Author Topic: Your small DIY victories  (Read 28247 times)

velocistar237

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Your small DIY victories
« on: February 29, 2012, 06:48:33 AM »
When we do even little things ourselves, it gives us a feeling of empowerment, especially for those who don't [yet?] have contractor-level skills. My DIY projects take forever, and I have to research the heck out of them before I can start work. Sometimes, though, I achieve a little victory that I'm especially, maybe a little absurdly, proud of.

I fixed my drying rack. It saved me $25. What are you proud of?


Eristheunorganized

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #1 on: February 29, 2012, 10:39:11 AM »
Any small thing I can get done on my car or motorcycle. Replacing spark plugs. Successfully troubleshooting a speedo issue, etc. This kind of work is very difficult for me, for some reason.

Mrs MM

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #2 on: February 29, 2012, 11:51:22 AM »
I re-lit the water heater when MMM was out of town.  I called MMM first and he told me to look it up online since he was on the ski lift and all...

It was actually a little more complicated than I expected, but I'm glad I learned how to do it.  Yes, it was a very small victory.  :)

adam

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #3 on: February 29, 2012, 01:12:23 PM »
Anything on the car.

Changing the oil
Changing out an alternator or starter
Changing out the exhaust from the cat back

etc.

Fixing a loose doorknob or shower faucet, fixing a leaking sink, just basic household stuff you don't need much more than a screwdriver for.  Those give me a little boost.

I always enjoyed those things but haven't been able to do it for the last few years because I went from a 2 car garage to a gravel and dirt parking area.

Physics

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #4 on: February 29, 2012, 01:32:23 PM »
I recently changed the battery in my (single, hardly ever used) car.

The dealership wanted $275, haha.  I did the research online, found the same OEM battery in a branded form, installed it myself in about 10 minutes, and I now have a 8 year full replacement warrantee on it (that was not included by the dealership) which will probably outlast the car. Saved $175+.

October

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #5 on: February 29, 2012, 02:05:32 PM »
In our first house, I installed a ceiling fan/light.  Never did that before and had no clue what I was getting myself into.  But the fixture came with instructions, which were easy to follow.  In my new house, I did the same thing.

My partner has replaced faucets and installed an old-fashioned shower on an old claw-foot tub (the kind of shower with the wraparound rods that the curtain hangs on).

We both tore down old ceiling and insulation and put up the new ceiling ourselves.  And we've ripped out countless carpets and laid new flooring.

And we've repaired damaged wallboard with new pieces if it's a big hole, or mesh and plaster if it's a smaller one.

And I think I replaced a light switch once in our first house, too.

Sparafusile

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #6 on: February 29, 2012, 02:27:49 PM »
I build all my own computers including my laptops. I install all the software including the operating system and handle all maintenance. Not only have I saved countless thousands of dollars (I've owned a lot of computers), but I've also made quite a bit doing this for other people.

I have built most of the furniture in my house: closets, beds, shelves, dressers, pantries. It's a lot more fulfilling creating something from scratch on your own than buying it and placing it in your house. I've also wired my garage with a new circuit and 8 power outlets, replaced several power outlets, hung ceiling fans, rebuilt a couple faucets, and painted the walls.

Feels good.

zinnie

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #7 on: February 29, 2012, 03:30:33 PM »
-refill brake fluid and oil on my car (i have a leaky car so this is frequent)
-insulate under our floor boards to keep heat in the house better
-patch holes/ repair plaster in the walls (and painting, of course)
-sanded/ refinished our wood countertops (this one i regretted for a while--it took almost a year to eradicate the sawdust from the house)
-built a fireplace for the living room
-built planter boxes for the front yard, and working on a raised garden bed now
-general yardwork--this is the first time i've had a plot of land to take care of, and i've managed to keep a lemon tree and a lime tree alive (although this is not true for the orange or avocado tree, ha)

i didn't know how to do any of these things when i started; it feels good to learn and be able to do them myself!

ultrarunner

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #8 on: February 29, 2012, 04:53:35 PM »
A few small things I've done in the last two months:
- installed a "new" kitchen faucet, a very high-end one, that a friend gave me for free because it didn't match his decor.  Cost: 15 min of work, $0 in materials

- replaced 14 capacitors on the power supply and logic boards of my TV converter box.  We never watch TV and basically have it for the odd news or weather event... seemed crazy to buy another one at $60+.  Cost: 2 hours of research on the Internet on the problem + learning how to solder (I'd never done it), 1 hour desoldering/ordering parts/ resoldering, $9.79 in parts and shipping from DigiKey.  ~$50 saved.

