DIY- Is it worth it?

This month I finally got around to a project that I’ve been trying to get to since I moved in last year. I had a drainage issue in my yard where the piece of property closest to the road was often soggy and I could see water trickling from one part of the yard into the road. I called the water and sewer companies to see if there was a pipe leak and they told me there was no leak on their end and their best guess was that it was a fresh spring! I did some digging and found part of a French Drain that had been crushed from someone driving over it and was pretty confident that I could fix most of the problem by replacing the busted pipe. I will admit that I underestimated both the time and money that it would take, but I was able to successfully replace the pipe with the help of a friend and then I placed railroad ties over it to keep others from driving over it in the future. All in all, the project cost about $300 and a Saturday, but I probably saved thousands compared to having a professional do it. And the drainage issue is much improved!

If this project seems a little too advanced or too hard for you, let’s consider some other things that you can DIY instead of paying a professional:

• Shop for your own materials during home renovation projects- Did you know that professionals typically add an extra 20% on top of materials for the time/effort of shopping? For a recent flooring project, shopping myself saved me over $500! And if you want to press the easy button like a friend of mine did, order online and pay the $75 shipping fee. You still save money, but with less effort.
• Hanging your own curtains- This is a project that most people can do easily, especially with a $15 laser level and could cost close to $200 for a professional to do it for you.
• Replace air filters in your car- Most oil change places will try to upsell you on replacing your engine and cabin air filters, but this is something you can easily do yourself for a fraction of the cost. YouTube has a tutorial for almost all makes and models to show you how if you aren’t sure.
• Landscaping- Whatever you are able to do in your own yard is going to save you money compared to paying someone to come do it. An electric hedge trimmer would most likely pay for itself after one or two uses compared to paying someone to trim your shrubbery, and you could possibly even save more money by renting one for your project from the Library of Things!
• Fixing things instead of replacing- I have been guilty many times of replacing things that probably could have been fixed. Recently, I had a few situations where I almost jumped to replacing things and then ended up being able to fix them. You may have to be a little creative. For instance, I was able to fix a water ring on a shelf by adding an adhesive wallpaper covering to it. I was able to fix steam marks on a wooden table with a blow dryer (and if that didn’t work, I was going to try re-staining or painting it). It is definitely easier to replace but resist the urge and ask yourself if there is ANYTHING you can do to fix it first.

You may be thinking: “This is all well and good, but I just don’t have the time” or you may be in a season where your time is truly more valuable than the amount you would pay to have someone do these things for you. If that is you, that’s okay. It’s just something that everyone should think through. Is DIY worth it to you? And the answer is based on your current financial situation and how valuable your time is compared to the time of the people you are paying to provide a service to you. If you are currently in debt or working to save up an emergency savings fund, then DIY is definitely one of the tools you need in your toolbox to help you work towards financial freedom.