DIY

Doing it yourself has become an industry in itself in past years. There are entire networks that show you how to decorate your home, cook like the pros and do all manor of weekend projects.

Although I've never been in a place to PAY anyone to decorate my house, there are lots of things that I've paid others to do. It used to be a ritual for me to take the children for haircuts. There was a place where we used to live that had $5 cuts for my boys. They were quick (which is really important to me!!!) and did a good job. I'd take them in, line them up and be out of there in 15 minutes with $15 less in my pocketbook.

I know that $15 doesn't sound like a lot. But what does that add up to over time? Since we went once a month like clockwork, it added up to $180 in one year. I am very sure there were other ways I could have spent that much.

It's that way for a lot of things. Like getting my children's pictures taken. With my first one, I was convinced that I wasn't a good mother unless I had her pictures done every month. Yes, every month. How much did I fork out there? Who knows! Even though I always tried to stay within the bounds of the current special that was going on, I spent a lot of time and money.

I've come to the conclusion that I can do it myself. A lot of things. The picture at the top of this post was taken my my fifteen-year-old daughter (the very child that had her pictures taken professionally once a month!) on our "school picture day" at the arboretum last week. We just dressed everyone up and headed out with the digital camera in hand. My boys haircuts? With encouragement and tips from friends I just do it myself now. And you know, I think I am getting better as I go.

There are lots of other things that we have figured out how to do along the way. I almost never buy convenience food anymore. If they have it at the grocery store, you can most assuredly make it at home for a fraction of the cost. There was a time (I am admitting this!) that I didn't even know you could make a cake without a box. I had no idea that taco seasoning was anything other than what comes in those little foil packets. But, thankfully, with the Internet you can find a recipe for almost anything.

What things are there in your life that you are paying someone else to do? With the economy on a down turn, now is the time to save some of that hard earned money.