Can you believe it’s already October?  Where did the time all go?!  Every October, a plethora of bloggers, led by the Nester, take the challenge to each write a 31-day series on a topic.  I’ve managed to miss it every time they’ve done it before, but I’m joining in this year. And since Titus 2 Homemaker is fairly broad, I thought I probably needed a fairly broad topic for my “31 Days” – so here you get 31 Days of DIY (Do-It-Yourself).

(That also means there will be a handful of “extra” posts this month, because there are a few, specific to October, that still don’t really fit with the theme.)

As the month progresses, you’ll find a table of contents at the bottom of this post.  But let’s start with why DIY (Do-It-Yourself) and/or MYO (Make-Your-Own).

Why DIY/MYO?

It should go without saying that “DIY” isn’t always the best option!  A “DIY” appendectomy, for instance, would not be recommended!  Most of us don’t have the skills to safely build a “MYO pressure cooker,” either.  Obviously, common sense is called for.  🙂  But there are many reasons you might want to “DIY” or “MYO” something, depending on the “thing” in question.  For instance, you might want to:

• control your ingredients/materials
• use what you have
• save money
• learn a new skill
• prove to yourself you can do it
• capture an historical experience
• keep something out of the landfill/garbage/compost
• tailor something more precisely to your needs/tastes
• have fun

Of course, there’s a lot of overlap between a lot of these!  More often than not, stewardship (of money or of other resources), and/or the ability to control ingredients/materials (typically for health reasons of some kind) will be in the mix somewhere.  But why you’ve decided to make/do something yourself will have a lot to do with whether it is ultimately worth it to do it yourself.

If your goal is to save money, but it costs you three times as much to make it yourself, that’s not a good tradeoff.  But if your goal is to make a healthier version of something than you can buy pre-made, it might be worth it to you to pay three times as much.

Most of the time, when I make something myself, it’s primarily because it saves me money and is healthier than what I can buy at the store.  (Although on occasion I go with “just for fun,” too. 🙂 )

Did I miss any?  Can you think of another reason you might “DIY”?

Day 1:  Introduction — Why DIY/MYO?  (This post.)
Day 2: A Few of Our Favorite DIY “Tools”
Day 3: DIY Christmas Gifts — Using Pinterest for Planning
Day 4: DIY Taco Seasoning
Day 5: Coming Soon (Sorry; sick kids!)
Day 6: See above.
Day 7: See above.
Day 8: See above.
Day 9: DIY Day Planner, part 1
Day 10: DIY Day Planner, part 2
Day 11: DIY Day Planner, part 3
Day 12: DIY “Shampoo”
Day 13: DIY “Doctoring”
Day 14: A DIY Wardrobe: Refashioning Tools to Have Up Your Sleeve
Day 15: DIY Budget Improvements, part 1: 13 Ways to Spend Less
Day 16: DIY Budget Improvements, part 2: 12 Ways to Make More
Day 17: DIY Recipes (Food Substitutions Bible)
Day 18: DIY Shaving Oil
Day 19: DIY Craft Supplies
Day 20: DIY Fiber Mascara
Day 21: DIY Birthing?
Day 22: DIY in Minutes {Roundup}
Day 23: DIY Homeschooling
Day 24: DIY Dollar Store Redos
Day 25: DIY Reconsidered (Or, When Not to DIY)