When you’ve got a lot going on, it can be tempting to outsource everything—from changing the oil in your car to cleaning your home. Time is valuable, and for many people, convenience is worth the cost. But those small, recurring expenses add up fast. What seems like a harmless monthly charge or one-time service fee can quietly drain your bank account over the course of a year.
If you’re trying to save money without making big sacrifices, the solution might be to simply do a few things yourself. You don’t need to overhaul your entire life or suddenly become ultra-handy. You just need to pinpoint a few areas where you’re paying for services you could easily handle with minimal effort or time. Here are eight common tasks you may be outsourcing that you can do yourself—for less money and, often, better results.
1. Basic Home Cleaning
Hiring a cleaning service once or twice a month can be a huge help, but it’s also a significant budget item. You can save hundreds, if not thousands, a year by setting aside an hour each week to clean key areas like your kitchen and bathroom yourself. Use natural, affordable products, and break the work into small chunks. Your home will stay tidy, and your wallet will thank you.
2. Lawn and Garden Care
Landscaping fees and regular lawn maintenance can cost a small fortune over time. With a lawnmower, some gloves, and a bit of patience, you can handle basic yard work yourself. Pulling weeds, trimming hedges, and mowing the lawn may take a Saturday morning, but it could save you hundreds per month in warmer seasons.
3. Meal Prep and Takeout Alternatives
It’s easy to rely on takeout or meal delivery services, especially during a busy week. But the markup on restaurant food, delivery fees, and tipping can take a toll. Meal prepping once a week, even just a few basic meals, can save you more than you think. You’ll also cut back on food waste and reduce your reliance on overpriced, unhealthy convenience foods.
4. Haircuts (For the Brave or Basic)
If you’re maintaining a simple hairstyle or keeping your kids’ hair trimmed, learning how to do basic haircuts at home can be a serious money-saver. With a good set of clippers and some online tutorials, you can stretch the time between professional salon visits or skip them altogether. It’s not for everyone, but the savings add up, especially for families.
5. Car Maintenance Basics
You don’t need to be a mechanic to handle simple car tasks. Checking your oil, changing your wiper blades, replacing air filters, or even rotating tires are tasks most people can learn. Many auto parts stores will guide you through the basics. Avoiding labor fees and unnecessary upsells at repair shops can save you hundreds over the course of a year.
6. Painting Projects
Whether it’s a room refresh or touching up baseboards, painting is one of the easiest home improvement tasks to DIY. Hiring a professional can cost hundreds to thousands, depending on the size of the job. Doing it yourself may take a weekend and a little sweat, but it’s absolutely doable—and can instantly improve your space.
7. Pet Grooming
Pet grooming appointments are expensive and often booked weeks in advance. If your dog or cat doesn’t need complicated cuts or professional tools, you can bathe, brush, and trim their nails yourself at home. There are countless tutorials to help you learn, and your pet may even prefer staying in familiar surroundings.
8. Holiday or Birthday Decor
Party planners and event decorators can transform a space, but they charge a premium. If you’re celebrating on a budget, Pinterest and a few craft store coupons are your best friends. With a little creativity, you can design and set up everything from balloon arches to photo backdrops without paying someone else to do it for you.
The Power of DIY
Doing things yourself doesn’t mean giving up on luxury or convenience. It means being intentional with your money. Learning a few new skills or carving out an extra hour here and there can dramatically improve your financial outlook. Plus, there’s something deeply satisfying about being self-reliant and capable.
Not every task is worth your time, and in some cases, paying a professional makes sense. But when you start looking at recurring costs through a DIY lens, you might be surprised how many of them are optional.
Which tasks do you currently pay someone else to do that you’d consider taking on yourself? Or which DIY swaps have saved you the most money so far?
Read More:
Best Places to Save Your Money
250 Money Saving Tips You Haven’t Heard Of
Riley is an Arizona native with over nine years of writing experience. From personal finance to travel to digital marketing to pop culture, she’s written about everything under the sun. When she’s not writing, she’s spending her time outside, reading, or cuddling with her two corgis.
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