In what ways has being /diy/-savvy helped you?

It hasn't. I have too many hobies and interests to get exceptional at any of them. Doing anything myself is a pain in the ass because I will always be missing the one tool or jig that will keep me from busting my knuckle, but I can just see the completed project ahead of me, so I power through and bust my knuckle and get it done

It's helped in more ways than I can even fathom right now.

I've been my own mechanic for the last decade. Not only has this saved me on repairs and maintenance that I've needed, but it's also saved me needing repairs and being stranded like common idiots often are.

Something breaks in my house? If it's cost effective to fix it myself, I fix it and save a bundle. Sometimes it's not worth taking the time off work, or purchasing the tools, but when it is, I save thousands. When I pay a contractor, I don't get fucked over, because I know what I'm talking about.

These benefits spill over to my family and friends, which give me a damn good reputation, so when I need something from someone else, I get it.

I'm just a hell of a lot more effective person overall, because I understand the workings of most things I interact with on a daily basis.

There is a feeling of incredible satisfaction when I fix or make something myself instead of paying someone else or buying it. Even if something takes me waaay longer than I thought, or I had to watch a ton of youtube videos, I always feel satisfied and don't feel like I wasted my time. And saving money rules. With building stuff like furniture, I have the choice to make the thing exactly as I want it. Not go into a store and have to settle for something that is what I want, but not exactly. Also, everytime I do something new I am learning a new skill so the next time that thing comes up I'll be able to handle it. DIY is the best. It blows my mind how other people aren't like this.

about to flip my condo that i fixed up in one year for a 50k profit

bretty gud hobby income

>>758896

Only fairly little things so far, but it happens a lot, especially given that my main area of expertise is electronics.

Just fixed a bad CFL causing issues in a monitor the other day, that's $200 that would have otherwise been out of pocket. Currently working on a peculiar type of servo drive for my CNC router that I probably wouldn't be able to even find. At least, outside of some specialty thing costing more than I could even afford. Got paid a bit to fix a water cooler (fan cooling the peltier died) some time ago. Sub on my speaker system just died, so I'm gonna take a look at that. Can definitely fix it, given that, if i have to, I can cobble together a completely new driver for it. Planning on making some custom LED light fixtures for the kitchen after that.

Luckily I plenty aside from electronics. Tiled the bathroom floor last year, fixed the shitter (load of mineral deposits lowering flow from the tank), fixed the other shitter (replaced float valve), built my desk, "restored" a piano I got for free, rebuilt a tank for a turtle, fixed a couple PS3s, ran ethernet to the back room, built the aforementioned CNC router from scratch with a pick-and-place on the way...plenty more that I can't think of off the top of my head. Saved thousands over the past few years, probably.


All goes well, "/diy/-savvy" should be getting me some small but regular income soon-ish. But I'm trying not to be overly optimistic about that.

Moreover, it's just nice having a fairly in-depth understanding about how things around you works.

>>758896
Big and little things.

Recently I had to replace the battery, the headlight bulbs, and the oil and filter, and the air filter in my pickup. I take doing these things for granted, but I am aware that non-DIY people can't fathom doing these things themselves and have to PAY someone to do them. Saved myself hundreds of dollars in labor charges and the risk of some knucklehead screwing it all up.

There's lots more I can and have done in decades past but too much to relate here.

More ways than i can remember.

I've fixed cv axles, tie rods, alternators, starters, and other things on the side if the road. Saved myself and friends from calling a wrecker and having a couple days of down time from the only good shops having a 2 day waiting list.

Oh, this little bracket or wiring harness is $70+ from the dealer? I can get it from the u pull for free because they like me.

Your pipe burst in the winter? Do you have $40 and an hour to hand me tools?

My guitar amp went out. I can pay this guy $80 an hour and he'll fix it(he is really good at what he does), or i can get in there with a multimeter and chopstick and replace $10 in parts, maybe swap out those 2 resistors with a different rating so i can do that tighter low end mod since it's already taken apart.

I want to get an air compressor for my garage, but it's 220. I'll run a separate circuit from my main box for it. Maybe I'll finally run the new cable underground like i wanted to. Maybe I'll just do a 75 amp sub panel for whatever i may want in the next 20 years.

I have a lot of fun doing all this, save money, look cool in front of my friends, and it keeps me sharp.

it helped making my parents believe im not a useless piece of shit

>>758924
>I understand the workings of most things I interact with on a daily basis
thats great

I've made a living from it, and I haven't hired a professional to do anything since 2002.

