Personal Finance Review – Do It Yourself Edition

If something needs maintenance or repair in your home or apartment do you hire someone to do the work or do it yourself?  A lot of it probably depends on what your skills are and how much time you have.  As Trent observes, if your time is valuable and you’re looking to maximize it then spending money to save time may be a wise choice.

I go back and forth, some things we hire out and others I attempt myself.  Our garbage disposal recently went out so I spent part of this weekend putting in a new one.  I’m not the handiest person so it takes me longer than it would others.  The pro at Home Depot said it was a 20 minute job but I spent several hours on it.  Even at several hours, my time right now is not worth the amount it would have cost it to hire someone to put a new one in. 

Someday my time will be worth enough that it will make more sense to hire things like that out but for now I do my best at Mr. Handyman.  I haven’t had a lot of free time this last week between my crazy job, household stuff, and Christmas shopping but here are some articles I ran across in my “spare” time:

–15 Products that save Time, Money, and Space @ Lazy Man & Money

–Santa Isn’t Coming This Christmas Because There Isn’t Any Home Equity to Tap Into @ Generation X Finance

–Ah Ha! The Value Of An Asset Is Better Appreciated When You Lose It @ Money, Matter, & More

–Zecco Trading Promotion: A FREE Book Plus $20 Bonus @ Suns Financial Diary

–Learning To Invest: The Education of A Long-Term Investor @ The Digerati Life

–Don’t Use Home Equity To Pay Off Unsecured Debt @ Blueprint for Financial Prosperity

–Best 529 Plans Revisited @ Five Cent Nickel

–Four Steps to Long-Term Financial Success @ Free Money Finance

–$10 A Day Equals 3/4 Of A Million Dollars @ No Credit Needed

–Gift Cards are Gifts @ Mighty Bargain Hunter

–What I Like About Scrooge @ Get Rich Slowly

–Get Out Of Your Sprint Cellphone Contract Without A Penalty @ My Money Blog

Ben Edwards, the founder of Money Smart Life, saved up enough to buy a Nintendo back when he was 12 years old. When he used the money to buy shares of Wal-Mart stock instead, he knew he wasn't like the other kids... His addiction to personal finance has paid off for his family and now he's helping you to afford the life that you want. Check him out on the web at Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook.

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