Saving Money doing DIY when you're mechanically challenged.

[blackomen]

I'm not sure if many others can relate but I consider myself mechanically challenged..  at least when it comes to repairing the larger things in life like Cars, Houses, etc.  I've actually built several computers from scratch back when I was a teenager and I still feel comfortable opening a computer and swapping hardware to fix problems myself but I don't feel comfortable working on larger things with many parts that could potentially break.

However, I cannot get myself to work on my car unless the problem is very trivial (i.e. changing an air filter.)  I guess one of the biggest psychological barriers for me is that I might screw up something and end up having to call for a tow truck.  And the anxiety of being without a car is too great when my commute is 40 miles each way with no viable options for public transportation to get to work.  The one time I tried rotating the tires on my car, I ended up forgetting how to screw the nuts back on and it took me 3 hours and a nervous breakdown before figuring out how to get all my wheels back on again.

I keep reading about how MMM likes work on his cars and I'd love to be like him but I've got a lot of psychological (and possibly physical) issues to overcome before I can be at that stage.  Is there anything that'll bring myself one step closer to that dream or should I be ok with using mechanics to fix cars (at least until I figure out a way to live car fee)?

[TreeTired]

Let me just say, that I have many times tried to fix something myself -  could be electrical, plumbing, structural, automotive... doesn't matter, just about anything -  and then screwed it up, either failing to fix or actually making it worse, and then called in an expert to clean up my mess and fix the original problem, or just trash whatever it was I was trying to fix and buying a new one.   

So,  I still try to fix stuff,  still occasionally screw up,  but I try to know what I can and can't do and avoid the shit shows as much as possible. 

[PloddingInsight]

I am the same way, and let me tell you:  Youtube is your friend.  I don't know how people learned to do anything around the house before you could summon up a video of somebody doing that precise thing.

The anxiety gradually goes away after you've done a couple projects.  Just give yourself lots of time and accept that it's going to take you longer because you're learning a new skill.

[unpolloloco]

Youtube, practice, and confidence are your friends here.  Go into a project having watched and read how to do it (several times).  It'll take you triple the amount of time the first time than it will the second (case in point: you figured out how to rotate tires in 3 hours the first time, and you can probably do it now in under an hour!).  Lastly, tackle projects with the confidence you'll succeed.  Maybe you'll have to call someone in occasionally, but the hope is that you'll at least break even at the start and will eventually start saving significant amounts of money.  Start small (like with rotations and break pads) and work your way up.  There will probably be jobs that you'll never want to do, but you can avoid some of the hefty repair bills at least!

Also, friends definitely help, even if they're not overly experienced.

[Tetsuya Hondo]

As someone who is also DIY challenged, I think that you have to pick your battles. A properly working automobile is a business necessity for me, so doing anything other than small maintenance on my car is just not worth the time and trouble. E.g., a breakdown with a former, more Mustachian vehicle made me miss a meeting with a high level client, nearly costing me about $70k in work. If you're in a similar situation, I don't think that you should feel too guilty about letting a professional you trust work on it. This is one of those areas where I break with the Mustacian ideals to fit my individual circumstances.

So, I punt when it comes to cars, and focus my DIY energies on my house, which was very daunting to me at first. But, by starting small and finding a knowledgeable person to help me out the first time I've done something new, I've been able to slowly gain confidence and competence to try other, more complicated things. If you're really focused on doing your own automotive work, I recommend a similar strategy. For me, it's a 1000 times harder to try and figure out how to do something in a vacuum than having someone who knows what they're doing lend you a hand for that first attempt.

[ChrisLansing]

blackomen

I have the opposite problem that you have, I'm electronics/computer challenged, but perfectly comfortable putting a new roof on the house or doing plumbing with copper pipe.   I would never dare to open my computer case.   

It really comes down to getting out of your comfort zone.    Take it in small manageable steps and you'll soon be doing things you never thought you could do. 

Modern cars all have computers on board, which is what makes car repair scary for me.   Since you already have computer skills this part isn't going to bother you a bit.   Code readers tell you what's wrong with your car.   You can look up the code meaning on Google.  Shop manuals or videos tell you how to go about fixing it, which usually amounts to parts replacement - not really that hard. 

