For years it seemed as if the world of projects centered on the home, garden, or garage was dominated by men. It was an all too common sight to see men toiling away as they tackled remodeling, engine repair, or lawn care and women were relegated to assigning tasks and, if you believe all of the jokes, nagging until the jobs were completed.
However, things have changed a great deal in recent years and women are taking on more and more projects that used to be directed solely toward men. On any given day at any hardware store you’ll likely find more women than men shopping for materials and asking questions about various projects. While this is a great sign that women are investing more of their personal time in practical skills and projects, more members of the fairer sex should step up and see what this DIY movement is all about.
If you’ve ever had the desire to be more self-sufficient and to learn more about practical skills, read below to find out how, with just a few tools and a bit of ingenuity, you can tackle projects that you might never have thought you could.
1. Basic Home Upkeep and Repair
As anyone who owns a home can tell you, there are often countless projects that need to be done. However, wouldn’t it be nice to not have to rely on someone else?
While it’s more possible than ever to place a call or an internet request for a professional to take care of your issues, why not try to fix the problems yourself? With a set of basic tools and a thirst for knowledge it is absolutely possible for someone with little experience in plumbing or repairs to get the job done. Not only will you save yourself some money but once you learn some of the basics you’re likely to want to learn even more!
2. Car Maintenance and Care
Car repairs can be tricky in that the newer cars and their fancy computerized engines require very specialized tools, monitors, and specially-trained mechanics to make even simple repairs. However, for those of you ladies with older model cars, there’s no reason that you can’t do at least some of the work yourself.
While it may seem daunting at first, simple car repairs such as belt replacement, oil and fluid changes, and some engine component repairs can be surprisingly easy and inexpensive. You can rent tools from your local automotive shop, source parts from a salvage yard, and view detailed manuals online.
3. First Aid and CPR
While not DIY related, first aid and CPR definitely count as practical skills. Gaining and maintaining this knowledge benefits everyone that you come into contact with, including family, friends, and total strangers.
Advanced courses in these life-saving techniques are given by your local Red Cross, community colleges, and other specialized training centers. Learn more about these courses, sign up, and complete them to give yourself and those around you the ultimate gift. You really never know when you’ll be called upon to potentially save a life.
4. Outdoor Survival
Skills that pertain to the great outdoors cover a lot of ground, but there are a few aspects of these skills that are very important to know. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be the outdoorsy type, these can come in quite handy.
Learn to start a fire with matches or a lighter, and without. While the chances are slim that you’ll ever need to start a fire without matches, if that situation does present itself, you’ll be grateful for the knowledge. Also learn some basic, backcountry navigation skills, and what to do if you get lost in the wilderness.
5. Healthy Meal Preparation
This skill may be more traditional for women, but in our day of instant meals it’s no surprise that the art of cooking seems to be falling to the wayside. Ready-made food can be purchased at the grocery store or meals can be ordered online and delivered straight to your door. However, is that really the best way to feed ourselves or our families?
Learning to prepare and execute a meal using fresh ingredients is something that everyone should know how to do. Whether it’s an intricate gourmet dish like beef Wellington or a simple meal of a fresh salad and grilled meat the art of mastering a signature dish is one to savor. Not only does this serve to wow those who arrive at your table but it also opens the doors of opportunity to learn more about fresh and healthy cooking.
Practicality is an important part of life, and this includes the skills and know-how to get different types of jobs done. Consider some of these ideas the next time that you decide it’s time to learn something new.
