5 Tips For Millenials To Be “Handy”

There has been a recent message from British Professor Danielle George saying Millennials don't know how to fix things.  If something breaks, they throw it away.  Millennials don't tinker anymore.  They have to call a professional for help with anything.  And you know what?  She's right for the most part.   More of my friends are completely helpless when it comes to stuff like this.  So here's a few tips that might get you started fixing things yourself.

1.  Get some simple tools.

It really doesn't cost that much to get a tool set started.  You don't need Snap On tools.  You can build your tool set by buying what you need as you go along.  Just start out with the basics.  A good screwdriver set with different sizes.  A nut driver with different type bits helps too, (if you ever work on appliances.)  Get a hammer, pliers, utility knife, etc.   Even a lot of the kits you can buy at stores like walmart are perfectly fine.

2.  You can literally do anything nowadays by watching videos online.

Seriously.  Do you know how big of a deal it is that we can find out how to fix just about anything online?  In seconds?  I can only imagine what our grandparents could have gotten done if they had these resources.   My swedish built dryer quit working.  I looked up a video online at Repairclinic.com and fixed it in the same day.  Seriously.  GOOGLE IT!

3.  Don't be afraid of making a mistake.

If you're afraid you're going to make a mistake, you'll never get anything done.  The big things is don't make the same mistake twice.   And of course if you are working with dangerous stuff like electricity, this rule may not apply.

4.  You really can learn a lot from those TV shows.

If you're working on your house, there is a lot of useful stuff on TV.  Remember "This Old House."  I learned a lot from that show.  Now there's a gazillion home improvement shows on TV for you to learn from.

5.  Ask an old person.

Odds are if you don't know how to fix it, your grandpa might.  They grew up in a different time where people actually fixed things themselves.  I learned most of what I know from my Grandpa, and sometimes I still call him when I get stuck.  Or sometimes I know the answer, but just like to chat with the old guy about fixing stuff.