"I could actually quit a soul-sucking job. That one skill totally flipped my life."

"Doing this in college was a step-change in my studies. I started treating learning like practicing a sport: there's a new skill to learn, learn the basic outline, review, and test until you can do it in your sleep. It's surprisingly physical, and once you get it down, it becomes instinctual."

"Sewing. My clothes last twice as long, and I can make anything fit with enough time. (I got weird measurements.)"

"Doing your own work is WAYYYYYY cheaper than taking it to a shop."

"The confidence boost from doing your first brake job is something else. You go from 'I should probably have a professional look at this' to 'I wonder what else I could fix' in like a single afternoon. Then you start seeing potential projects everywhere. It's a dangerous gateway."

Please note: some comments have been edited for length and/or clarity.Β