• BombOmOm
      link
      fedilink
      English
      -2
      edit-2
      1 month ago

      Quite a few trade skills are worth learning the basics of yourself. Fixing a minor plumbing problem can easily be $500 for a simple job, or $30 in parts and an informative video to do it yourself. It has been one of the consequences of telling everyone for decades trade schools are inferior to college. We are short on tradesmen, thus they are very expensive to hire.

      • Funderpants
        link
        fedilink
        71 month ago

        As a homeowner who went through rough financial times 15 years ago, yes, YouTube and home depot will save your bacon.

      • Baron Von J
        link
        fedilink
        31 month ago

        This is probably the number 1 life skill I learned from Dad and wish to impart on my children.

      • @Trainguyrom@reddthat.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        11 month ago

        Fixing a minor plumbing problem can easily be $500 for a simple job, or $30 in parts and an informative video to do it yourself.

        Sometimes it’s not a matter of not knowing how to but being unable to actually do that task the way a skilled professional could. I have some rubber gaskets that wore out on a toilet, and managed to introduce new leaks in the process of fixing it, after spending about $300 on tools and parts (I had to Dremel out the bolts holding the tank to the rest of it since they were completely corroded on, plus replacing more parts as things didn’t quite fit together and kept leaking, plus my wife bought some $50 bolt cutters that we couldn’t use in the right space) and I ended up having to call a plumber to fix both the original problem and my failed attempt to fix it

        • BombOmOm
          link
          fedilink
          English
          1
          edit-2
          1 month ago

          There is absolutely a skill component which one can improve with research (videos) and experience. For your exact situation, you many have considered buying a completely new toilet, which costs $100-$200.

          And yes, sometimes you are going to fail. Use that experience to better yourself for next time. Watch what the professional you hired did, ask him questions, understand why you failed and become more knowledgeable/skilled in the process.