10 Do-It-Yourself Skills That Can Save a Bundle

When it comes to getting your personal finances in order, look for services you pay others to do that you can do yourself.

People pay for these services for a number of reasons. Some think they lack the experience and skill to perform the task. But many times it's a matter of convenience. It's time to drop the excuses: The reality is that people can do many of their chores on their own.

If a lack of confidence is your problem, educate yourself for little or no money with do-it-yourself books and videos from the library, and visit free Web sites with DIY tips and tricks to get you going. The biggest obstacles will be changing your habits and setting aside a little extra time, but once you have accepted these cores into your routine, they shouldn't take a lot of extra effort, and you'll be richer for it.

Cooking: An investment in a good cookbook and some time to experiment in the kitchen will pay for itself many times over. Knowing how to cook food that you enjoy limits the likelihood that you'll spend money on eating out or buying expensive prepackaged meals. And cooking in bulk so that you can use the meals several times during the month is a great way to slash huge amounts off your food costs.

Haircuts: This do-it-yourself task seems easier for men to accept than women, but both sexes can do it. If you don't have confidence in cutting your own hair, the first thing to do is get a easy-to-manage, low-maintenance cut.