People Are Sharing The DIYs That Will Actually Save You Money, Time, And Effort
While recently browsing r/Frugal (a great subreddit to check out if you've never seen it before), I found a thread in which u/shehobbit asked users to suggest a DIY that's actually worth your time and will save you some money.
As we continue to see climate disasters happen across the world, the world reacts to a pandemic, and as America heads toward a potential recession, many of us are considering how to "do it yourself" now more than ever.
With that in mind, here are some of the most creative responses:
1.Learn how to cook your own meals at home.
Fuse Media / giphy.com
"Being a decent home cook has saved me tons of money, since most things you get at a restaurant or for takeout you can make at home for a fraction of the cost (I'm looking at you, pizza). It also gives me fun projects to embark upon! Not to say I'll never get takeout again, but most of the time, it's just about satiating the want with something cheaper and better for me."
—u/megaflerp
Need some inspiration? Browse our library of Tasty recipes.
2.Cook and freeze meals for future use so that you aren't tempted to go out for dinner or order delivery.
"I cook then portion and freeze meals. I always pack lunches."
"Buying a good amount of produce when it's on sale, and cooking/chopping it into serving-sized portions for the week or month. Carrots and potatoes roasted in the oven or Crock Pot takes no effort, but are still healthy. Making salads for the week with a big ole $1.99 bag of romaine hearts is just as easy."
—u/Pizzaisbae13
"Meal prep! Pre-make/package up all your food for the week. I still buy one meal a week while at work — it's kind of a treat for Fridays."
—u/zeebow77
Need some inspiration? Check out this comprehensive guide to freezing food and these 18 meal prep recipe ideas.
3.Instead of calling a repairperson, try watching YouTube videos to teach yourself how to fix something instead.
Fox / leftphalange.tumblr.com
"If you need home improvements or repairs done quickly, or you don't have the patience to learn to do them to the level of quality that you want, pay for them.
"Otherwise, bust out the YouTube videos, budget some money for necessary tools, and get to learning. I highly recommend learning it all in reverse order: painting, finish carpentry, drywall finishing, drywall hanging, insulation, electrical, plumbing, door/window installation, framing, foundation work. That way, you know the steps you'll need to get the finished product looking right from prior experience so you'll have a better understanding of the end goal of the newest skill you're working on learning."
—u/roonerspize
"Last year, I did replace the belt on my dryer by watching YouTube videos and getting my dad on Skype to help me out. Just to have someone come out and look at it was going to be $200, plus parts and labor. Very proud moment."
—u/ajames54
Need some inspiration? Here's some advice from home repair workers.
4.Make your own coffee at home — or, go as far as this person does and roast your own beans, too.
"I roast my own coffee using a hot air popcorn popper I found at a thrift store. Total cost per pound ends up being around $4-$5 (bulk green beans + electricity), and an hour of roasting every two weeks is enough to satisfy mine and my wife's habits."
—u/lurkin4luv
"I make my own espresso drinks. I have a whole coffee bar and make awesome drinks every day. I hardly ever visit Starbucks anymore."
—u/KDhulahoops
Need some inspiration? Here are 22 coffee recipes to make at home.
5.Cut and/or color your own hair.
NBC / giphy.com
"After my hairline receded, I stopped getting haircuts and bought clippers to just buzz it."
"An 'undercut' used to be a sign of a bad/cheap barber who couldn't blend the sides into the top. Now, it's in style. So, I can cut my own hair in a relatively modern way without anyone thinking it looks out of fashion."
—u/JohnFoxpoint
"I cut my own hair. There are lots of YouTube tutorials on how to do this without messing it up. I've saved hundreds of dollars a year doing this. I might not have the most trendy cut, but it works for me. And I don't have to worry about making small talk with the hairdresser anymore."
—u/[deleted]
"I dye my own hair, and that saves me a boatload."
Need some inspiration? Watch some brave souls cut their own hair for the first time, and here's a list of ways to change up your hair without actually cutting it.
6.Make your own cleaning supplies.
"I DIY most cleaning products. I clean windows and mirrors with good cloths + water only, and it gets the job done. I use spray bottles that have soapy water and bleach water in them, and vinegar and baking soda for some stuff. That's about it. I also make my own laundry detergent and don't buy it."
—u/kyuuei
"Instead of buying a bunch of different cleaning solutions, I just use white vinegar and dish soap for all my everyday cleaning. Counters, sinks, showers, toilets, floors, pretty much anything except windows. It also makes a good weed killer and bug spray if you don't want to spray a bunch of chemicals around.
"The only downside is it can leave your place smelling like pickles for a little while. Some people use oils or orange peels to add a scent, but I don't bother with that."
—u/PhoneWrecker
"We make our own laundry detergent. A 5-gallon bucket lasts months and is under 10 bucks. It works great, too!"
Need some inspiration? Here's are seven different household cleaner DIYs.
7.Grow your own herbs at home, and use them to make your own spice blends.
"DIY your own spice/herb blends. They taste so much better; bonus points if you grow the herbs or spices yourself."
Need some inspiration? Learn more about cooking with spices here.
8.Sew your own clothes — or, at the very least, learn how to DIY them back into good shape.
Love Productions / giphy.com
"Knowing how to sew. I had a last-minute need for an alteration this week — instead of paying extra to get it done, I pulled out my sewing kit and fixed up the hem myself."
