You can find lots of blogs out there on DIY (do it yourself). These are the blogs, along with YouTube videos, or websites in general that I will view before I decide if I’m going to take on a project that I may be less comfortable or familiar with. But before the internet, I survived by going to the library and checking books out on specific projects. Luckily the internet came into full swing around the same time I really needed it as a resource. People today are so lucky to have the online resources and it has likely contributed to thousands of dollars in savings and possibly tens of thousands of dollars for some people when it comes to home repair or remodels.

Even when I got to the point where I could afford to sometimes pay for someone to come into my home and do a project I often would opt to do it myself. There are reasons for this that to me are very logical. For many years I was a single person who owned a home. Being female, I did not want people (typically men) to come into my home and work for hours and sometimes days at a time. It did not feel comfortable or safe to me. As I have mentioned before, the cost savings can be thousands of dollars in some cases depending on the project. If I am worried that I will not do a good enough job or good “finish” work, then I may pay someone to come in and do the finishing touches to make things look more professional. For example, I have no problem knocking down a wall, or studs, or ripping into drywall, but I am not the best at putting new drywall up and I am not someone who would be great at framing a new wall or space. The work that has to be done before framing space or putting up new drywall can still be costly. I call this work “demo work” for demolition. It’s a good stress reliever to take a sledgehammer and knock out a wall. Try it sometime! I can guarantee you will walk away feeling relief at the newfound power you have!

So DIY does typically mean “do it yourself”. But honestly, for me it has been like therapy. I did not realize it for probably at least 10 years, but all of the physical efforts I’ve made to repair, remodel, or reinvent something was a creative outlet for me and a stress reliever. I am able to work with my hands, troubleshoot situations, and come up with creative solutions. Additionally, most of the time I’m working on things by myself. This time alone where I can think, clear my head, and just “be” has been good. Sometimes the repetitiveness of using a nail gun to put up base board brings me solace. Using an electric sander for hours at a time creates a type of “white” noise that allows my thoughts to become clearer to me.