You should definitely tackle appliance repairs yourself (or at least try) as the savings is substantial and the fixes are usually pretty simple.   Cars are slightly more complex types of appliances.     Sometimes though, car repair can require expensive specialized tools and substantial risk of injury (I'd never replace McPherson struts myself, just let the front-end shop do that)  but if your check engine light comes on, just put the code reader on (they are not very expensive) and see what the code number is.   Take it from there and at least see how the repair is carried out, then decide if it's something you can do.   

I would take my own advice with regard to computers, but my son is a programmer and has built computers since he was 10.   I just have him fix everything.   

[The Money Monk]

I wouldn't feel too bad about it.  There is a general attitude on this forum that everybody can do everything themselves, and if you don't you are just being scared.   I honesty think this mindset does a disservice to people.

This is coming from somebody who has done a LOT of DIY stuff, and I DO believe that most people are capable of far more than they initially think, and a lot of jobs are not as difficult as they initially appear. But it is also true that nobody is great at doing anything the very first time they do it, and a lot of things NEED to be done great or it can be very problematic or expensive.

If you want to be a landlord or anticipate owning a lot of properties, it might make sense to learn to fix a roof. But if you have your one house and don't plan to ever move or own other properties, there is no reason to do a shitty job of replacing your roof just for the hell of it.

I have done a lot of car repairs myself based on financial necessity, and I can tell you it sucks to learn when you HAVE to. It sucks double if you don't have another car to go to the store to buy the tool or part you didn't know you needed, or to go to work the next day because something you thought would take 4 hours to fix is taking a few days.  Now if you are already FIRE and failing to fix your car just means you will have to bike to your weekly poker game instead of drive, that's not a big deal. But not all of us are there yet.

[The Money Monk]

blackomen


You should definitely tackle appliance repairs yourself (or at least try) as the savings is substantial and the fixes are usually pretty simple.   

I have personally found the opposite to be true. In the instances I have bothered to try to repair appliances, I have regretted it all but once. Diagnosing the issue is very difficult and imprecise, and involves 'fixing' a bunch of stuff that may or may not be the problem. In the event anything significant breaks (other than a switch, thermostat, or something like that) the parts are almost always well into the range of what it would cost to buy a complete used version of that same appliance on craigslist.

[Luck12]

I am very mech challenged myself.  I'm lucky I have a few friends that will help me assemble things when I need help.  Otherwise, I just accept that it's going to cost me a bit more than those who are fortunate enough to be handy.   Some people like me just are not ever going to be good at fixing things, it's in the DNA and not for lack of effort. 

[deborah]

I guess this is where crafts come to the fore. Making a dolls house or a billy cart for a child, even putting together lego, build skills and confidence that can be transferred to other things. My partner used to paint model soldiers long before he started doing house painting. Choose a skill you want to learn, and find a craft project that will enable you to start getting that skill. Lego to IKEA furniture to house repairing are steps along a path. You don't need to start at the finishing post.

[MrFancypants]

There's never been an easier time to learn basic stuff like car or house maintenance.

With vehicle maintenance, go buy a Haynes manual for cheap, watch videos on YouTube, and visit enthusiast forums, and with the right tools even a novice can figure out how to do pretty much anything to a car.

Not that I would encourage someone to dive right in to something as complex as rebuilding an engine or transmission, but just spending the time to learn basic maintenance can be a great way to get started.

[Wildflame]

Just piping up to say that I am similar - fine with computers / electronics, but pretty hopeless with most other DIY skills.

I found the best way to get over the psychological barrier to fixing stuff is to sit down and write out what the worst-case scenario is for your fixing task. My next DIY task is sowing up some nasty tears in my favourite jeans, which I've put off for ages. Worst case is, the jeans are still rooted, and I still need to replace them. So what's to lose? Not much.

Admittedly for jobs with sizeable expenditure it's harder to justify the act. I painted the bathroom by myself last summer, cost me around $100 because I had literally no painting tools and nobody to borrow them off. I had to buy the kit I needed from scratch. Worth it? Well... it's a pretty shoddy job for $100. But next summer I'll do it again, fixing my screwups (though probably making new ones) and I won't need to buy the tools again, so the next one should be a moderately shoddy job for $50ish!

I will confess, I never worked on my own car, not even oil changes - just topped up the various fluids as necessary between services. Why? Just like you, when I still had a car I needed it to commute. Thus, screwing something up and putting the vehicle out of commission was not an option. Don't despair - there's always something you can do to improve your DIY skills.

