The do-it-yourself industry is booming. Today, it seems like people are always looking for ways to save money. And, what could be better than doing all of those \”have to\” activities around house and home yourself, rather than paying somebody else to do them?

Do-it-yourself projects usually involve building or putting something together, often from a kit or out of a box. However, DIY maintenance projects do not always come with instructions. And, it can be difficult to decide just which types of things you can actually do yourself as a way to save money.

Still, it can be more than worthwhile to pursue those types of projects since it means saving your cash for buying the things you cannot do yourself – or for giving yourself a treat now and then.

You can do your own maintenance and save money with these 5 tips:

1. Change your own oil:

Changing the oil in your car has been a popular do-it-yourself maintenance idea for decades. Now that cars have become more complex under the hood than ever, you might assume that changing the oil of a modern automobile would require an advanced technical degree. Not so.

In fact, all you need in order to change your automobile oil is the knowledge of where the drain plug is located underneath your car (see your owner\’s manual) and where you can find your car\’s oil fill cap. Be sure to buy a receptacle for collecting the used oil so that you can dispose of it properly. This little maintenance technique could save you $50 or more every few months.

2. Replenish your car\’s fluids and change your brake pads:

For the auto owner who is handy with a wrench (but who does not necessarily have any special automobile knowledge), checking and replenishing your car\’s fluids like coolant, brake fluids and windshield wiper fluids is another great way to save money. And, you can even inspect and change your car\’s brake pads on your own.

Be sure to buy an aftermarket maintenance manual that pertains to your car\’s make, model and year. And, don\’t skimp on the parts: buy yourself a good set of brake pads. Safety first! By skipping some of the factory-recommended scheduled maintenance items by doing them yourself could save you $100s per year.

3. Do your own landscaping:

When it comes to taking care of your yard, you can stand to save a lot of money by not paying a landscaper to do the work. Many people avoid this type of maintenance because they think they\’ll need to invest in a lot of expensive equipment. Try buying a good, used lawnmower and some garden tools. After all, spending $200 or so now could pay off in 2-3 months of saved landscaping costs, after which time it\’s all gravy. Bonus: landscaping burns calories and is a great way to get out of the house and into the open air of nature.

4. Maintain your own air conditioning system:

Your air conditioning unit is divided into two parts: an evaporator (inside) and a condenser (outside). Doing things like cleaning the underside of the evaporator unit, pouring a tablespoon of bleach down the weep hole in the clean tray, and cleaning the condenser with commercial coil cleaner are easy to learn. Consult any number of online resources for a complete how-to guide. An hour or so of maintenance like this could save you hundreds of dollars in future repairs.

5. Maintain your garage door:

If your garage door is like most, it gets a lot of use every day of the year. In many homes, the garage door is opened multiple times per day, which easily amounts to over 1,000 openings and 1,000 closings per year.

This can put a lot of stress on your garage door – and on the opener (if you have one).

For starters, clean the doors themselves regularly with a mild detergent; this can reduce the buildup of corrosive elements. Apply a light-weight oil (like WD-40) to all rollers and hinges annually. Also, lubricate the coils and tighten any parts that seem to be loose.

Take these 5 do-it-yourself maintenance tips into account. Then, do something nice for yourself or someone you love with the money you saved.

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Category: Home Management
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