Praise be to like for like wiring laws
Praise be to jb weld
Praise be to DIY

It saved me from freezing to death because gas heater took a shit after the power went down in a massive snow storm with temp being -10 and having basically no tools. Yeah, I fucking had to Macgyver a fucking big ass wall furnace so I wouldn't die waiting for rescue.

All the practical shit of course and some of the not so practical shit :)

>>759036
>All hail JBWELD

>>759036
>That feel when graduating from duck tape to JB Weld

>>758896
I can nigger rig anything.
If it's broke, I can kinda fix it.

I'm a better problem-solver because of it. It helps by having a better understanding of how things work and what to do when they need to be fixed or maintained.

This goes for plumbing, electronics, and some car/motorcycle stuff.

Fixing shit properly builds confidence.

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It's a real double edged sword.

/diy/ and fixing things are a strong part of who I feel I am. I can pretty much fix most things I come across that are broken and build many things that are needed.

As a result I end up with a massive project list of things to build and fix. Not to mention the stuff other people as me to do.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy what I do, but it just seems like a curse at times. Also, I hate not being able to fix something, I feel as if I have been defeated by it.


Sometimes there are things no one can fix. - Padme

I am a poorfag so diy is pretty much my life

Drywalled and insulated a basement room for myself with no prior experience

Bought and cleaned the carb of a shit motorcycle for a commuter

Rebuilt the engine on my car after some shady Columbian dude sold me a car with a valve train on its last leg

Found some ducks for free on craigslist and got into that for the eggs

built or bought used every computer I've ever owned.

There's too many to list. I have a new project just about every week or so.

Having a shit job and being poor isn't so bad if you've got two hands and a brain.

>>760061
>Having a shit job and being poor isn't so bad if you've got two hands and a brain.
A thousand times this. Being /diy/ inclined has saved me lots of dollars at the expense of not as much time. Totally worth it.

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Sup /diy/
I usually play hide and seek with my younger cousins as they come over every winter at my's
Except they hide actual things,such as remotes, plastic balls and books.
I need a small device i can glue to some hidden item with a wireless connection as of when i press a button elsewhere, the device emits noise.
I'm an absolute failure at electronics,don't blame me. I need help.
Thanks.

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While it's allowed me to repair instead of replace on just about anything I've ever owned, it's not always about the money

it's allowed me to make a great deal of friends in most places I've lived, there is always someone who needs a hand with something in short order.
Most of the projects I do I get the majority of the materials for free from those people or friends of theirs.
it's also a really rewarding experience being able to teach neighbourhood kids how to respect machines, make their own toy cars with hand tools and how to wire a simple flash light.
A lot of them ask me to help them make presents for their parents too and I just can't say no most of the time.


>>760082
key finder

It helped me become more independent, saved me money, and allowed me to see the world in a broader perspective.

Free stuff ERRywhere.

It amazes me how some people just throw things out if something breaks.

I've gotten six laptops (various issues, bad HDD, bad ram, corrupted OS, ect) for free.

Boss was going to throw out a nice ($600ish) surround sound system, had a bad mosfet, $10 to fix (damn shipping man).

He came in and asked me to toss the 40in plasma tv that was in the back of his truck, blown cap, $1.00 to fix.

All kinds of motors I fix for shits and giggles, I build my own furniture, do all the maintenance and repairs on my vehicles (just did a top-end overhaul on the truck).

Saves me assloads of money, of which I just buy more tools with.

My father was a carpenter, he taught me everything he knew, my grandfather was big into amateur radios and taught me everything he knew about electronics (he also had 7 degrees and worked developing radar back in the day), I went to college for networking tech.

I'm the guy that people call when things break, and if I can't fix it I know the best person in town that can.

>>758896
I built my own home. This saved me a ton of money, and gave me a huge sense of pride.
I do my own mechanical work on my vehicles. This saves me money, not to mention I enjoy the work.
If there is any problem with my house or my friends places, I usually am the one to figure it out. Be it HVAC, water, electric, structure, drainage, or landscape. My kids and wife look up to me for this, my friends respect me for it, and it is a wonderful confidence boost for myself.

>>759096
this

and it makes you feel good too

>>760154
>7 degrees
Serial student. I'm jelly, i only have 3

>>760263
yeah, the company he worked for paid for them all and gave him a substantial raise after each one, thats the kind of company I want to work for.