- Brake job on the Civic, front disc brakes only.  $18 in parts, less than 1 hour in time.  $100-200 saved?  Not sure what that costs... I've never paid to have brakes done. :)

- Water heater blanket. $21 in materials, 1 hour in time. Savings: about $2/mo, forever + whatever a plumber would have charged...maybe $50-75 in labor?

- Thorn proof tubes in the kids' trailer and the wife's bike (she got into a big patch of goatheads recently and flattened all four tires).  Cost: $30 in parts & taxes (4 tubes), 30 min labor.  Savings: ~$32 labor (assuming the old labor rate of $8/tire that I charged when I worked a bike shop 15 years ago... it's likely higher now)

It's amazing how much one can save by doing these little projects.  My absolutely non-Mustachian neighbors hire out EVERYTHING... she was recently telling me what a great deal she got on a electrician, who put in a new light fixture for just over $100 in labor... the electrician probably made $400/hr on that one.  :)
« Last Edit: February 29, 2012, 04:55:06 PM by ultrarunner »

larsenju

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #9 on: February 29, 2012, 09:36:41 PM »
I work in the auto repair industry.  Congrats to everyone that has been DIYing maintenance!  It really isn't particularly difficult and will only get easier as you do more of it.  Take it further and do major repairs.  With a little time and the internet you will be amazed what you can accomplish. 

I know just enough about computers to break them.  Lately I have been learning to both fix, and maintain them myself.  I figure I use it enough, I better know how to take care of it to put off a replacement purchase even longer. 

foodguy

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #10 on: March 01, 2012, 09:43:35 PM »
I brewed a batch of beer.  Does that count?

JJ

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #11 on: March 02, 2012, 01:32:13 AM »
Years ago we had saved up $1500 for a road trip. Got the car checked as we were going remote (central Australia). Expected bills for necessary repairs:$1800. There goes the trip!  So bought a repair manual, torque wrench, valve grinding paste, brake parts, steering linkage parts, suspension bushes, universal joint bearings for the main drive shaft and did the lot for about $200. (yes, it was an old car - 1970 Toyota Corolla). Somehow I had a handful of important looking bolts leftover when I reassembled the engine. Did the 8,000 mile trip ok, so those bolts couldn't have been that important.

We did have one breakdown. The car wouldn't start after we refueled at a remote gas station so the owner reached under the dash, yanked out a fistful of wires and taught us how to Hotwire our car.

I don't do a lot of that stuff now. I prefer working on the house. Leaning over the bonnet (hood) of a car for hours isn't great for the back.

Physics

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #12 on: March 02, 2012, 06:29:00 AM »
I brewed a batch of beer.  Does that count?
hell yes.

kolorado

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #13 on: March 02, 2012, 06:36:13 AM »
Just a recent one was a dishwasher repair. After 10 years of heavy use the plastic inside had corroded to the point that the top rack had no useable brackets and wheels to roll on. Had to track down the model number and see if parts were still available and amazingly they were. I was about to order some repair parts to fix it ourselves at a cost of $30 when I remembered that my parents replaced the same dishwasher brand about 6 years previously. My dad is a scrapper/saver so I thought he just might have saved the tub part of the washer to use as a cabinet in his storage sheds. He did! He was using it to keep his power tools out of the humidity. The parts I needed were there so our repair was free and took hubby about 15 minutes to do. I was starting to do it myself but let him take over. He builds for a living and can do stuff much faster.

velocistar237

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #14 on: March 02, 2012, 08:45:57 AM »
I brewed a batch of beer.  Does that count?

I dunno... if I did that, I might put it over in the other thread.

MMM

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #15 on: March 03, 2012, 10:25:38 PM »
My most transformational DIY victory was when I first installed a new exterior door into a house. I lived in that place for years and used it for carpentry practice, but I was always afraid of trying to change out the old 1970s windows and doors myself.

Finally I grew tired of the tiny little window in the master bedroom that didn't let in much light or views of the beautiful back yard gardens.. so I bought a giant set of glass/wood french doors to put there instead. Then I was afraid to install them, so I let them sit in the garage for a few months.

