To think that I should try harder to save myself the money and improve my skill set??

[stopthelights1]

This may be outing...but anyway.

So I called round to a friend/neighbour yesterday and upon arrival I was invited into the kitchen...you know, big, clean,new extension with great interior (just to set the scene!) and on the table she has a toolbox and plugs and fuses etc and the kettle. I said "ooh is your dh doing some work here" and she said..."no I am" the kettle wouldn't work and so she was changing the fuse but then decided while she was at it she would shorten the wire and re plug it! My mind was blown...I have no idea how to do those kinds of things!!I didn't even know you could 🙈🙈 I have thrown out so many kettles and other appliances because they had stopped working!!😬

THEN...we went out to the garden for a sit in the sun and dh was out there painting a gorgeous wooden kids playhouse! I said "oh wow, it's fab where did you buy it? Answer- " Dh Made it!! It's nearly finished now!" Again...I am flabbergasted (I mean it was GORGEOUS and really professional looking) On questioning him he said he obviously knows basics and has a lot of tools himself from diy and that he watched some YouTube videos and looked on Pinterest for ideas? 😮

I went home and said to dh that we are so stupid for not trying to do things ourselves and just last year the amount of money we wasted by buying or hiring people to do things is sickening! I totted it up and between painters, electricians, buying new appliances, BUYING the DC's playhouse and mud kitchen etc etc we have spent up to 3k! Why could we not at least try or learn to do those things!! AIBU to think we can do those things too!!

My friend is a nurse and her dh works in Insurance so they are not exactly builders or tradespeople! 😫 I just feel like I have wasted a lot of money that I could have saved and improved my skill set!! AIBU to think I can do it?? Is it hard??

I’m surprised your parents haven’t taught you anything, were you/dh never a guide/scout either?

We (siblings and I) were taught all the basics like

Changing fuse/rewiring plugs
Decorating basics - inc measuring and prep, really makes a difference I can spot an unprepped paint job at 50 paces!
Bicycle maintenance and repair
Basic car maintenance (modern cars are a pain for this as lots of things you used to be able to do yourself are designed to be impossible and require a mechanic and specialist IT software! Definitely part of the Trend of “planned obsolescence” in my opinion. Starting to be true of motorbikes too my brother tells me)
Basic garden maintenance
How to safely use power tools

Dad was also the type to take things apart. Grandparents drew a line when they came home one day to a completely dismantled cooker and gran went apeshit! 😂

But mum is also extremely practical, she has great spatial awareness and can tell at a glance on the shop floor if a piece of furniture or white good will fit in the intended space or a car will fit into available parking. She seems to be permanently re-decorating (and she’s in her 70’s now!) soon as 1 rooms “done” she’s onto the one that’s not been decorated the longest - drives my dad a bit nuts that one as she doesn’t just change the walls etc she renovates furniture and all sorts, he’ll go to get something out of a drawer or cupboard and find the contents aren’t there as she’s emptied it to do something with it! She also can sew, knit, crochet, darn and re-upholster.

I had an amusing incident with dds then best friends family. Dd went for a sleepover and turned out bunk bed was “wobbly” and the friends parents were despairing as they’d not had it long and they were worried about the money wasted and cost of replacing. I had a wee look and all that was wrong was a few loose screws. I popped home to fetch my electric drill/driver as they didn’t even own a manual one! They’d bought from a well known furniture retailer and paid for them to build it too.

They were a bit wary when they saw the tool

“What you going to do with that?!”

“Tighten the screws”

“But that’s a drill”

“It’s a screwdriver too, you just change the attachment and use the appropriate settings”

At which point they looked at me like I had 2 heads!

Anyway, less than 10 mins later (and most of that was moving bed from the wall so I could check & tighten screws there) all fixed.

You’d think I performed witchcraft!

What pisses me off is I'm disabled now and so the heavier/more demanding jobs I can't do myself and the prices that are charged for what I KNOW are relatively simple/quick jobs are shocking!

On the upside though it helps to know how to spot a cowboy (not always foolproof sadly) or shoddy job!

