3 Easy Household Hacks Every 20-Something Should Know

Allowing little boys to fail at things is one way we train them to be confident. Too often, little boys are told, "Give it your best try!" while little girls are told, "Don't — you might wreck it." But, with the help of the classic The You Don't Need A Man To Fix It Book, we hope to motivate women to become self-confident handy-people.

In some ways, of course, The You Don't Need A Man To Fix It Book feels pretty dated. The tone is occasionally condescending (there's a section on how to flatter your electrician's ego to get him to show you how something works), plus advice on finding delicate lady-tools for your delicate lady-hands. Then again, things haven't really changed much since the book's original publication in 1973; you can now find an entire aisle of pink-washed tools at most big-box hardware stores.

Yet, in the age of Google and YouTube, this book is still an invaluable source of information on home repair. We think it deserves a second edition. But until then, in the spirit of this under-appreciated DIY classic, here are three handy home projects you can do now — no man necessary.