This is a guest article by Gerri Detweiler. Gerri is the host of Talk Credit Radio and serves as Director of Consumer Education for Credit.com. She is the author or co-author of five books, including Debt Collection Answers: How to Use Debt Collection Laws to Protect Your Rights. Her next DIY project is to (finally!) roast coffee beans.

Mark Frauenfelder makes his own yogurt and sauerkraut. roasts coffee beans, and has raised chickens. He’s also tricked out an expresso machine and built his daughter a guitar out of a lunchbox. And he’s managed to complete all of these DIY projects — and many more — while contributing to the very popular blog BoingBoing, and serving as editor of Make Magazine. Oh, and he’s also written a book about his experiences: Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throw Away World.

My DIY projects, by contrast, are often utter failures. My homemade sauerkraut probably would have given me food poisoning if I had been dumb enough to taste the foul-smelling concoction, and the popcorn popper I bought on eBay to roast coffee beans has been sitting untouched on a shelf for a couple of years now. Oh, and my homemade yogurt tasted like the cheesecloth I used to strain it.

It would be easy to dislike Frauenfelder, except for the fact that he’s a really nice guy. So instead of getting annoyed every time he writes a post about one of his successful projects, I decided to interview him on my radio show, Talk Credit Radio, in the hopes of gleaning some wisdom that could help me become a more successful DIYer. Following are some his best tips (edited and excerpted) from that interview:

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

Gerri: Tell me a little bit about what you learned from your DIY journey?

Mark: I think the most important thing I learned was that it’s okay to make mistakes, and that you can learn a lot from mistakes. In fact, a lot of research has shown that people learn fast when they do make errors because it really sticks in your mind.

As Editor-in-Chief of Make Magazine which is a technological project magazine, I hung around a lot of people that I call “alpha makers,” people who are just committed to anything and they do a great job of it. I found that it isn’t so much their skill level that’s important but the fact they have gotten over their fear of screwing up. And that is like the most important thing that I learned, otherwise you’re going to be frozen with fear.

I make tons of mistakes all the time but I hopefully learn from them so that every new box guitar I build is a little bit better than the one before. Then you can raise the bar and challenge yourself to try something a little better. It’s a fun way of looking at the world.

You do have time to for DIY projects

Gerri: Mark, let’s talk a little bit about the time factor. You’ve got two daughters, and a full-time job as a writer and editor. How do you fit in these DIY projects? Wouldn’t it be a lot easier to just go and buy a spoon (rather than carve one yourself)? Or go and buy espresso rather than try to figure out how to trick out your espresso machine?

Mark: Absolutely, it would be easier to go out and buy something and time is really precious, especially when you have small kids and you have to work for a living. And that is one of the reasons I wrote this book. I read all those books about going back to the land and making things yourself, they kind of assumed you lived in this ideal world, you have infinite time to do all this stuff.

So I took a much more realistic approach: What if I gave myself 15 minutes a day to get away from the computer and work on a project? And I think almost anybody can give himself 15 minutes a day. But it really adds up and after a month or so, that’s a considerable amount of hours that you’ve been able to devote making things.

There was a guy I was reading about in the 1700’s whose wife was 10 minutes late at the dinner table every minute so he took those 10 minutes to work on a novel and he ended up writing 3 very successful novels that way by squeezing in those 10 minutes. I think that’s the trick is giving yourself that time and scheduling it in.

Gerri: In your book, you talked about how when you were making your wooden spoons, you discovered that you could actually do that while you were on a conference call, for example, and concentrate better. So maybe there is some synergy between being able to accomplish other things whether to clear your mind, or find the relaxation that you need if you take on some of these projects.

Mark: Absolutely and you’ll see that with knitters. People who knit say that they are able to really have a much more pleasant conversation while they are knitting and I found that also that when I do work conference calls, if I just sit and carve a spoon it puts you in kind of a slow state or something and I’m much less fidgety and I can really concentrate one that conversation. It’s a pretty cool effect.

You can do this anywhere

Gerri: You aren’t living on a ranch in Montana or out of the woods somewhere. You’re living in a Los Angeles suburbs, is that right?

Mark: Yeah, I’m about a six-minute drive from Hollywood and Vine. So I’m right here in the city, basically up in the hills.

Gerri: You’re doing these kinds of projects in a very urban environment. Do your neighbors, do people think you’re crazy?

Mark: They’re amused by the chickens. When I had the chickens, they got out and were running around on the street and one of the people who lives on the block, he was one of the producers of The Waltons and he was, “hey this is just like The Waltons!” And he got hold of a cam and started snapping some pictures – he loved it.

It’s not always about saving money

Gerri: Some of these projects may involve specialized tools, or they may involve specialized materials. What have you found in terms of the financial payoff or the financial cost in your DIY projects?

Mark: That’s a really good question. It’s kind of a yes and no thing. No, it’s not going to save you money compared to something that you would buy. If you were to build your own television set it would cost a lot more money to buy the part than it would to buy the TV off the shelf. It’s usually cheaper to buy in almost every case.

But, if you look at making as a hobby that is really rewarding and a way to spend time, it’s going to be less expensive than going out at night and spending a lot of money at a nightclub or taking an expensive vacation or something like that. As leisure activities go, you can make it pretty inexpensive. If you wanted to become a wood carver, you could buy an improvised wood carver set under a $100 and it would give you a lifetime of enjoyment. In the end I think it’s an inexpensive and rewarding way to spend your time.

