Jennifer Williams is a writer, turner traveler, turned blogger. She’s trying her hand at blogging on various topics, so you can find her stepping into tech, business and finance. Follow her on twitter- @JtotheWilliams or check out her blog-allovertech.wordpress.com

Are you interested in finding simple ways to save money? If your answer is no, you’re probably lying.  After all, everyone wants to save money, even it they DIY or “Do It Yourself” living- meaning, taking care of things that you would generally pay someone else to do.

Here are five great ways to live the DIY lifestyle and get deeper discounts while you are at it.

DIY Discount Number One: Swear Off Lattes

That’s right, swear off all coffee that you don’t make at home or get for free in your company’s break room. This does not mean that you can’t enjoy espressos, cappuccinos, and every other lovely coffee creation that you can imagine. Instead of paying the extra $5 to have a barista serve these up for you on a daily basis, invest in a machine for your home kitchen that can be used to make all of your favorite caffeinated delights. Save even more money by searching for hot deals from stores that specialize in kitchen equipment.  You may find that your coffee tastes better when you made it yourself and saved the extra money.

Savings $100/month
DIY Discount Number Two: Fire Your Lawn Boy

Paying someone to mow the lawn is a luxury. The truth is, most yard work that is contracted out to professionals can be taken care of with a few simple lawn tools. Here is a good rule of thumb: If you have the tools, the abilities, and the strength to do the work, then do it yourself. There’s really no need to pay someone money to mow unless you have 80 billion acres of land… or at least 2.

Savings: $50/month

DIY Discount Number Three: Cancel Your Gym Membership

Once you get into a rhythm of taking care of your own land, you can cancel your gym membership. After all, you’ll probably get a better workout cutting grass, raking leaves, and performing general garden maintenance than you will on the tread mill. They say sweating is one of the keys to losing weight and toxins- you’ll be well on your way. Not to mention you can run outside as well as use the wall to do squats. Get some weights, balance ball, resistance bands and your favorite workout DVD and you’ll never need a gym again. There’s plenty of home exercises you can do to take care of your body.

Savings: $40-$125/month

DIY Discount Numbers Four and Five: Enjoy Your Home and Become a Better Cook

Many people spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars every year on dining and entertainment. If just two evenings a month were spent at home instead of out on the town, the savings over the course of a year would be substantial. One of the best ways to start enjoying time at home to make sure you can entertain yourself there.  Great cookbooks and a low cost $10/month subscription to Netflix might be a good alternative to start.  Furthermore, why spend money at a gourmet restaurant when you can make the same recipes at home? Search for good discounts on entertainment electronics, kitchen equipment, and even a few cooking lessons that will make your nights at home feel just as luxurious as your nights out.

Savings: $150-$900/month

What’s the last step? Become a Better DIY Budgeter

The next step is to take a few minutes and look at your budget and spending habits. For each item, just think to yourself “Do I really need to pay someone else to do that for me?” Ask this question everytime you need to do a task and you’ll soon see the savings start to roll in.

Question:  What are your tips for DIY Discounts and Budgeting?