Comments on: Seven Things I’ve Learned from Doing It Myself

By: Strider

Strider — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:34:34 +0000

Thanks for the book tip, “Shopcraft as Soulcraft” is now on my list to borrow from the library.

This post resonates greatly with me. Growing up my dad fixed all kinds of things around the house from plumbing, cars, electric fences, etc. As the eldest son I of course became his assistant. I learned a few choice expletives :) but also learned a lot about the problem solving process and how to use a variety of tools.

I worked at the family business as a shop hand where my metal working and hydraulics education was extended as well as learning how to drive some heavy equipment. After HS graduation I started attending college going for an Elec. Eng. degree. I continued working at the shop where my co-workers greatly encouraged me to finish my degree. The satisfaction of the manual work was satisfying but made it very difficult to provide for a family.

From all of this I find value in learning both “mechanical” and “cerebral” pursuits and will encourage my children to explore both as they decide on careers/vocations.

By: Joanna

Joanna — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:48:14 +0000

Love the post, Trent. I’d love to see more real-life examples of things you do around the house. The vinegar as fabric softener / fix it yourself posts get me started thinking and often improve my own life.

Keep it up!

By: craig

craig — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:30:36 +0000

I caught the DIY bug when we bought our first house 9 years ago. Since then I have build new cabinets, replaced toilets and their innards, done some light plumbing, installed crown moulding and chair rail, laid tile, and my biggest project: completely gutting my office studio and turning it into a soundproof recording space- and building all of the furniture myself (I even learned to sew so I could make the curtains). It’s been two years since I finished the office space, and every time I walk in there I still think “yeah, I did this”. I guarantee the quality of work is better than if I had hired a contractor who didn’t have to live in the space.

What did I know before doing all this? Very litte. I just had the desire to learn and the willingness to work painfully slowly (I had to rebuild some of the interior framing three times to get it right, but it was RIGHT when it was done, dangit).

Learn and do. Never hire someone when you can do it yourself.

Thanks for a great post (and everyone should read “Shop Class as Soulcraft as well).

By: David--Your finances 101

David--Your finances 101 — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:13:54 +0000

This is one of the main reasons wht I became such an avidDIY-er. Not so much from the financial apsect of saving money by doing it myself, but by the way I was able to “transfer” the techniques I picked up during certain projects to other problems I encountered. It is really quite addicting.

The social aspect is nice too, and especially, now that I have a son to share these times with, he has already become my able-boided assistant at the ripe old age of two!

Great post

By: Lee

Lee — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:28:56 +0000

Trent..I have been receiving your blog for sometime now and find it very helpful and interesting. When you set your posts aside as “public domain” I was really excited. I have been trying to set up a similar blog site and will certainly use some of your posts. Thank you for allowing those of us just starting out to gain from your insights.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:29:32 +0000

Really enjoyed reading this. My dad, long since having achieved his own financial independence, does EVERYTHING himself. When I question why he doesn’t just hire stuff out, he always says he gains a lot it gives him a lot of good thinking time to just do a job himself.

By: Amateur

Amateur — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:22:35 +0000

One can always learn the easy way, just observing. I’ve been in an office where there were expansions being made as office workers hammered away at computers and contractors literally hammered away at the surrounding. I saw some of the guys doing plaster work, installing drywall, and I was wow’d by how easy they made it seem, that were wasn’t magic to it, just precision, experience, and some teamwork. Not that watching a few mins here and there taught me all that much, but I did learn the sequence of doing things. Had I embarked on the journey to do something like that without some visual aid, I’m certain I would mix up some steps or do a step before another.

By: Georgia

Georgia — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:57:54 +0000

I am paranoid about all things technical. So when I had a problem with my vacuum, got out the manual, and saw what a simple problem it was – I fixed it. Boy, did I feel great.

I once did that with sewing. My mother-in-law always said I was selfish to read so much. I should do more sewing, cooking, baking, etc. for my family. So – I got a book on knitting & crocheting and proceeded to learn to crochet. I knew my MIL would help if I needed it. I got a 2-3″ doily done beautifully. I showed it to my MIL and then put it up. I decided I could have read 2 books in the time it took me to do that little piece of craft. I had proved I could do it, but just did not have the motivation to keep it up, so it never got completed.

I will try to do a few more things on my own. At 72, any new things I learn will add to the value of my life and keep my brain kicking on all cylinders at the same time. Thanks, Trent.

By: Jan in Chesterfield

Jan in Chesterfield — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:48:44 +0000

I have found that with not too much difficulty I can repair toilets. I have 3 bathrooms and over the course of 15 years of living in my condo I have replaced many parts in those toilets. All I do is look in there to see what isn’t working properly, head down to my nearest Lowe’s and check out the toilet repair section. It’s magic.

By: jgos

jgos — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:02:57 +0000

Something I read once that is a simple but profound concept, and had an empowering impact on me, was “If somebody else can learn how to do something, you can too! You likely are just as smart as they are.” Another concept that I have also tried to teach my children is to not shy away from learning new things, telling them “You can do hard things.”

By: gardenurse

gardenurse — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:49:44 +0000

“If you keep your hands busy, your mind will take care of itself.” As stated by my late grandfather, who scrubbed every blackened pot & pan in the house after my grandmother died. Instead of turning to he used his hands to sooth his heart ache. He also got very busy in his wood shop & I have many of his unique creations.

This is so true. There is something about working with your hands and seeing that completed project that is very thereaputic. It gives a sense of accomplishment, which builds confidence and self worth, and all those good feelings that good, honest, hard work does.

We are a “throw away” society, and it just sickens me to think about it sometimes. We need to take care of the things we have, and in doing so, we save time, money, and the environment.