Gerri: And some projects like some of the food projects you’ve done, you may have an initial investment, like building the chicken coop or getting the yogurt maker if you decide to go the route. But it sounds like that in the long run, they can end up saving you money.

Mark: Yeah, definitely, one thing that I’ve started doing is roasting my own coffee. And there’s a way that you can do it using an air popcorn popper. There are tutorials online that show you how to do it and the cool thing is that green coffee beans, unroasted beans are a lot cheaper than roasted beans. They’re about $5 a pound that’s comparable to, comparable roasted beans would be about $15 a pound. And green beans will stay fresh for about a year or two so you can keep them by yourself, 10 pounds of beans and then roast a batch whenever you need fresh coffee and you will have the freshest coffee ever and you’ll save money.

Gerri: I really appreciate your book and recommend it. I also love your blog at boingboing.net. Can you give us more places that you recommend that anyone who’s interested in DIY should visit?

Mark: Sure, well I think makezine.com has a lot of really good recent resources that will show you how to make different projects, lots of tutorial videos that can help you get started, information about Maker’s Fair, which is our twice annual fair, that has a 100,000 attendees who come to see this giant-like science and creativity fair. It’s really fun.

And another really good website is instructibles.com and that’s where people upload instructions on things that they’ve made, all sorts of gadgets from beer coolers, built-in wagon to really neat kind of kites, all kinds of projects. I think those two right there will keep you busy for at least a couple of weeks.

Listen to or download the complete interview with Frauenfelder here: download

You can also listen to or download an interview with Consumerism Commentary’s Flexo here: download

Editor’s note: I’ve been a fan of Mark Frauenfelder since I discovered BoingBoing many years ago. He was a guest on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, as well, in 2009.

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This is a guest article by Jennifer Calonia, Junior Editor at GoBankingRates. In the article, the author offers suggestions for making spring cleaning work for you.

We are officially one week into spring, and many are shedding winter stagnation for more productive ways to save money — and earn money — using items around the home. Spring cleaning gives Americans an opportunity to revive their finances by playing salesman with forgotten and unwanted stuff.

Did you stumble upon a crock-pot from a Black Friday sale that you’ve yet to use? Turn impulse buys into cash in your pocket, instead of letting appliances and other belongings go obsolete or outdated. Finding items for sale in the garage or attic now can help you make as much back on your purchase as possible.

There are many ways to sell spring cleaning finds that are straightforward and take little time. Some of the most important decisions to make when selling your stuff is knowing what to sell, how to sell it and for how much — establishing these three critical factors can determine how much money ends up back in your bank account.

Have items for sale? Here’s what to do

Your selling approach can impact how much you earn on a specific product, so following the right game plan is crucial:

1. Selecting items to sell. When deciding on which items to sell, it is helpful to create three different piles for donations, yard sales and online sales. Just because you found an abandoned tea bag plate in the cupboard doesn’t mean it’s worth the time to post it on eBay and absorb packaging fees for a $5 sale. Items like a partially used spiral notebook, crayons and well-worn clothing are better served in the donations or yard sale bins, while big-ticket items like an iPhone, leather jacket, new running shoes or a coffee maker will bring higher sales online.

2. Choosing your audience. There are many ways of communicating to buyers that you have items for sale. Each of the most popular resale options have their pros and cons, so determine which is a practical selling approach for you, depending on what you’re selling and your resources.

   • Yard sales: Like other selling avenues, yard sales are typically hit-or-miss. A benefit of hosting a yard sale is that you’re able to negotiate prices with buyers in-person and can showcase your merchandise in one location, on one day, to get the sale done at once (ideally). The big disadvantage to yard sales is that it eats up a lot of your time. Not only do you have to stand guard on your lawn for potential shoppers, but advertising your sale is a time-consuming, yet necessary, factor for success. This includes posting your yard sale to the classifieds or Craigslist, making street signs and creating price tags or signage for your items.
   • Craigslist: This community listing is a great place to sel big items like a snowboard or toaster oven, when you don’t want to spend money on shipping. To save the most money and keep the profits of the sale in your wallet, try dealing with buyers in your immediate location so you don’t lose money on gas. While Craigslist is a free service, sellers must be prepared for possible haggling (unless the post clearly states the price is “firm”) and be able to meet the buyer face-to-face in a public location.
   • eBay: For over a decade, eBay has been a common selling platform for those with either valuable items for sale, or are selling new items like unwanted gifts. For example, I purchased two new brake pads at $85 each, but sold my car before I got a chance to install them. eBay was a better audience for this type of sale because there’s a higher chance I could get close to my original purchase price, and shipping costs were not budget-blowing. When dealing on eBay, however, there are a few basics to keep in mind for a successful transaction and sale.

Name your price

Before setting up a yard sale or creating a post online of items for sale, conduct a quick search online to see how much similar items are being priced. Remember, there is a difference between being flexible and being hustled. By knowing the price range of each item you’re selling and the lowest amount you’re willing to accept to part with your goods, you are setting yourself up for a fair deal.

Keep in mind yard sales and Craigslist deals will likely present the most back-and-forth price negotiations, as eBay allows sellers to set a reserve price if necessary, which is why you need to have a lowest price-point established ahead of time.

All it takes is a free Saturday to get your spring cleaning underway. Start fresh this spring with a tidy home and a robust savings account by parting with the clutter in your life.

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