Are You Handy Enough? 5 Ways to Save Money by Doing it Yourself

With the economy the way it is, the biggest reason people are looking for do it yourself solutions is to save a few bucks. For many of us, even when we have the option of paying for something versus doing it ourselves, we've experienced the hard financial times and we view those situations differently now. Instead of thinking 'I can afford it' people are thinking 'Why should I pay someone to do this for me when I can do it myself?' Good question.

I used to pay someone to take care of my yard, to occasionally clean the house and other semi-luxury services. Not anymore. Now, even when I might think about resuming some of those services, it seems unfathomable to pay others to do simple work for me. Having a few basic skills can go a long way around the house.

Here are a few of the most common skills and ways to save money around the house:

Carpet Cleaning - If you have your carpets cleaned by a pro, consider doing it yourself. Most grocery stores rent the equipment and more than ever, there are home units from Bissel and others that work great - you'll break even on price the first time and from then on you can have cleaner carpets anytime. This includes before family gatherings and get togethers, which can feel like a real luxury.

Yard care - Need to save a few bucks and spend more time outside with your kids? Lowe's now has awesome kids gloves in popular characters, greatly extending the kid-friendliness of working outside together - at least for the author. This isn't about getting your kids to do the work as much as avoiding the expense of a 'yard guy'. (If your kids are older than the author's, it actually may be about getting the kids to do it!)

Sprinkler maintenance - The great thing about sprinkler systems is that once you have a few things figured out, you can do the whole system. This is great for repairing sprinklers and adjusting the water timer more carefully to avoid wasting water (and the related expense).

Appliance adjustment - Vacuum off the dust from the back of the refrigerator and replace furnace filters yourself. The refrigerator actually works by moving heat from the inside to the outside and when the outside portion is covered in dirt, it can't get rid of the heat and that wastes electricity by running more. For the furnace filter, find your old filter and take it to the store with you to ensure getting the right size. If you're like the author, you can purchase the new hypo-allergenic type that actually keep your house cleaner and consider the extra cost to be a wash vs. having someone do it for you. Use the stickers provided to keep track of when to replace it and don't forget - old filters cost money by making the furnace run more and run under higher load.

Think energy all the time:

- Set your thermostat timer to drop the temp when you're not home.
- Lower the temperature on your water heater until you run out once and then bump it back up a little. There's no need to keep it higher than that.
- Seal the cracks with a can of expanding foam, about $6 from hardware stores. Read the instructions!
- Install energy efficient window coverings. Besides reducing your utility bills, they will make an instant difference in the comfort of the room. By doing it yourself, you can save enough money to make the project affordable, to do more windows (or more rooms) or just upgrade your home for less.

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