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1.0 DO-IT-YOURSELF - DIY - OVERVIEW

When many people hear the phrase "do-it-yourself" they think of home repair, car repair, the back to the land movement of the sixties or the survivalists of today. However, I am suggesting something much simpler that fits with your current lifestyle.

Out of habit, many of us buy things that we could just as easily make ourselves. This does not take as much time as the media would have us believe and the savings are considerable. Often the quality is much better.

Home making experts have pointed out that many people will get in a car and drive to the supermarket to buy a cake mix simply because they have gotten into the habit of buying a mix. Instead they could avoid that trip and make it easier, faster, better and cheaper at home.

All of us do some things ourselves and buy other products in a ready-made form. All of us hire professionals to do some work for us.

Today the question is of choices. When is it worth your while to do something yourself and when is it better to buy it off the shelf or pay someone to do a job? Because people are so busy today, the choice often boils down to time vs. cost savings.

In this issue we will try to answer these questions. The answer may be quite different for each person depending on skills, resources and lifestyle. No answer will be right for everyone or even most people.

However, if you look at the way you live your life, you may find that you can save a considerable amount of money doing some things yourself. You may also find that it is less trouble and takes less time than you thought.

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