Also, it comes with age and experience. I'm mid-twenties, and I'm a lot more handy than I was when I moved out of home at 19, though still pretty bad. My older brother, in mid-thirties, is plenty more handy than I am, but tells me he was crap at DIY until he had to renovate his house in his early thirties. My dad is very handy now he's nearing retirement age, and he tells me he learned about cars in his twenties, home maintenance in his thirties, and renovation in his forties. No rush. =)

[Prairie Stash]

#1 - Youtube and the internet
#2 - Mechanically inclined friends

I would gladly trade my skills for yours.  I'll come over and give you a hand and you do the same for me. I wouldn't ever rotate my tires, I'd drive over to a friends with better tools and have him help me. Then I'd help him with something he needs or feed him supper and beer. 

There's nothing wrong with belonging to a community...for example getting help in reaching FI.

[CNM]

I can sympathize.  It seems like when I try a DIY repair project, I discover the the problem is WAY more difficult/time consuming/expansive than I had originally planned.  I will still usually try doing some minor troubleshooting- using youtube- but, enh, it has mixed or sometimes negative results.  I usually end up calling someone in.

[Paul der Krake]

Take lots of pictures and make sure you document how everything came off. A good attitude goes a long way too, and it really helps if you have a friend of equal or superior knowledge to bounce ideas off of each other.

But like others have said, know your limits.

[skunkfunk]

There are a couple of different ways it can go when I try a new job.

1. It takes twice as long as I thought and there is a minimum of one point in time where I'm sure that I broke it and won't be able to get it fixed. Then I somehow figure it out.

2. It's not so bad but I don't have the tools for it. Go to seemingly 25 different stores / pawn shops until I find a tool that will work.

Give yourself twice as much time as you think you need, just in case the worst happens, and then jump in there. Youtube is your friend.

[Mr. Frugalwoods]

So I posted this on our blog the other day, but it's so apropos I'll post the important bits here:

• The internet is a bountiful font of information (and cat photos). Ever stumble upon an internet forum full of extremely passionate people eager to help others culture their own yogurt or groom their own llama? One of the great secrets of the internet is that there are niche communities for literally everything! Finding the one that you need is the trick. For example: Tiling a Bathroom. The John Bridge forum is all you’ll ever need. Searching for “name-of-job-you-want-to-learn forum” will usually put you on the right path.
• Offer to help anyone you know who is doing projects at their house. I’ve helped friends, neighbors, and acquaintances build decks, plumb bathrooms, and hang kitchen cabinets. Along the way I’ve seen them make all the mistakes that I now won’t make when working on my own place. Just make it clear when offering to help that you’re unskilled, grunt labor and want to learn. Everyone needs a happy helper on a job, especially one who brings the coffee on occasion. You only have to work with a professional carpenter once to learn enough tricks to save you hundred of hours of frustration in the future.
• Shadow a professional. If you do hire a pro to do work, don’t let them toil alone. Fetch tools, sweep the floor, get the coffee, whatever it takes to watch them work. Ask smart questions and praise their craft. True masters of trade are happy to explain the whats and whys of their work. Don’t be annoying, but also remember that you’re paying them and they’re working for you.
• Borrow home improvement books from the library. These are excellent reference materials and great help during planning stages. If you’re building a deck, check out a couple of deck books. If you want to pour a concrete patio, check out the concrete finishing book.
• Ask your local building inspector for advice once you have plans. If you’re planning an ambitious renovation project you’ll usually need to pull permits and get the project inspected. Getting the building inspector involved early is a good idea. Often they’re excited that someone actually asked them for help rather than trying to hide from them! YMMV of course, and it might be worth asking around your neighborhood before putting yourself on the inspector’s radar. But a helpful inspector who is personally invested in your project from the start is worth a lot.
• The 80/20 principle. As Mrs. Frugalwoods espoused, we operate our home improvements according to this metric. If the end result looks 80% better, don’t sweat that last 20%. In other words, be OK with getting some paint on the ceiling when you paint your own bedroom.
• Just try it! Short of replacing your electrical panel or roof, it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever be in real danger when working on your house. And, if you’re careful and do your research in advance, you’re probably not going to seriously mess anything up.

[Mr. Frugalwoods]

Take lots of pictures and make sure you document how everything came off.

This 1000x.

Other than Youtube, the greatest advance in home mechanical mucking about has been the smartphone camera.  Take way more photos than you think you need.  Besides helping you avoid the "now why do i have that one screw left" problem, it's also really useful when asking someone on the internet for help.