5 Things DIY - save on overpriced services

One of my friends became a proud new homeowner and he asked me, what are the things he can do himself around the house and what are the things he should hire some one to do it for him. When I bought my first home 6 years ago, I was excited about the opportunity to mow my own lawn. It took me 20 mins of my bi-monthly time to mow both my front and back lawn and with a minimal cost of lawn fertilizer. I spent a couple of hundred dollars on a good used lawn mower and other cutting and clipping machines. I enjoyed doing it without realizing how much money I saved until I rented my house last year. I had to hire a lawn mower service for $60 a month for twice a month service and I often go back to just check my lawn and it does not look any better than it used to be when I was doing the service.
Tip#1: Yes you can save $60 a month by spending 40 mins of your time and you get free exercise, make sure you DO NOT buy a self propelled mower. To me, its a good deal. 

Very often, I hear the counter arguments from my friends and colleagues that "my time is more valuable than the cost of paying someone to do the same job". While this can be true in some situations, in general question is "what are you substituting that time with?" Are you watching another TV episode or really doing highly productive thing? There are few other things like regular maintenance of your house that are fun to do and can save you a tons of money. My old house owner gave me contact# of window washer and suggested that we should get our windows cleaned from inside out at least once a year. I remember calling the window cleaning guy once and got motivated more than before after hearing that he would charge me $110 to clean my 6 windows and one patio door.
Tip#2: A bottle of glass cleaner, wind shield cleaner brush and some paper towels along with your 2 hrs weekend time will do the trick and save you $110


There are small plumbing jobs, every home owner needs to be aware of. Whether you DIY or hire someone, knowing things will save you a bundle when you negotiate with someone. Replacing toilet bowl sounds like the most difficult and dirtiest  job but believe me, I have changed twice myself, its one of easiest things to do. Replacing a sink faucet can be tricky some time, but all it needs is your weekend time and determination to do things.
Tip#3: There are plenty of you tube videos available for specific plumbing jobs, small or big. Get the minimum required tools and take your laptop to the job site(your bathroom for instance) You can easily save outrageously overpriced plumbing service of $80 an hour. 


For me doing these simple things myself  give me psychological benefits. It gives me confidence and adds to my skills set. Of course financial benefit is enormous.