Eventually, I got a library book that explained the steps, and did the project - sawing a huge 6'x6' hole in the side of my house, adding the necessary framing, and then the door. It was surprisingly easy! It took only one long day of work, but it transformed the experience of living in that house forever.

Ever since then, I've been a window and door enthusiast, slicing new and better windows and doors into walls whenever I feel like it. It really transforms a house, and lets you bring in more light, solar heat, and nicer access to whatever side of the house is currently inaccessible.

Since most people are still afraid to do this (as I was originally), it gives you a big leg up on other homeowners when buying a fixer-upper for yourself at a discount. You can buy the place with good bones but awful windows and doors, while they won't be competing with you for it, since they imagine a cost of tens of thousands of dollars, while you just imagine a few Saturdays.

MacGyverIt

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #16 on: March 04, 2012, 07:55:33 AM »
Anything on the car.

Changing the oil
I think this will be my next DIY challenge --- but hopefully I'll be using mass transit more frequently, so the next oil change will be a long ways away! Just found some youtube videos and great articles on the subject.

Youtube is so great for DIYers, another house project I've got on the "to do" list is to take care of some nail pops in the walls. The "how to" videos I found on youtube got me straight on how to do it. Now, to find the time! Next week, hopefully. Gotta fix the nail pops before I can get rid of the avocado green paint left by the previous owner....
« Last Edit: March 04, 2012, 07:58:55 AM by MacGyverIt »

Freedom2016

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #17 on: March 04, 2012, 02:12:29 PM »
I'm intending to do my first little DIY project in the next few weeks: reupholstering and repainting my sister's old glider, which we will re-use in our nursery. I bought fabric last weekend and am picking up my sister's sewing machine next weekend. I haven't sewn anything in 20 years, but hopefully my 4H skills will come back quickly! I did, after all, win a purple award for an outfit I made at the county fair one year. :)

jdchmiel

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #18 on: March 07, 2012, 10:03:01 AM »
I completely agree on the windows and doors!  I replaced a big window with a double door full height glass patio style on the back of my house. So much more natural light. 

old_man_m

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #19 on: March 07, 2012, 09:49:17 PM »
I'm not mechanical or handy by nature, so these were significant victories for me:

I recently replaced a cracked taillight lens cover on my wife's car after it failed state inspection. Located one in a junkyard, then did the replacement. Also took pleasure in replacing a couple burned out turn signal bulbs in the past several months.

Last spring, I enjoyed building a 4'x4' raised-bed garden for the backyard. Now I have to scoff when I see Groupons for garden beds of the same size--for around $200 (down from $400)!

atelierk

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #20 on: March 09, 2012, 06:35:33 AM »
I tend to be intimidated by plumbing because if I do something wrong I have a flood on my hands. So when I successfully replaced the leaking toilet bolts - that hold the tank on the back of the toilet - that felt like a major accomplishment. Plus a new package of bolts was less than $4 including tax and calling a plumber would have run at least $100, I'm sure.

Melissa

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #21 on: March 09, 2012, 01:11:19 PM »
We discovered that our diswasher was not anchored to the countertop.  My husband did the research online, we bought the brackets and did the job ourselves.  That was the beginning of our do it yourself projects around our house in the country.

The biggest projct to date:  an 8-foot high fence around our 50x50' garden.  I got tired of waking up every morning to find the deer munching away on my produce.

kudy

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #22 on: March 10, 2012, 05:20:03 PM »
Just this afternoon (on this glorious 60+ degree Colorado day!) I replaced a few shingles on my roof that had missing chunks after the last few wind storms.

Does anyone know if I should use some sort of extra adhesive to make sure the ends stick down where I had to pull them up to remove/replace nails?

Feels good to work outside on a project!

Next up, planting vegetable seeds to go under grow lights I hung last weekend, and then maybe next weekend building another 4x8 garden box outside (if it's not snowing).

nolajo

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #23 on: March 12, 2012, 04:45:51 PM »
Curtains for my insanely tall/high set windows. Anybody care to guess how much most retailers want for two 11' curtain panels? It's enough to make you scream. Three flat twin bed sheets and an hour of cutting and sewing (and a commitment to the trend of color-blocking) later, and I actually have somewhat stylish curtains for $15. So much better than the ones my landlord left up that were quite literally the color of old piss.