I've had it a couple times a tradesman has tried to cut a corner while I'm watching them do a job and I ask them "aren't you going to do x first?" Which alerts them to the fact I know how it SHOULD be done and they can't get away with not doing something that's essential but a pita - or would mean I'd have to call them out again in a few months to redo!

There are some right piss takers out there unfortunately!

So having the knowledge - even if you decide to pay someone to do the graft - is still worth having.

I learnt to wallpaper by watching instructional YouTube videos. If you have the time and motivation then go for it. I was looking up how to make your own kitchen cabinets this morning :)

Just don't learn from Jay Blade's home fix on BBC. Jeeeesus. The man held a 4x4 in left hand and then drilled through it with the drill coming very close to his hand. His program should be called "Jay Blade's Quickest Way to Harm Yourself".

UK or Ireland, because no where else uses fuses in plugs

Malta has the same plugs as the UK, so I assume they have fuses there too.

But I'm surprised that fuses are not universal.

I’d have thought most parents would have ensured their children could do basic maintenance before they set out in the world.
Did you never help your parents?
I think everyone should know a few essential life skills
First Aid
Basic sewing both hand sewing and curtains, fancy dress, repair and alterations
Cooking.
Unplugging sinks
Plugs and wiring
Fixing light fittings and sockets
Changing taps and washers
Sorting dripping lavatory systems
Tiling, painting, and general decorating.

If you choose not to use them, you spend more and that’s a choice to be had but most people should be competent.

@CherryPavlova well my mum died when I was 9 and my dad spent a long time grieving (and drinking) so I was raised by my deaf aunt who was a very loving lady but unfortunately didn't think of trying to teach me how to wire a plug. She did however teach me to sew etc as she was a seamstress. And cook yes, and I am great first aider (and a lot more than that!) as I am a nurse!

My "why are you assuming UK" Was in reaction to being in dfriends kitchen!!

So sorry you've been through all that op that's tough!

It's never too late to learn though. A friend of mine never did anything like this until she divorced, she hadn't been taught by parents or anyone either and when married her dh did most of that stuff and what he couldn't he'd pay someone for.

But as a skint single mum she basically had to learn and she has! She can do loads now

When I was a child electrical appliances came without plugs so everyone learned how to wire them

I think I said most parents, stopthelights1 it’s tough but my father died when I was 11 and it’s too long ago to allow it to impact on me now. Many adults can’t cook, have no sense about first aid and basic healthcare or sewing, so you’re not doing to badly.

I've done a simple DIY project this week. It involved cutting wooden shapes which is easy if you already have the correct tools. I guess you could possibly source pre cut shapes from the internet or use something else.

Correct tool for every job

I've found the key with painting walls, ceilings is the preparation. Cover everything extremely well that you don't want painted. Clean with sugar soap. Buy the correct sort of paint. Clean tools

I have some old books. However, most things can be found on YouTube now eg cooking, gardening, car maintenance, DIY, crafts, sewing & Facebook groups

I learnt how to change a fuse and wire a plug in brownies.

I have a go at most things. My sister on the other hand will pay someone to hang a picture book. The irony is they are skint and I'm not. She just seems scared to try.

You tube has answers for everything!

DH and I do a lot of DIY as we have b2l houses. Over lockdown whist 2 sons furloughed from work and getting bored I told sons I would pay them to help do up 2 houses. Sons had no previous DIY skills. Son 1 learnt how to hang a new door from you tube. Then he hung me 10 doors. Son 2 painted them. Son 2 ripped off old skirting boards in bedrooms, lounge, landing and hall. Son1 was shown how to cut them using corner tool them replaced all skirtings. Son 2 painted them all. Together they laminated 4 bedrooms, landing and hall, filled, sanded and then painted 3 lounge walls. It looks great and they are pleased with themselves for learning new skills. Son 2 changed doors and door handles in another house too before going back to work.

Painting, decorating, tiling and plastering can all be learned with you tube.

Malta has the same plugs as the UK, so I assume they have fuses there too.

But I'm surprised that fuses are not universal.

I’ve fallen down a wiki rabbit hole now! There’s a lot of countries use the same style plugs as UK but l don’t know how many are fused. I’m going to ask the family fuse expert!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets:_British_and_related_types