Cheapskate or DIY Enthusiast?

Let me state for the record that there is a difference between being a cheapskate, and merely wanting to save money. I often talk about that when I talk about our Big Deals store on our website. Saving money is always a good idea because after all, who has too much money? I certainly don’t. I’m not afraid to spend money on things that I want or need, but if I can save a few dollars here and there, why not? A cheapskate would be afraid to spend any money, so I am definitely not that. My wife would say that I have spent way too much money on all of these toys!

As a DIY guy, I love to save money by doing things myself. I also find a lot of value in learning new skills. We have a couple of boats, three vehicles, a side-by-side, and trailers, among other things. Those things all require routine maintenance. So when do you do things yourself and when do you leave it to the professionals? I do routine maintenance on most of our things myself. Except for flushing a transmission. My wife’s car is due for that service, and while I know that I can watch a video on YouTube and probably do it myself, she is trying to convince me to not even attempt it. I know how this goes: If I try to do it myself, something bad will happen. I will make a mess or damage something, and she will be right there to remind me how, “I told ya so!” I can’t let that happen! LOL!

Let me state for the record, that I also do not DIY the oil changes on my Corvette. But only because it is important to have a paper trail service record, showing all maintenance history of that car, in the event that I ever sell the car. A buyer is definitely going to want that. Some people will not buy a sports car unless there is a detailed service history. The unfortunate part of doing things yourself is, you don’t get that detailed service history. A service receipt from a reputable dealer or repair shop is much more valuable than a receipt from an auto parts store showing the purchase of oil and filters. 

So what am I doing this weekend? Changing oil on an outboard motor! I definitely know how to do that with minimal mess and risk of damaging something. Sorry honey!