Auto Maintenance: Auto mechanic shops (dealerships in particular) have recently started charging a full hour labor (usually $80+ / hr) just to diagnose a check engine light. If your car is made after 1990, theres a good chance you can plug in a cheap ($25) OBD2 scanner into your car and have it tell you exactly whats wrong! If you’ve got some other warning light, such as ABS, you may need a slightly more expensive reader that runs closer to $90. Search around and find one that does what you need, but this 1-time investment can save you a heap of money in the long run.
Once you know whats wrong, theres a good chance you can fix it yourself with a cheap set of hand-tools and a couple YouTube videos. Use your scanner to identify the issue, and search for some videos to see if its something you feel comfortable tackling yourself.
House Painting and DryWall Repair: Lots of people have moved over the last couple years, and theres a good chance you’re not a big fan of the color if your new residence. Professional painters can charge an arm and a leg, sometimes as much as 10x the cost of the paint to do a whole house, with that number going up fast if you need drywall repair done. Luckily, this is a job you can almost certainly accomplish yourself after watching a few instructional videos. The materials are cheap, and consequences are low if you screw up, so give it a shot!
Install Tile: This one may sound scary, but trust us. Tile isn’t very difficult, and professionals charge a massive up-charge. This does take a couple of specialized tools, such as a tile saw and some trowels to spread the tile adhesive and grout, but you can rent the saw, and the others are inexpensive. Do some research about the proper adhesive to use, and we recommend getting a small 2ft x 3ft section of drywall to practice on before installing the tile somewhere more permanent. Take your time, and this is one you can definitely knock out!
Replacing a Faucet: While we don’t recommend tackling major plumbing repairs if you’re inexperienced (since the consequences can be major if you do something wrong), simply replacing a faucet usually only requires the equivalent of attaching a garden hose. Be prepared to make a trip or two to the hardware store to buy adapters if you’ve got an older house, but its well worth it over paying a plumber for this simple project.
Have some other projects you think are easy to do and can save a ton of money? Let us know!
And if you decide to use your savings to buy a new car, be sure not to waste it all by paying excessive fees!