When you finish this post it will bolster your confidence and help you break through the barrier that is keeping you from saving money and completing those home fix-it jobs on your own. You will feel a new “high” when you see how easy it is.
I was never handy. My dad was a master mechanic. I had many opportunities to learn all about fixing automobiles, repairing anything in the house, basic carpentry, you name it – but I was too busy doing other things to learn about any of that stuff. I regret not taking the time to learn how to be handy. Out of necessity I had to learn these skills after I got married and was raising my family. Honestly, I was usually surprised when a project turned out ok. Little by little I started to do things around the house and it’s amazing how many skills and tricks of the trades I learned. In this article I will help you become a handier person around the house.
First a few basic rules to remember:
- Don’t be a perfectionist After all, if you wanted perfection you could have hired the work done and that would cost money!!
- It’s only human to make mistakes Don’t be afraid to dive into a job. Remember you can learn from your mistakes. Trial and error are part of the scientific method.
- Stay away from expensive high quality materials That way if you botch the job with cheap materials then it won’t cost you so much to replace the materials that are ruined.
- Don’t spend extra money on instructional booklets and how-to manuals Usually these are confusing. Many times the terminology is complicated and the jargon unfamiliar. I like to pursue a job on simple logic and gut feelings of how I think it ought to be done.
- Get to know which neighbors have lots of knowledge and “all the tools”. In time of need these individuals are indispensable. When you encounter a problem don’t be afraid to ask for their assistance. It’s not critical to know what they are trying to explain to you. It is important to be attentive and appear to understand what they are talking about and to have plenty of beer on hand. It is important to know how to ask for help. Basically, have all of your materials and tools out, explain your progress using as many key words as possible. Be specific, suggest that you only need help with one particular detail. Soon your friend will be completing the rest of the project for you.
- Look the part; dress like you think a handy man dresses. Suddenly you begin to feel handy. Put a pencil over your ear, always have a tool in your hand. Hammers, screwdrivers, saws, a level, or a tape measure are always good. If you’re painting or wallpapering it’s good to splatter paint or wallpaper paste on your clothes or even wear clothes that already have paint stains.
- Make a mess; spread everything out. There will then be no question that you are involved in some kind of project. If your knowledgeable friends know you are involved in a project they might even offer to help.
- Don’t admit that you don’t know; you can almost always bluff your way through. Just talk in vague generalities.
- If the finished job doesn’t turn out – don’t worry Your friends normally won’t ridicule or criticize your efforts in front of you. If it’s bad—you’ll be the last one to be told.
- One last thing to remember There are very few really skilled craftsmen anymore. Your friends are probably accustomed to seeing shoddy or substandard workmanship so don’t fret. Your efforts will be OK no matter how upset you are at the time. Time is on your side. It won’t be long before your thoughts turn to the next project. You probably learned some skill during the last project, so that’s something. It may not have turned out exactly like you wanted but, hey, who is keeping track? You’ll learn to live with past mistakes and quickly move on. How handy you are is relative anyway. Hope springs eternal. And on the bright side, you aren’t going to be the person your neighbors are trying to trick into helping with their projects…
