to apprentice with him and he would take me out for ice cream after the job well done.
Fast forward about 20 years and I have my own house and have a wife and kids. I have learned to take on the same pride my father had in fixing things. It is a sense of accomplishment when you can see that toilet, or whatever is working now due to your handy work. If you have the skill set and the want to repair or build something there is nothing stopping you.
The amount of money that my wife and I have saved fixing things around the house is huge. We were a one income household until this week and some minor fixes could have been catastrophic financially for us.
Recently I have tried to broaden my skill set from basic repairs to building things. This past summer I built an 8 foot picnic table. I am currently in the process of building a cabinet and countertop for our dishwasher.
The money saved from the basic repairs has allowed us to provide some of the basic necessities for our children when money is tight. When money is tight sometimes you may have to stretch yourself and take on an additional task to make your way through to the good times. A wise man once said, “a dollar saved is a dollar earned.”
Do you try to take on these chores or do you have the honey do list for the handyman?
Good skills. I spent a huge amount of time renovating our home and doing as much as possible to save money. The savings meant we were able to have a few little extras that we really wanted too. Seeing those things around the house is a nice reminder of the reward for hard work.
@Shaun – it sure is a nice reminder everytime you see it.