Eristheunorganized

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #24 on: March 13, 2012, 12:36:46 AM »
I just made a little draft blocker for the front door. Mine isn't as pretty as the original inspiration, but hopefully it will get the job done! I had two stockings and I used some old fabric for filler. It will be hard to calculate the savings, though. I haven't lived here long enough to have a good yardstick.

http://www.squawkfox.com/2012/02/29/energy-bill/


K

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #25 on: March 14, 2012, 10:33:00 AM »
I just replaced my 21 year old water heater by myself!
Next, I'm evaluating the effort to renovate the water source plumbing MMM style.

ShavenLlama

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #26 on: March 14, 2012, 04:44:09 PM »
I made this:


Parizade

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #27 on: March 14, 2012, 05:37:56 PM »
Llama, how sweet! do you store garden tools in it?

ShavenLlama

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #28 on: March 14, 2012, 08:39:19 PM »
Garden tools and my outdoor candles and lanterns!

I got the plans from a book in the library, something along the lines of "2x4 Projects for your Home" or something.

Now I just need a project to use up the last 9/10 of the gallon of pink outdoor paint...

velocistar237

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #29 on: March 15, 2012, 10:38:18 AM »
Now I just need a project to use up the last 9/10 of the gallon of pink outdoor paint...

There are tons of free plans at www.ana-white.com. How about a wall shelf?

jwystup

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #30 on: March 19, 2012, 06:31:27 PM »
My most transformational DIY victory was when I first installed a new exterior door into a house. I lived in that place for years and used it for carpentry practice, but I was always afraid of trying to change out the old 1970s windows and doors myself.

Finally I grew tired of the tiny little window in the master bedroom that didn't let in much light or views of the beautiful back yard gardens.. so I bought a giant set of glass/wood french doors to put there instead. Then I was afraid to install them, so I let them sit in the garage for a few months.

I'm scared too! I would LOVE to replace our dated back door with some french doors (that would lead from the dining room to the deck). Similar situation, the windows in this door have some fake stained glass stuff on 'em and that's the only window in the room! I know that new doors wouldn't be too expensive, but we'd have to make the hole bigger. My biggest concern is how to tell if the wall is load-bearing and if the whole house would come crumbling down if I just cut into it. Was that explained in the book you had? Do you by any chance know what the book was so that I can look for that one or something similar?

Matt K

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #31 on: March 20, 2012, 06:23:35 AM »
Over the weekend we (my Dad and I) installed and ran cable for a 15 foot fringe antenna installed in my attic. It was free, given to me by a co-worker who lives in the boonies and likes his satellite. Total cost of installation: $30 for a 10' antenna post we had to cut down to 40"; $30 for 30' of uncapped co-ax; $2 for the end caps; about $10 for a slick wall plate that integrates with my network cable; (so now I've got a professional looking wall plate with an antenna connection and a network drop); and then then $10 for taxes.

Video reception isn't actually much better than the omni-directional behind-the-tv unit I had before, but I do get a few more channels (mostly French unfortunately). The big thing is that I live in a high interference zone for FM, so my radio reception is spotty at best (I can live without TV, but pain and agony on anyone who suggests I live without my FM radio!) so now we get exceptionally clear reception on all stations.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2012, 06:27:09 AM by Matt K »

K

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #32 on: March 21, 2012, 01:29:48 PM »
Video reception isn't actually much better than the omni-directional behind-the-tv unit I had before, but I do get a few more channels (mostly French unfortunately). The big thing is that I live in a high interference zone for FM, so my radio reception is spotty at best (I can live without TV, but pain and agony on anyone who suggests I live without my FM radio!) so now we get exceptionally clear reception on all stations.

If it's a digital TV, you can build this for less than $10: http://www.tvantennaplans.com/
I have build many and they all work great!

adam

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #33 on: March 22, 2012, 10:29:41 AM »
Last weekend I installed a new chartplotter/fishfinder in the boat that had been sitting under the stairs since November. 

jwystup

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #34 on: March 22, 2012, 10:59:15 AM »
Video reception isn't actually much better than the omni-directional behind-the-tv unit I had before, but I do get a few more channels (mostly French unfortunately). The big thing is that I live in a high interference zone for FM, so my radio reception is spotty at best (I can live without TV, but pain and agony on anyone who suggests I live without my FM radio!) so now we get exceptionally clear reception on all stations.

