Here's a list of things I do, make, cook, repair, replace at home to save money. I’m only including those which I think are uncommon. How about you?
I’m happy to share recipes and tutorials.
Use of the words sourdough bread, activated nuts etc should be banned.
Wow gestapo much?
The spirit of this post is about DIY everyday things, not home improvement.
I get that, but the widely accepted definition of "DIY" IS home improvement.
You don't watch a "DIY" show and see people refilling their laundry powder.
Just want to point out that your 'widely accepted' term for DIY is going to be phased out as less and less people are able to afford a home due to house prices going up.
From your link:
abbreviation for do-it-yourself: done or made without paying someone else to do it
So huh, thanks for proving the opposite point?
hows this?-
I just remodelled my old house which is about to go on to the market.
Kitchen - it was an old Ikea kitchen. removed doors - removed handles, cleaned with laminate/tile cleaner, painted with 3 coats of laminate paint -use a roller. added new handles -bought from aliexpress for US$0.25cents each.. stripped the bench down and restained it. replaced the crappy rangehood with a new Stainless steel rangehood so as to match the 2 year old stove I previously installed. painted the kitchen in a nice neutral colour.
Painted 3 bedrooms, laundry, second toilet.
replaced opaque corragated sheeting on back verandah
replaced the post on the front gate.
patched hole in the 3rd bedroom where old "in-wall" air con had been (replaced with wall mounted panasonic). hole in wall had been covered by plywood for the previous 5 years, which had been hidden by a nice print over the top.
pressure washed drive, and back deck area.
That's more like it. Thumbs up!
How much value have you added compared to before? How much did it cost you?
probably cost about $700 to buy everything.
Value added? Hard to say. With everything done then the house is "ready to move into" rather than "requires some up dating"
With all the other improvements I've done over the years then the house is in far better condition than when I bought it.
Edit - had a tiler come in and retile the splash back in the kitchen . He cost $250. Reasonably large job - 3 sides. Tiles bought from Masters 75% off when they were closing down.
was the wall you patched plaster?
I have a couple that need bricking up both sides, cbf.
the wall was fibro sheeting. the hole had a wooden "frame" around where the old wall mounted air con was. I had patched the outside quite decently when I originally removed the old air con (which I flogged on ebay). I just filled within the frame area with a piece of plaster board and filler for the gaps- then painted it. i could've done a better job -i.e. removed the frame and created a smooth wall. it was one of the last jobs I had to do and I was over it. yeah CBF.
I've done a lot of DIY on my house. Saves heaps.
A lot of it isn't hard if you break it down.. but of course you need a plumber and electrician.
Also tiling and polishing floorboards should be done by a professional.
It's also interesting.. a lot of people renovate just before they sell and never get to enjoy their shiny new renovated house :D
Of the examples you give, only replastering walls is something I'd actually advise people to DIY - the rest all involve pretty serious risks of death or injury if done wrongly…
Painting and replacing door handles/posts?
Deodorant
Cologne
How??
What exactly do you refill these with?
Are you married OP?
Yes.
That's why they can get away with these.
Therapy - thank you webmd and ozbargain comments
Replace Engine Oil and Filter.
You don't want to see my window repairs.. pro tip masking tape does not last too long but it does hold for a few months.
Yeah my house is so old that stuff is just falling apart or not possible to repair only replace and who has that kind of time and money.. not this guy
House gonna be full of masking tape by the end of the decade.
I don't really DIY much besides cooking and maybe some cleaning.
Usually I just buy the super cheap alternatives or find second hand online for usually cheaper.. saves time and energy and allows me to get on to the next thing.
Upgrade to duct tape
Went with masking because of the colour but yeah I guess duct tape would be more waterproof/weatherproof but honestly I think I should just order some FLEX TAPE
be careful with any tape on glass surfaces, even mild masking tape will quickly leave a residue that is a pain to get off. That said citric acid cleaner gets it off but still a job you dont want to do.
meh I thought about that.. tbh I don't think anyone in the house cares or matters about those things where I live.. the housemates and owners are more sloppier than I am and make me look like a clean neat freak.. so yeah pig sty the house all day long they don't seem to want to take care of it.
duck Tape we used meters of it.
Beat me to it!
@Alienc: It's duct tape that fixes everything, not masking tape. There's your problem.
Duct tape… La de da mr fancy man
Tried to replace my own phone battery (LG G2) so (that I could put off buying a new phone) but unfortunately I might have killed it because it no longer powers on.
So I guess my DIY hack actually cost me money? I might have to hand my ozbargain badge in for that kind of failure.
Haha having an G2 for that long makes up for it.
You’ve got to risk breaking something in order to fix it. Once you accept that, you tackle more and more things, building skills until you can replace a damaged surface mount capacitor on your tv…
lol I am just imagining somebody breaking and destroying everything in their house including the house itself before finally maybe successfully fixing one thing and it is like something really minor.. feels like a mini pixar short
:) I’ve done a bit of damage!
