Are you tired of breaking things and purchasing new replacements? Do you wish you had the skills to fix the item yourself?

Do you live by the motto “Waste not, want not?” If so, then this article is perfect for you.

Nobody likes shelling out money unnecessarily, especially if an easy solution lies within reach.

Perhaps you didn’t think it was so simple to mend your sweater zipper, or unshrink your brand new t-shirt. Maybe your computer is so full of trash and garbage that you’d rather just wipe the thing and buy a new operating system.

We’re here to tell you to pick up the phone, call the repair guy you sent for, and let him know you’ll be doing it yourself with these great tips from Lifehacker.

Clean Up Your Computer
If your computer runs loudly and you’d like tone it down a few notches, try blowing the dust out with a can of compressed air, which you can purchase from your hardware store or in the electronics section at retail stores such as Walmart and Target.

Maybe you have an old computer sitting around, and you’re wrestling with the idea of recycling or finding new use for it. You can always turn it into an external hard drive and connect to it with a USB cable.

Repair Your Cellphone
Did you accidentally “brick” your smartphone while trying to root it or install 3rd-party software? Maybe you’ve downloaded malware that’s causing all sorts of problems. Instead of throwing it away and buying a new one (if you don’t have insurance coverage) consider following the advice found here. There are also solutions if you’ve dropped your phone in water, such as drying it out in a bowl of rice, which has proven largely successful on a variety of phones.

Reuse Damaged Clothing
“Waste not, want not” comes back to mind for the topic of apparel. There should never be any reason as to why you would throw away clothing, even if it’s unrecognizably dirty, ripped, or stained.

You can fix the zipper on old jackets and make it as good as new. Warm water and conditioner can unshrink shirts and pants. Poop stains can also be removed. And if all else fails, turn your clothing into rags, painting smocks for children, or simply clothes to get dirty in.

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Eco Design is an approach that incorporates an awareness for the environment, that it is sustainable and ecologically friendly. Many businesses today are adopting a “green” approach and feel they have an increased responsibility to find better solutions for the future of our Earth.

For eco-design to be effective, a life-cycle approach must be adopted. That is, thinking about and adapting the best outcomes for the environment with as little negative effects as possible over the products life.

Designers are responsible for the beginning stages of a product and it is here that they can really shape what impact it will have on its surrounding environment. There are many things for designers to think about in the planning stages. They can control negative environmental properties such as toxic substances and materials and introduce positive attributes such as recyclability and energy efficient machinery.

There are some initial approaches to consider when designing your product.

Reuse – Can you re-use the product, or parts of it, to save it from ending up as landfill?

Repair – Can you repair the product instead of replacing it? This prolongs the life of the product and the need for new materials.

Recycle – Can your product to be recycled at the end of its life cycle?

There are other elements to think of when designing your product. Durability is a major factor and again, lessens the need for new goods, therefore reducing the impact on the environment.  There is responsibility at the end of the products life cycle also; as to where it ends up and how safe that is.

There are some fascinating and innovative ideas out there, all you have to do in open your eyes and ears to them.