Money Saving Monday: Fix What's Broken

As Americans we're more likely to throw something away and replace it than we are to fix it.  What's wrong with us?  I've never sat down and figured out how much we save by being DIYers but I can tell you it's a lot.
There are ways to save BIG dollars like refinishing furniture and cabinets or doing your own car repairs/maintenance.  However you don't need to be an avid DIYer to save yourself a boat load.  By doing preventative maintenance and minor projects yourself you can still rack up a substantial savings.  Here are a few ideas.

• Clean your vacuum!  Your users manual has a section on cleaning/preventative maintenance; read up on it!  I clean my filters monthly and clean the hoses and rotators twice a year.  You will definitely extend your vacuum's life by treating it right.
• Have a hole?  Sew or patch it yourself!  Even if you're not a sewer you can still patch a minor hole.  Big box stores like Wal-Mart sell iron on patches in a variety of colors.  If the hole is in a place where it's highly visible you can always sew an embellishment over it!    
• Give it a fresh coat of paint.  When our mailbox post was looking broken, faded and in need of replacement what did I do?  I painted it!  It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do for almost anything.

The bottom line; think the next time you reach for the trash can.  I've been challenging myself to throw away less.  I'm thankful I have a handy hubby, but I promise you don't need to be the blocks Mr. Fix-It to fix yourself!