Appreciation post: my neighbor Frank talked me into fixing my own window screens

I used to just pay the local handyman $45 a screen to replace them every time a kid threw a ball through one. But last summer Frank saw me wheeling four busted screens out to the curb and stopped me. He said "Nora, that's $180 you're tossing plus labor, just grab some screen mesh and a spline roller from Lowe's for $15." He stood in my driveway for an hour showing me how to do the corner cuts right. I messed up the first one but got the hang of it by the third. Now I fix any rip or hole in under 10 minutes. Has anyone else had a neighbor teach them a basic skill that saved them cash? We need more people like Frank around.

3 comments

3 Comments

nancythomas29d ago

Learned how to regrout my shower from old Mr. Garcia next door. Such a money saver.

sam_thomas28d ago

That "old Mr. Garcia next door" part is actually the real win here. Neighbor knowledge beats YouTube tutorials every time because you can actually see the technique up close.

benclark26d ago

Did @nancythomas get any specific tips from Mr. Garcia that the videos left out?