THATS A LOTTA DAMAGE… (FLEX TAPE COMMERCIAL)
yeah so have I =/ i am just happy the house is still in one piece but it could fall apart any second know I bet
I bought a scooter to commute. It costs me $6 per week. Public Transport used cost me over $40 a week.
how much distance do you commute per week? 50km?
12.5km each way. So 125km a week.
And that all cost $6? Wow not bad. Maybe I should try get a scooter but then groceries and large items.
@AlienC:
Postie bike and milk crate. I didn't work it out till years later but it was cheaper to ride the bike then catch the bus with many other benefits.
You can fit two bags of shopping in a milk crate.
I also once drove 20km with a baby's cot I bought all boxed up. About 1.2m X .7 X .1. had it wedged behind my back and the milk crate. Took 10km off my top speed.
@AlienC:
I use to have a few jockey straps handy for when I come across specials. The cot was the most difficult adventure faced.
Going fishing with a bucket, backpack and 2 fishing rods was also a tricky one as well, but rewarding.
@DarwinBoy: Damn Darwin my Boy you do love to live on the wild side.
I both admire and am scared of your lifestyle haha lol.. well done ;)
@AlienC:
Darwin's more a big town with the traffic not comparable to other capital cities in Australia. Makes it more forgiving I think, allows you to be just as little cheeky.
Scooter pool with work colleagues that live nearby , and share that fuel cost amongst however many you can dink on your scooter
Rego, insurance, fuel and maintenance costs only $300/year? Sounds like I need to get me a scooter.
Not exactly. I bought the scooter new (included rego) for $3,500. Since then it has only cost me $6 a week in running costs (fuel).
Normal annual costs:
Rego is $400
Insurance is $200
Fuel is $300 ($6 per week)
Maintenance I do myself
So that adds up to $900 per year or about $18 per week total cost. Still less then half the price of PT and its 10x as fun.
It will take 3 years for the savings to cover the cost of the Scooters purchase price.
I should also mention getting a motorcycle licence from scratch costs around $1k (2 day learners course, check-ride, licence test).
3500 scooter new with rego
1000 license
400 rego
200 insurance
300 fuel
first year is 5400 or 5400/52 = 103.8 per week
second year is 900 or 6300/104 = 60.6 per week
third year is 900 or 7200/156 = 46.15 per week
fourth year is 900 or 8100/208 = 38.94 per week
fifth year is 900 or 9000/260 = 34.61 per week
sixth year is 900 or 9900/312 = 31.73 per week
seventh year is 900 or 10800/364 = 29.67 per week
yeah that is going to take a while to pay off my dude gotta include and count all the costs not just the maintenance and running costs
This does not even include the riding gear which you need for protection in case of emergency or other extra stuff you might add to your scooter
@AlienC:
Postie bike $1000
Licence $40(skipped the course and did a stability test)
Rego $140
Insurance $0
Fuel ??? Couple of hundred.
It's an easy way to go for city driving up here. Free city parking for bikes is a big bonus as well.
Wow. You made your own iPhone? Respect. ;-)
Here's a list of things I do, make, cook, repair, replace
Not to brag or anything, but I can also replace my phone easily. With a bit of moolah. Guess I'm also a DIY person at heart. ;)
You never know. Maybe OP took an extended family trip with the kids to Shenzhen…
By 'replace' I mean installing iPhone batteries, not buying new iPhones!
lol I read it that way too! I was like WTF this guy makes batteries?!
wash cars
lawn mowing
make coffee at home rather than buying
don't get a cleaner
I DIY everything. If its got a YouTube tutorial and doesnt need expensive machinery - I will do it! Im a daredevil like that!
I feel like a lot to those things would be expensive to make at home unless you buy ingredients in large bulk. Sounds more like you're making things yourself to have natural ingredients.
Depends on your living situation - if you have a big family, or lots of relatives, you can make a lot of things in bulk that makes it worth the cost.
Over the years I've learnt to DYI on:
-Car oil change
-Changing brake pads
-Replacing headlight bulbs
-Minor car detailing
-DSLR photography
-Computer DIY like windows reinstallation, partitioning, SSD upgrade etc
-Cooking dishes I didn't know how to before
I am working on the cooking dishes part but I think I am so bad and it is an art form as expressed by my housemate that I just prefer to pay a professional or someone more skilled than me to make it which honestly is not a lot.
Heck I can make some decent killer sandwiches but sometimes you know you just gotta go Oporto to Subway
Bicycle maintenance
I’m not as gifted as a lot of the amazing folks who are able to do so many things, but I generally try and DIY as much as I can without needing a pro, mainly for stuff like gardening, painting, tiling, some plastering, and what not.
Everything.
Do all my computer related things on my own. Do small household plumbing, electricity and networking things as well. Overall, I try to involve tradesmen as less as possible. Next on the list of things I would like to do on my own is the oil change in the car.
Sex. Prostitutes are WAY too expensive these days.
If you think that's expensive, wait until you get a girlfriend.