If it's a digital TV, you can build this for less than $10: http://www.tvantennaplans.com/
I have build many and they all work great!

Even cheaper, I made this one for the cost of the adapter piece (which was about $3 at our local hardware store) and some things laying around the house. It works great! (Too bad I'll never be able to avoid cable altogether since boyfriend is a huge hockey fan and there are no good alternatives there, we still kill the cable for the summer) http://www.squidoo.com/a-free-antenna-to-watch-free-hdtv
It's in our attic and I ran a cable down to the living room for it, no one has to see it and it gets pretty good reception up there.

skandrae

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #35 on: March 22, 2012, 12:44:45 PM »
I built a headboard for my bed based on one of Ana White's plans - it makes me proud every time I crawl into bed ^_^

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #36 on: March 24, 2012, 06:42:44 PM »

I'm scared too! I would LOVE to replace our dated back door with some french doors (that would lead from the dining room to the deck). Similar situation, the windows in this door have some fake stained glass stuff on 'em and that's the only window in the room! I know that new doors wouldn't be too expensive, but we'd have to make the hole bigger. My biggest concern is how to tell if the wall is load-bearing and if the whole house would come crumbling down if I just cut into it. Was that explained in the book you had? Do you by any chance know what the book was so that I can look for that one or something similar?

   If it is an exterior wall then it is load bearing.  That doesn't mean you can't do it - you'll just need a header.  Find a book on framing before you start, and that should help.  I find doors difficult.  I have put in or assisted with 6 or so, and I still dread them.  I would find a mentor - any of your family members, friends, co-workers have any remodeling experience?  It's a decent size project to take on if you don't have experience.  I'm not trying to discourage you, just make sure you either have a helper with a little knowledge, or a couple hundred dollars in case it becomes a problem. 
Heidi

C99

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #37 on: March 26, 2012, 02:04:35 AM »
Just fixed something that's been a nagging annoyance for years.  I have an old house that's on a raised foundation with an added-on room that's on a slab.  I got floor-leveling work done (they jack up the foundation and level it) which broke the connection to the added on room at its ceiling.  So I had a crack you could actually see light through for a while.  (Amazingly it didn't leak water when it rained since there was some overhanging roof above it.)  I had a contractor who had tried to fill it by using spray foam and moving the existing wood trim to cover the opening, but over time it opened up enough that it was raining a steady sprinkle of roof junk (bits of shingle, grit, even roofing nails) in the room below.  I couldn't go a week without sweeping it up.

I was looking up other stuff and ran across the notion of caulk backing rod, and was going to get some of that.  I remembered I already had some pipe insulation which is basically the same stuff.  Cut a strip, forced it into the gap with a putty knife, then caulked over that with elasticized caulk.  No more broken house!  I guess time will tell if it holds but at least it's not raining grit any more.

JanMN

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #38 on: March 27, 2012, 11:54:16 AM »
I recently made a large, durable dog bed with a zipper enclosure (and I had never put a zipper in anything) - took me ALL day, but I like the result.  The dog does too :-).

ShavenLlama

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #39 on: March 27, 2012, 12:42:09 PM »
Now I just need a project to use up the last 9/10 of the gallon of pink outdoor paint...

There are tons of free plans at www.ana-white.com. How about a wall shelf?

That Ana is BRILLIANT! Last weekend we built a hall tree (still need to paint it, but it holds coats!!!) and now my husband is working on some adirondack chairs. He's been super excited about getting to use his pocket-hole jig or jib or whatever it is. I'm excited about getting rid of some plastic chairs.

Thanks for the tip!

