How DIY Projects Can Save You an Arm and a Leg

It’s a new year, which means it’s time for new solutions to everyday problems. For students, one of the most pressing issues we face is a shortage of money.

In this day and age, we enjoy an increasingly accessible and convenient lifestyle. Food from practically any restaurant can be ordered for delivery. Even grocery shopping has become very hassle-free. Just order what you need and they’ll prepare it for you when you come to pick it up, some grocery stores even deliver straight to you. And while all of these features are designed with convenience and reduced labour in mind, they also suck up a shit-ton of money.

After ordering enough meals from Uber Eats, you’ll realise that your wallet is a lot skinnier than usual. It’s ok to treat yourself to take-out every once and awhile, but having it daily isn’t as cheap as it sounds. Add to this the cost of accommodation, various bills, car insurance, and gas prices, and you’re guaranteed to go broke fast.

There is an alternative to this lifestyle, and it’s really cliché, but hear me out, home cooking your meals is actually a very cheap method of getting your daily nutrition. You’ve probably heard that a million times, but it’s particularly noteworthy for university students. Not only are home-cooked meals less expensive, but also, making them will teach you responsibility and self-care. Sure, you might burn food in the pan on more than one occasion, but no one has achieved success by being flawless.

Doing it yourself is another ingenious method to prevent developing the dreaded “empty wallet syndrome.” You can apply DIY thinking to a wide variety of subjects, like building a makeshift roof over your leaking car to prevent it from being flooded or taking the time to crack open your desktop computer and see what’s wrong with it. The latter strategy helped save me a few hundred dollars, and required a hefty amount of research. Once I decided to roll up my sleeves and try fixing it myself, I found I was capable of making sure that the innards of my computer were being properly dusted and cleaned. After a simple switching of the RAM drives, it was up and running as well as ever. Had I not hesitated before billing my debit card while I was on the phone with customer services, I would have wasted a lot of money.

You can also consider other methods of cutting costs. For instance, are there any monthly subscriptions to streaming services that you are not using? By canceling these subscriptions, even if they aren’t too expensive, you’ll find that your bank account is a little less bare.

Here’s a tip for pet-owners, and dog-owners in particular: With the latest movement to do more in regards to saving the climate, cutting down on pollution and litter is a step in the right direction. Dog waste removal bags are a common sight in various parks, and they are often improperly disposed of. However, by having your dog do its business on your lawn or in a hole where it can be deposited, the waste can naturally be broken down by biodegradation. There you go: You’re nurturing the environment, saving hundreds of plastic waste bags, and keeping an extra penny in your pocket.