Since I’ve started reading this blog, I find myself agreeing with many things here. Keep up the good posts!

By: dsz

dsz — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:51:28 +0000

This post resonates with me. I was brought up this way. Daddy was a serviceman by trade but more than that was naturally curious about everything, mostly about how things worked. Mama was never averse to tackling a project either so I got it from both sides. Few feelings are better than standing back looking at a completed project or repair and knowing you did that.
From rebuilding a Chevy engine with my father to installing new floors in my house single-handedly, few things give me more pleasure. One benefit Trent touched on is it increases you confidence about everything, not just your DIY skills. Working through a project makes you feel you can do anything and this mindset shows. You’ll have a more confident attitude and that makes you better at work and in volunteer and social circles. People are drawn to success.
One aspect I didn’t see mentioned is honing your problem solving skills-the brain works in wondrous ways and fixing the washing machine will improve your logical and predictive skills and that’s a benefit to all aspects of one’s life.
A side plus for me is my beloved parents have been gone for 20 years now and every time I pick up a hammer Daddy is there with me and when I’m planning my elaborate Halloween displays I swear I’m getting Mama as a muse and that’s more precious to me than anything.
@#9 Robin-I agree. Richard Feynman was one of our country’s greatest minds. Readers, please don’t let the physics reference put you off, he was not a boring, dry man. Most of his brilliance was because of thinking out of the box and he was blessed with an amazing sense of humor and playfulness. The book is a great read and a testament to insatiable curiosity. For reference, he worked on the Manhattan Project and served on the Rogers Commission investigating the Challenger disaster. (I just picked my next book(s) to read, his are among my keepers)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman

By: ka8apf

ka8apf — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:22:23 +0000

Great site~

I’ve recently come to the conclusion that everything we do is a state of mind.
Due to financial constraints, I had to do more complex engine work to my car. (changing timing belt, replacing cam seals, etc.) So I purchased a haynes manual and a chiltons manual (expensive at auto/book store, very reasonable on Amazon.com) and did the work myself.
While doing this work, I realized that everything we do is dependent on what we are comfortable with. I work on computers as a sideline, so I think nothing of taking the cover of, tinkering around inside, adding or subtracting as needed.
I work with people that feel the same way about cars, opening the hood, diagnosing problems, dropping a transmission, changing the engine, you get the idea, but they would hesitate with trepidation on taking a cover off a computer. We tend to hold ourselves back, everything is the same… we just need to get comfortable with other things and go outside our comfort zone.

By: anne

anne — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:21:16 +0000

so true!

a few years back i took apart our broken washing machine and replaced the water pump.

me!! all by myself!!

when people asked how our summer was, that’s all i wanted to talk about.

By: Claudia

Claudia — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:47:55 +0000

If something was broke, my father would have me study it and try to figure out why. Once it was as simple as a soldered wire had come loose on a radio. My husband and I also bought a Reader’s Digest book called “How to Fix Anything”. We repaired problems with many electronics and our cars. The book would list various scenarios and tell you the difficulty level of repairing the problem and if you needed a professional (although,not always needed).One does reach a high level of satisfaction in doing it yourself, the feeling of accomplishment as well as the savings to your wallet.
I once had a friend who refused to go down-hill skiing as she was afraid of falling and looking like a fool. I learned as an adult and it was embarrassing to be sprawled all over the hill while a six year old whizzed by me, but if I hadn’t accepted looking a little stupid, I would have missed some of the most fun I have ever had. There are many ways one can challenge themselves and feel euphoric when the challenge is met!

By: Bethany

Bethany — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:47:12 +0000

This is an excellent post and very true. I think people underestimate the value of working with your hands. As an art history grad student I rarely get to do anything hands-on (first rule of a museum, don’t touch!) but my job at the campus library’s preservation department allows me a couple hours each week to work with my hands doing minor conservation repairs on broken books. Having this hands-on job not only helps pay the bills, it also gives me a good chance to exercise skills that aren’t purely cerebral and analytical. It’s a nice break (even though it’s work!) and generally refocuses my mind to get back to studying with increased enthusiasm.

By: lurker carl

lurker carl — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:47:06 +0000

I’ve always been a DIY fan. Most mechanical things we depend upon aren’t complex and many are easy enough to repair when necessary. And very frugal as well.

By: Rosa Rugosa

Rosa Rugosa — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:40:45 +0000

Yes! Actually I so wish I had had the option to learn carpentry in school instead of cooking and sewing (for which I have no aptitude whatsoever). Several years back, Dave & I taught ourselves how to install hardwood floors in our house. I would say the intensity of my desire outweighed all rational obstacles – and those floors came out great – and the ones after that even better – and I am still in awe every day over what we created. In my next life, I am absolutely coming back as a carpenter/arborist!

By: Yelena

Yelena — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:20:56 +0000

Trent, I was just trying to explain this idea to my husband (who still doesn’t get it why I want a sewing machine for X-mas). Ever since college, the only products of my labor were either intangible or existing purely in the electronic form (reports, e-mails, blogs, articles, etc). Sometimes I feel like there’s so little that I created in my life that can actually be touched.

I’m not very handy at all (although I’d love to be). But I love scrapbooking, making simple toys for my little one, cooking and gardening.

By: Kristen@TheFrugalGirl

Kristen@TheFrugalGirl — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:19:45 +0000

Ohh, I felt like that recently! Our dishwasher wasn’t working properly, so my husband and I figured out to take it apart and clean out the part that wasn’t working properly. We felt so happy that we did it ourselves.

I don’t know if you experience this, but whenever we do a job like that, I usually think, “Wow! That really wasn’t that hard.”. I guess I normally think of that sort of job as being really complicated and impossible, and I’m usually in for a happy surprise when we actually dig in and get it done.