What have you saved money by doing yourself?

[ThisPlumShark]

Painting

Dh is away for a long time and I’ve been exhausted and pretty run down since before he went away. I told myself (as I tell myself yearly, have never done it) I’d get someone in to wash out the bins, wash the windows and maybe clean the bathrooms. Nope, did all over the last few days. Proud of myself but probably haven’t saved money as I’m never ever going to do it😅

Don't drink,don't smoke,don't get takeaways, don't go on holidays,don't buy new cars, don't buy clothes,don't buy toiletries or makeup,don't buy furnishings

Tinting my own eyebrows. It’s literally not worth going to the eyebrow lady. Total waste of my time to schlep over there. I keep my brow shape myself and I now only get her to do the lash lift.

When I got married I bought my wedding cake from M&S, and cake decorations from Amazon. No one was any the wiser and I saved hundreds of pounds.

In going to hire a van and move most of our stuff ourself and leave just the big heavy things to the removals company

Make own curtains and blinds
Make some clothes
Make own candles and gifts
Sew fabric gifts and gift bags
Make cards
Upcycle furniture
Paint

Framing cross stitch - used to spend anything up to £70 for a professional to frame my completed cross stitch pictures. Learned how to do it myself for roughly £15 per item.

Yarn dyeing* - got fed up spending up to £20 per skein on bespoke hand dyed yarn. Bought all the gear and can now dye my own bespoke yarn for around £9 per skein.

(*This is specialist wool, not your cheap acrylic stuff).

I did a hairdressing course 10 years ago. It was a couple of hours a week for 10 weeks. Have cut DCs’ and DP’s hair ever since (not amazingly well bur they all seem happy with it!). Also cut my own hair and use box colour so have spent very little on hair.

DS does our cars interim servicing (changing oil etc)

I recently replaced the element in my oven, which would have saved me calling an electrician, except it didn’t work. Paid an appliance man to come and sort it and it turns out the element was fitted right, I just hadn’t set the clock, so apparently that’s why it wouldn’t switch on! Annoyed that I had to pay a call out for that, but at least I didn’t need a new oven.

For Chinese I highly recommend Dimsimlim on tiktok. His recipes are all written out on his website too, but I like to scroll his videos first to see what looks nice. I've tried a few and they've been delicious

I have a relationship with my handyman 😂 seriously, I do a lot of home repairs myself - sometimes with his guidance. Fixed my washing machine myself last week.

Changed the outside security light, also changed a bedroom pendent light and a light pull cord. I went on a bit of a bender with my lights!!!

Dog grooming, painting, gardening

Cutting my own and family's hair (I'm not a hairdresser but I get lots of compliments on my hair after watching a simple YouTube video), cutting the dogs hair. Prepping and cooking own food (I never buy takeaways). The rest are obvious things such as doing my own cleaning, making my own lunch for days out etc. But other money saving things are shopping 2nd hand, cutting household bills, using delivery saver and buying a monthly buss pass etc. I'm really frugal these days. I rarely go in shops except charity shops. The only place I eat out is occasionally wetherspoons because its cheap. (I don't eat fast food, nor do my kids)

I do my own cleaning, walk my own dog, paint my own nails and clean inside my own car (although I’ll often get the outside cleaned by someone else as they have all the kit). I also invested in a decent coffee machine and am a damn good cook so we find ourselves saving money on takeaways.

Very little. I have a chronic condition that would make painting, cleaning etc painful, and my DP and I both have precious little free time, so what little we do we don't want to spend slogging.
I keep trying to grow herbs but they never take.

I do always buy the things on special offer when I do a grocery shop though, and buy things like rice, nuts etc in bulk online as it's always cheaper.
I gave up my yoga studio membership ages ago and now just do my own practice.

Making coffee . Bean to cup machine, haven't bought a takeaway coffee in months I just can't justify £4 each time

Purchased a gel nail kit so do my own nails.

Next week I’m going to get my drill out and do some towel rails and loo roll holders rather than call the handyman. Have got some spare wood to practice on so I can make sure I’m using the right bit before I pepper the bathroom walls

Also decorating- I’m alright at painting walls but I’m absolutely shit at gloss.

The only thing I can think of is that I learnt to cook our favourite pub food. It was costing £60 for two mains and two drinks when we can cook them at home for a fraction of the cost.

Which meals?

I do almost everything myself..

Cut and colour my own hair, clean my car, do my garden, decorating, do my own nails, clean my windows, etc.
I then use the money to treat myself to holidays and things I want instead x

Classic

Over the years I’ve done painting and decorating, mending and restoring clothes shoes and furniture, basic car maintenance, car washing, personal maintenance eg dyeing my own hair and eyelashes, packed lunches for a family of 5 every day for years, gardening, cleaning, hosting birthday parties at home for the DC, making curtains and blinds, fakeaways ,washing machine maintenance, unblocking drains.
I don’t do all of this now, but I still do some of it.

I was quoted £100 for an IT company to change my laptop battery. I looked up online how to do it. I sent off for a new battery for £14 and fitted it myself!