1. Save Time – For real. Making your own (jelly, bread, cheese) takes just a few minutes actual work time. Most of the ‘time’ involved in household DIY is wait time, or time you can be throwing Frisbees and playing with the dog instead of driving to the store, staring at shelves trying to find an approximation of what you really want, and waiting in check out lines. The longest any project will ever take you is the first time. Feeling unsure takes time, but after you’ve done it once? Seconds.
2. Save Money – Homemade is cheaper. You aren’t paying for labor, shipping, advertising, ALL THAT. And when you learn to reuse, you stop tossing out leaves and then going out to buy mulch—and paying others to exert themselves building your fence, growing your veggies, and pruning your trees and then buying a gym membership or equipment and videos so you can burn a few calories. Then you can spend all that money you saved on things you really enjoy, like jewelry, Pomeranians, or mushroom compost and battery powered circular saws. Wait, those last two might just be me.
3. Save the Planet – DIY is less packaging, less toxic chemicals (well, you could put them in if you want), and teaches us to see the resources around us differently. There’s very little real trash. The rest is future mulch, future potting soil, recyclables, weed blanket and household storage containers. DIY means a trash can that’s ¼ full. Kid you not.
4. Simplify Your Life – At first making your own stuff seems more complicated than running to the discount store, but then you realize that you can clean everything in your house with four basic ingredients AND manage weeds, yard pests, and greasy bangs, make deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, and toner–all with the SAME STUFF!!! Talk about simple.
5. Get Healthier – DIY is less fluff more stuff. Nutrients are higher, ingredients lower. People function best when they eat something fresh and bred for goodness and not travel stability. Vitamins and minerals are meant to come in produce, not pills or fortified foods. And there’s something good for the soul in reconnecting to where our food comes from. Caring for gardens and animals that feed us grounds us and gives us purpose in a way that can’t be described to those who haven’t experienced it.
6. Get More Choices – You want dill flavored cheddar cheese? Raspberry-mango shampoo? DIY gives you complete control over ever aspect of your products. It’s total freedom to be as picky as you like. If you want cherry-vodka hand sanitizer, it’s yours.
Ivory
So…what’s #7?
so many people can’t get over #4.
My biggest worry is that I will burn out on all of this. I have so many people tell me I used to do that. I used to do all that stuff. But now it isn’t important to them. I don’t know how you can go from eating homemade jam to eating store bought and not feel like you are missing out.
Amen Sista friend !!
Now please share that Cherry vodka hand sanitizer recipe. Seriously !!
I am about to tackle the compost area of my back yard… try to turn it into real, usefull compost , instead of just a pile of gunk. I love your blog, keep up the Faaabulous Work !!
I DO love your thought process. I never thought about it saving time but I know it saves me money. As you said a lot of time is “wait-time.” Bread rising, beans soaking/ cooking, stock/ sauces reducing and the canner processing.
Most items are cheaper to make and I am not paying well over $4/ gallon to drive to town (country girl here). I also tend to spend way more than planned when I go to the store more often. I have learned to make do with what I have on hand which is why I don’t follow recipes to a T. (Aaaand if I am really truthful with you all I would have to get dressed enough to be in public.)
I kept your advice in mind while gardening this weekend. I thought about asking my son to bring me five bags of mulch from Home Depot. I remembered I had started a mulch pile a long time ago and was able to use three wheelbarrows full from it. That was fun.
*Excellent* post, and a very good reminder. Thank you!
Well said. The quality, cost, and convenience of DIY is so much better. A small investment in time yields a ton of results. I spent a few hours in the garden this weekend, and a few more next weekend, and then I just have to stand back and let it grow. Then in August, can or freeze it all.
I love reading your blogs, I can so relate with every word. There is one thing that was left out though, the fact that it exercises our brains, stretches our imaginations and makes us more able than we ever thought possible.