One way to save significant amounts of money is to do it yourself. When you think of doing it yourself, the image of someone doing large-scale home improvements probably comes to mind. That is only one kind of do it yourselfer, however.
Our busier lives mean that we have “outsourced” more and more tasks to others. Personal chefs, personal trainers, dog walkers…all are common professions these days.
Below is a list of tasks to get you thinking about what kinds of things you might be paying others to do that you could do yourself. By choosing just a few to do yourself you could free up some room in your budget.
Clothing Care:
Cleaning (laundry and dry cleaning)
Ironing
Mending/Alterations
Making your Own Clothing
Yard Care:
Mowing/Watering/Weeding
Landscaping
Fertilizing
Pet Care:
Walking
Grooming
Training
House Care:
Cleaning
Minor Repairs
Major Repairs and Improvements
Decorating
Self Care:
Facials
Manicures/Pedicures
Haircuts
Hair coloring
Kitchen Tasks:
Meal Preparation
Grocery Shopping
Cooking and Baking from Scratch
Gardening
Financial Tasks:
Basic Tax Preparation
Investing
Selling your Home by Owner
Selling your Car by Owner
Auto Care:
Washing/Detailing
Oil Changes
Minor Repairs
Major Repairs
As you adopt this way of thinking you will probably think of more ideas that you can add. Keep in mind that you don’t have do everything on the list. You’ll want to consider what you have the time, interest, and ability to do yourself. Then reclaim some of these tasks as your own and watch the savings pile up!