If you think that's expressive, wait till she turns into a wife…… Hence the no sex joke…..
if you think that's expensive, wait until she turns into an ex-wife with.. wait for it… kids…
@Bunnyburger: DIY forever. If someone can think of any other DIY which would save them more over a lifetime, I'm all ears ;)
Roast my own coffee, works out to about $15 a kilo for prime stuff vs >40
wow nice
Yeah surprisingly easy, takes a bit of effort tho.
For a 'corretto' (aussie invention) you just need a 2nd hand breadmaker, heatgun, and fan (~$50), all the details (and green beans) you need are on the coffeesnobs forums
I DIY pretty much anything I can do by myself that if backfired can't cause legal/ insurance issues…
How much do you save by making own tooth powder btw? I bulk purchase Sensodyne from Singapore… costs me about $3.50 per 200g (100gx2) box compared to $7-8 per 110g here.
I’ll have a crack at pretty much anything diy.
I was brought up with a fix it mentality and learned heaps of stuff on how to fix from my father. I hate wasting items so will ipusually attempt a repair before throwing it away. I also pickup things from kerbside cleanup to repair and sell. It’s amazing what some people think is rubbish, but can be fixed in a few minutes.
I also diy renovations. Turned 2 bedrooms with walk in robes into 3 bedrooms. Got tradies in fro the electrical, installing windows and carpet but did everything else myself, removing and replacing walls, plastering, flooring etc. probably would have cost more than 2x as much if a builder had done it, but it did take 18months.
Plenty more on the list. fence, deck replacement, new small deck and plenty more. I’d rather spend money on a tool and have it for a future project than pay someone to do it for me.
Can do attitude, mechanical affinity, ability to use tools, YouTube and google, and you can spread your funds into a lot more areas.
that's it. DIY it.
kerbside pick up- love it. picked up a dyson upright last year. the power head switch had died. replaced that for $3. gave it a solid clean. sold it for $140.
I found a dirty pram on the side of the road…. Out the front of our block of units in a hard rubbish pile. Recognised it as a good brand.
Covers in washing machine. Cleaned frame. Air in tyres…. sold for $150.
Lemon lime bitters. I love drinking this.
I buy lemon lime cordial and mix with soda water. Better than what you get at shops for $4
Nothing. Outsource everything.
I DIY all my own bikie jobs.
I try and fix everything I have using my own means. I fixed my chinese phone with parts sourced from Aliexpress and a youtube video instead of paying 200 to get it done; I do the same with my electronics ranging from computers to plumbing in my home.
Always check out whether there is a video on how to do it. That is if its not under warranty, otherwise I can't be bothered to fix it myself.
Repair electronics - ifixit is a great repository, recommend to everyone. We've all got some ancient phone lying around to tinker with
Just waiting on a screen for my ancient PSP which cost like $10 and I can have a play with some emulators for the Megadrive etc :)
I make my own yoghurt - bought an Easiyo and don't bother with the sachets. You just need powdered milk which is very cheap, water, and a bit of your last batch of yoghurt. Kids birthday invites I do with photoshop and print at Officeworks, ditto anything that needs designing and printing. Anything that I paid a lot of money for gets used for ten years minimum - my TV has marching dead pixels across the screen but I've challenged myself to use it until it well and truly dies. I also try to fix broken stuff although it's getting harder and harder - I contacted the company that made my daughters backpack and asked them if they could send me a replacement zip for a broken one or if I could send it in to get fixed. The answer was neither, but here's a 30% off code to buy a new one! The whole point was to avoid landfill! I get a lot of kids toys and clothes from the op shop too for a few bucks each - it's insane what people give away, sometimes it's boxed and unused.
I've also just discovered the Gumtree freebies section, I wish I'd known about it before having kids, I wouldn't have had to spend much at all.
There's "lifetime" warranty backed backpacks like Jansport.
Can you give me more information?
I have an old Jansport backpack that has lasted me… I don't know, like 8 years?
It survived everyday abuse going to school, high school, college, even work but now the zipper tracks are all mangled now and zipper doesn't work anymore.
Would love to get a new one!
The following I DIY
-Gardening (heck I do my neighbours too, since I find it enjoyable)
-Plumbing
-Minor Electrical work
-PC network cabling
-Painting
-Tiling and regrouting (super simple btw)
-Building basic furniture (e.g. shelving)
-Re-oiling deck
-changing door handles
-basic repairs washer/dryer/fridge (google is awesome for this)
-car detailing and cleaning
-Basic car repairs, for example, front brake changing, tyre rotating
btw, I'm no DIY God, just an ordinary OzBargainer. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career.
I find that making babies is much easier (and more fun) than buying them.
Everything.
I re-use the newspaper plastic wrap to wrap my sandwich in for work.
That is money-saving, but not really DIY.
But, how many times do you re-use that piece of plastic?
Up to 45. Then it starts to get a bit mucky.
Cut my own hair
courage+2
2 blade all over ~ pretty easy :)
I feel like some of these comments are a bit of an insult to the term "DIY".
"DIY" - the activity of decorating, building, and making repairs at home by oneself rather than employing a professional.
Use of the words sourdough bread, activated nuts etc should be banned.
I came into this thread expecting to hear about people building decks, replastering walls, rewiring GPOs and remodelling kitchens.