The DIY movement (as in Do It Yourself) has always existed, but came into popularity among West coast hipsters in the 1980’s. 

Now it has evolved into its own network, and numerous books and blogs exist on the topic, but this is no new phenomenon.  In my mind, this is simply an example of the “non-tradition” that many people who belong predominate culture bemoan.  What they fail to see is that this is simply an old model for living, put into practice, that all of our ancestors relied upon at some point, or in some manner.

As the old saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention”.

There are many lifeways that the DIY movement has affected.  With cooking, for example, there has been a big resurgence in canning, preserving and foraging food items.  Gardening, hobby farming, remodeling and repairing items are all examples of DIY put into practice. These are not only important ways to be productive with our time, but also ways to help keep body and soul together during a very unstable time in the market.  If you find yourself in a tight financial situation, here are some ways to help get some cash coming back into your wallet:

10)  Remember the barter system.  It may sound kind of like a “hippy idea” but it is often a viable one.  Visit your local farmers market and poke around.  You might just luck out and find someone willing to trade your skills/items for the items you need.

9)  Use the skills/talents you already have to bring in some cash.  If Mom insisted on piano lessons through the 12^th grade, now might be the time to see what you remember and get some gigs going around town.  If your uncle taught you how to plumb or do basic electric work, maybe it’s a good time to follow up on getting certified and set up shop as a contractor.  If you are reputable, and do good work, you could create your own part time job on the weekends.

8)  Create or grow products for sale.  I learned how to do American Indian beadwork as a child. There is not a huge market for these items where I live, but there is always eBay and ways to sell handcrafted items, regardless of origin.

7)  Reduce, Reuse, And Recycle.  No shame in reusing that milk container as a planter or a plastic jug as a watering can.  However, we all remember Grandma and her giant ball of tinfoil, so just make sure that your passion for rule number seven does not turn into a hoarding situation. 

6)  Volunteer somewhere if you can afford to do so.  It’s always good to do a thankless task because you will genuinely be helping someone out.  Also, charities and philanthropists go hand in hand, so you may end up landing a dream job in the long run for working for free for a short time.  Besides, it always looks good on a resume.

5)  Get rid of extra junk lying around.  It never hurts to lighten the load.  For a long time I considered it a point of pride that I did not need many possessions to get by.  When I landed my last job and relationship, however, that kind of fell to the wayside.  When it came time for me to move on recently, I was shocked at how much stuff I had amassed over the past seven years or so.  I made a huge donation to a local charitable foundation after sorting through the “must have’s/don’t need” piles and now have a good sum that will be deducted from this years’ taxes.  It’s not exactly cash in hand, but every bit helps.

4)  Plant a Victory Garden.  These small family garden plots were part of life in the 1940’s, as vegetables and fruits were rationed in order to make glycerin for the war effort.  While we no longer use the same weapons of mass destruction in our warfare tactics, we can still eat homegrown vegetables at home.  Even in the densest of cities, one can have a small garden and watch it grow.  If you are an urbanite, check in with your local WIC office, as they can point you toward food activists and community garden plots.  If you are not much of a “joiner”, you can always have a small container garden in your kitchen or anywhere that you will get some direct sunlight.  Tomatoes, peppers, chilies and spices grew in abundance in my urban garden, on a landing of our apartment building in downtown Oakland, CA.

3)  Use (or better yet, build) a bike.  A heck of a lot easier than one would think and they are easy to find everywhere..  As with gardening, most cities have a local hub of “riders”, enthusiasts, couriers or professionals who can help you in getting your bike on.  Save an extra $20 and you can buy some inexpensive raingear, or use rain proofing washes to keep your biking clothes dry and comfy in the wet season.

2)  Carpool when you have to drive.  Many public bulletin boards (virtual and live) feature a “rideshare” section.  There is even a local radio station in the North State that provides contact information to those who are offering or looking for rides.  Some of these are long distance and others are simply for daily commutes.  Check out your local Craigslist.com or states DOT for more information.

1)  Do research about how your grandparents got by in hard times.  If they are no longer directly available, ask those who knew them, or others from their generation, or their kids’ generation.  Every family has a story about how they used to have to do something wacky or unconventional to survive.  Find out about it, put it into practice and viola, you have continued a cultural tradition and become an official DIY’er!