DIY Life

Are You DIY'ing Safely? Well, according to some UK statistics and news reports, the British certainly aren't. According to a handful of headlines that keep popping up in my browser, the English have done a better job tracking DIY-related injury ... and a better job of stoking anxiety about it.

"You're Better Off Staying in Bed," yells one headline, while another reads "DIY Shows on Television Causing 'Rise in Accidents.'" That's right: some blame TV renovation shows for the uptick in reckless DIY activity and resulting injuries. We're talking power tool and ladder mishaps, and all the other bad stuff that'll land you in traction.

For some time now, I've been watching for equivalent claims here in the US. But there's nothing. Nada. Searching key words like "blame," "DIY" and "injury" in the US news produces dramatically different results. The CDC blames cats and dogs for many domestic injuries, a Florida driver blames his SUV crash on a snake, and roller shoes are blamed for kids' injuries.

But DIY doesn't enter the picture. Why the disconnect? I'm stumped. Is it cultural? Please share your views in the comments section!

A recent poll that I looked into surveyed opinions about the need for various insurance policies. The survey showed that over 80% of the poll respondents feel that insurance is necessary to some degree. What the poll didn't address was how we feel about paying those nasty insurance premiums.

I want to address the high cost of auto insurance premiums and give you some solid suggestions on how to lower your annual cost of auto insurance by possibly hundreds of dollars. What it all comes down to is how much money you want to save and how serious you are about doing that. Some of my suggestions may require you to change some of your attitudes about your automobile and your driving strategy altogether but when the times are getting tougher and the dollars are getting shorter, it's time to take a serious look at how you do some things.