"I got seventeen dress shirts from salvation army for $60, all Larges and XLs. I am a muscular guy. Mediums don't fit, larges are baggy, and even new shirts don't fit me. So, I practiced tailoring and darting my dress shirts. I watched this 4-minute YouTube video and my first shirt came out great. Admittedly, I messed up getting a bit aggressive because I wanted to show off my abs, but I became obsessed with sewing. Now, I can make clothes."
—u/tummypains
"I shorten my own pants. I don't have a sewing machine, but I can do it by hand. As I am short and need to adjust most of my pants, I have probably saved around $600 over the years, not much but still."
—u/Samantha_M
Need some inspiration? Try these beginner sewing techniques out at home.
9.Cook rice and beans from scratch, instead of buying them pre-cooked in a store.
"For food, I cook beans from scratch instead of buying canned beans, regular rice over instant rice. I also avoid eating out as much as I can and buy meat in bulk from Costco."
Need some inspiration? Here's a list of 38 easy recipes to make from beans.
10.Switch to reusable period products instead of buying new supplies each month.
@headexplodie / headexplodie.co / Via giphy.com
"I use a menstrual cup and sea sponges for that special time of the month. They have saved me hundreds of dollars over the years by not having to buy tampons and pads."
—u/milana_miki
"I use a reusable menstrual cup instead of pads or tampons, saves me $100 a year, and it is so much better."
—u/CheapFrogs
Need some inspiration? Read a review of what it's like switching to a menstrual cup.
11.Brew your own beer to save money at the store.
"Brewing my own beer. I've gotten my recipes down tight, bought ingredients in bulk, started inverting my own fancy sugar, cultivating cultures of interesting yeast, and have gotten the cost down to well below 10¢ a bottle.
"Not to mention, if I wanna spend an extra 30¢ on presentation, I can pretty much write off any gifts (birthday, Xmas, housewarming) I ever need to give. Even better, a lot of the equipment I've gotten has allowed me to make sodas as well.
"I could take a bath in beer, and it'd still cost me less than going out to a fancy bar, and I get to choose exactly what's on offer."
—u/davou
Need some inspiration? Check out this guide on how to brew beer at home.
12.Try gardening.
Fox / giphy.com
"Garden, and then can and freeze what comes out of it. I make as much food as I can from scratch. I raise chickens for eggs and meat, and sell the extra. My plan is to have a small 'hobby' farm in 10 years."
Need some inspiration? Here are 31 gardening basics for any beginner.
13.Bake your own bread at home.
"A cheap breadmaker is a good value if your family eats a lot of bread, but just French bread you form yourself and stick in the oven is a good value and easy."
—u/funobtainium
"I love sandwiches and cinnamon raisin toast, and managed to snag a used bread maker from a family member who was going to toss it. Buy big bags of flour and big jars of yeast. As a bonus, your house will smell great." —u/mycathasanicelife
Need some inspiration? Try one of these seven recipes that are great for beginners.
14.Stop buying new sponges, and use rags instead.
"I stopped buying sponges. I use sturdy washcloths and have never needed a sponge since. I find sponges really gross now that I've quit them."
—u/kyuuei
Need some inspiration? Here are some other eco-friendly swaps you can try next.
15.Paint your own nails at home.
Fat Junkie Nail Art / giphy.com
"Learning how to do my own nails well. Women are judged in the workplace for the stupidest shit, and nails are one of them. It's nice to get pampered by a professional every few months, but for general upkeep, it has been worth it to learn all the tricks myself."
"I learned how to do my eyebrows and nails (pedicures, manicures), essentially basic nail care on my own. Saves around $40-$60 a month if I would go out to salons and have it done for me. YouTube is your best friend!"
—u/[deleted]
Need some inspiration? Check out these "lazy" nail art patterns and try them at home.
16.For the condiment lovers, you can make your own mustard at home.
"I make my own stoneground-like thick mustard, and it's cheaper to make it than to buy a similar kind of mustard, but it's not like it's actually cheaper than store-brand French's yellow mustard. Mustard is stupid easy. If you have mustard seeds and water, basically you have mustard."
—u/AmNotLost
Need some inspiration? Peep this list of foods mustard-lovers have to try.
17.Fix your own plumbing.
Wind Dancer Productions / giphy.com
"Plungers aren't just for toilets (though maybe you should have one that is, and one that isn't). I fixed my barely-draining shower with a plunger the other day. It'd been clogging up for months, and my grandfather asked if I'd tried plunging it. Just fill it up with water (to help form a seal), then plunge. Works like new."
—u/naught-me
"PLUMBING. Have a decent snake tool for clogs. It's also not difficult to fix any part of a toilet or install one if you have a helper."
—u/funobtainium
Need some inspiration? Here's some advice from an actual plumber, plus a list of the weirdest things plumbers have unclogged.
18.Make your own yogurt at home.
Comedy Central / giphy.com
"When I was eating yogurt regularly, I'd make my own. It was great because you only needed to 'seed' it once, and it would keep regenerating. Warm a bit of milk on the stove, stir some yogurt into it well, cover it, and let it cool overnight, and voila! You've got yogurt the next morning! And because it's a bacteria, it grows in size."
Need some inspiration? Here are 12 unexpected ways yogurt can up your cooking game.
19.And finally, these DIY's extend to your dogs, too: Both pet food and dog beds can be made at home.
My Domaine / giphy.com
"I built my dog's dog beds. We like the ones that are slightly elevated off the floor. For $50, I was able to make five of them, three that were 2' x 4' and two that were 2' x 2'."
"Homemade dog food and dog treats. Lots of recipes on the web and much better for your pet, too!"
—u/LorenaMack
Need some inspiration? Check out these easy recipes for your dog and four recipes for DIY dog treats.
