After a weekend shopping trip to spotlight, my partner walked in the door with a new blind for the kitchen. She wanted me to install it as soon as possible because she was so excited about getting rid of the ugly vertical blinds. I thought to myself if I wasn’t here in this house who would install this blind for her? She would undoubtedly have to pay a handyman to do the job. Now a small job like that would maybe only cost $100 but these sorts of basic maintenance costs add up over the course of the year. It hit me then how as a society we don’t teach our girls the same skills that we teach our boys. Installing a blind is not really rocket science. It got me thinking about single women and what is sometimes a revolving door of handyman costs if they are unable to do some basic DIY skills themselves. This is not a matter of being incapable, it is a matter of never being taught how.
Learning some basic DIY skills can save you big over the course of the year and certainly your life. There is also no greater sense of accomplishment than completing a DIY task in your home or on your car. You might not have been the first one in the shed tinkering with dad but it is never too late to learn these skills. Once you have a basic understanding of power tools you will find that you are more willing to complete even more complex (and by default expensive) maintenance tasks around your home.
Skills you need to learn
1. How to use a cordless drill. This is the most important tool around the house for anyone. Every person on earth should know how to use this tool. Once you master how to drill pilot holes and drive screws in you will be able to hang those pictures, fix that fence paling and install new curtain rods plus so much more. There are many ways you can learn this skill but the best way is by physically having a family member or friend teach you in person. It’s a lot easier to learn by actually drilling through some practice scrap wood while your dad mansplains than watching a tutorial on it. So get out there and ask your neighbour, dad, pop, boyfriend, lesbian aunty, whoever it is that you know loves power tools for a proper lesson. They will probably love the chance to show you how to use it.
2. How to Paint. Painting is often an undervalued skill that people think is easy. Newsflash…it is not. Like anything you have to learn the process and the first bedroom you paint will probably be your worst. However, it is something that with the correct type of paint and equipment you can do a pretty good job. Don’t be scared to attempt a DIY paint job in your home because you can always get a professional to come in and paint over it if your attempt is not up to scratch. Ask for advice at the paint stores they will be able to guide you through the type of paint to use on the ceilings, walls, and doors/skirting boards and what equipment you need. Watch youtube video’s on the process and ideally call up a friend who has painted before to come help teach you. You will save yourself thousands if you can perform a decent internal or external paint job on your current or future house. No your limits when it comes to external painting especially on the roof. It can be very dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing.
3. Changing your own Oil/Oil filter and Air Filter. Learning basic car maintenance is an absolute must and it’s not just about the money! Imagine looking at your mechanic receipt and actually knowing what you just paid for! The two main things I do myself are the Oil and the Air Filter but the more you can learn the better. If you have a family member who can teach you or online resources, or you could attend a basic car maintenance course. For my 2003 Toyota corolla getting the oil changed at the mechanic will cost around $140 but the filter itself is only $16 and the oil I use is around $37. I save myself about 100 bucks each time I do this and I do it twice a year! Also learn how to change a tyre (not really about money more so about being able to avoid a long wait for assistance if you get a flat)
4. Learning how to Sew. You can breathe new life into old clothes if you know how to sew. You can make things, fix things, hem things, it truly is a trade and artform.
5. Learn how to grow a Veggie Garden. You would be surprised how easy it is to grow some of the fruit, veggies, and herbs that you purchase in your weekly grocery shop. Do some research on your climate and planting seasons for certain foods and experiment with it! Some foods are very easy to grow whilst others require a bit more attention. Now that you have the ability to use a drill you can also build your own raised veggie garden. Kill two birds with one stone.
6. Using a lawnmower and whipper snipper. If you live in a home with a yard (whether you rent or own) it is very likely that you will need to keep the yard tidy. Knowing how to use a mower and whipper snipper (weed eater) is an important skill for any woman to have. Paying someone to mow your lawn in summer can be expensive. Knowing how to use this equipment will save you big time. Also mowing the lawn is a great workout.
7. How to measure and cut. Using a tape measure may seem like an obvious thing but not everyone knows how. If you can measure, cut, drill and screw then you can basically make anything. Now I am not expecting you to be an amazing woodworker as that is not the point of learning these skills. The point is just to know enough so that you don’t need to pay someone every time some sort of maintenance needs to be done around the house. You can learn to cut wood with a drop saw, circular saw, or grinder when cutting metal. However please ensure that you are taught this in a safe environment by someone who knows what they are doing. These tools can be dangerous and we don’t want anyone to end up with their fingers getting chopped off.
8. How to change a tap washer. 9 times out of 10, the cause of a leaky tap is going to be the washer. Changing a tap washer is really not that difficult but if you need to call a plumber to change it, it can be pricey. New washers cost about $5 from bunnings so you are purely paying for a call-out fee. Once someone teaches you how to do this once, you will always be able to do it. It is easy as long as you remember to turn the water off before you start.
Saving money is not always about cutting out the takeaway coffees. Learning these skills will save you much more in the long run than giving up coffee ever will. Whether you are a single woman or not, every person on earth should learn how to DIY and you will much more capable around your home.
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