MMMdude

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #40 on: April 02, 2012, 11:32:46 PM »
I am the absolute worst handyman bar none.  This makes me frustrated as I am an intelligent guy, but put some tools in my hands and I pretty much can't do anything.  I wanted to install three shoe racks on the wall in a closet due to all the shoes we have.  This should have been a 20 minute job for anyone else.  For me it turned into a 2 hours of sweating and cursing to put up these shelves.  First shelf up was not level and had to start over. 

sol

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #41 on: April 03, 2012, 08:55:45 AM »
We rented a 70 pound electric jackhammer from Home Depot and I spent 30 minutes breaking up a concrete patio that was causing us some basement drainage issues because it was improperly sloped.  Much easier than anticipated.

tannybrown

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #42 on: April 03, 2012, 09:47:42 AM »
Some randome DIY vitories the past couple months:

-Made two large flower boxes for my wife out of 1x12 pine boards, drilled weep holes, sanded, painted whole thing, and lacquered the inside
-built a storage shelving unit in the garage out of an old pallet
-learned to use a miter saw and table saw without chopping off any fingers
-Installed a used paperboy basket set on the rear rack of my bike (for groceries), adjusted brakes, put a $3 LED flashlight on the bike as a DIY headlamp (yes, duct tape was involved)


On the agenda:
-hanging flower boxes from the beam on our pergola using galvanized lag bolts
-installing an electric garage door opener on for our 60+ year old steel door (any tips here would be appreciated)

tannybrown

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #43 on: April 03, 2012, 02:23:00 PM »
I recently made a large, durable dog bed with a zipper enclosure (and I had never put a zipper in anything) - took me ALL day, but I like the result.  The dog does too :-).

I'd love any steps you could share on this.  The dog beds we buy turn to crap in a year -- I think we're buying those filled with the wrong material.

sol

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #44 on: April 03, 2012, 02:43:50 PM »
We've given up on dog beds.  They just get shredded and make a huge mess when the stuffing goes everywhere.  Now we just use blankets for them instead.

I think dogs should be happy sleeping on the floor as long as they get to be in the house, but my wife insists they have designated sleeping/bedding materials.

JanMN

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #45 on: April 04, 2012, 04:05:26 PM »
I recently made a large, durable dog bed with a zipper enclosure (and I had never put a zipper in anything) - took me ALL day, but I like the result.  The dog does too :-).

I'd love any steps you could share on this.  The dog beds we buy turn to crap in a year -- I think we're buying those filled with the wrong material.

I found an old dog bed that I liked, took it apart and used it for a pattern.  Removed the zipper and repurposed it in the new one.  I went to a fabric outlet and bought the toughest cotton canvas my sewing machine could handle for about $7.  Cut out the pices according to the pattern, sewed them together, put in the zipper and viola.  The shell washes up well, and the filling is polyester mixed with cedar chips encased in an old sheet within the dog bed.  I may try a different filler (like foam) that will compress less.  It was worth the effort - no signs of shredding yet!
« Last Edit: April 04, 2012, 04:08:52 PM by JanMN »

ritchie70

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #46 on: April 28, 2012, 09:55:53 PM »
I replaced the igniter in the gas dryer, and the control board in the furnace.

Mrs. R was skeptical before both. Now that both are done successfully I think she's more willing to trust that I really can fix stuff.

Adventine

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #47 on: April 29, 2012, 05:56:45 AM »
I cooked two meals from scratch today. The first two meals I've ever cooked in my life, all by myself. I'm absurdly proud of myself for getting over my lifelong cooking demotivation.

jwystup

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #48 on: April 29, 2012, 07:53:27 AM »
I replaced the igniter in the gas dryer, and the control board in the furnace.

Mrs. R was skeptical before both. Now that both are done successfully I think she's more willing to trust that I really can fix stuff.

That's about how my boyfriend feels about me building things. I got it in my head to build a fence earlier this year. Our back yard was almost completely fenced in, save for the driveway. I still want to replace the side that has chain-link with a nice wood fence like the rest, but for this year I decided to do the gate first so the dog can run around. I built an awesome gate out of wood fencing and it already looks awesome but I have to stain/finish it still. I'll have to share some pics when it's complete. But right after I got it up, my boyfriend said something along the lines of now he trusts that I can build things and he won't be so skeptical either. But those things you did sound a bit scarier, I have  to work my DIY muscles a bit more to get up the nerve to do things like that!

And Adventine, cooking for yourself is great! It'll increase your health AND your wealth! :)

Parizade

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Re: Your small DIY victories
« Reply #49 on: April 29, 2012, 10:22:15 AM »
I cooked two meals from scratch today. The first two meals I've ever cooked in my life, all by myself. I'm absurdly proud of myself for getting over my lifelong cooking demotivation.

Congratulations Adventine! Cooking your own meals can save so much money!