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DIY is not always best. These items are cheaper to buy, not make for Ohio consumers

By Sundi Rose
Local artist and activist fashion designer, Soreyda Benedit Begley, keeps the patterns and materials true to traditional garments, sewing the trim for an elaborate doll costume in her small home studio on Jan. 21, 2026, in Lexington, Ky.
Artist and activist fashion designer Soreyda Benedit Begley keeps the patterns and materials true to traditional garments, sewing the trim for an elaborate doll costume in her small home studio Jan. 21, 2026, in Lexington. Tasha Poullard tpoullard@herald-leader.com

Times are tough all over, and everyone here is on a budget, but there is no need to be a hero. There are some things that are just cheaper to buy than make.

Although DIY products can save real money in some categories, lots of common items are actually cheaper, safer, and more practical to just buy off the shelf.

The OSU Extension for Family and Consumer Sciences has some smart tips to save time and money.

In the kitchen

Home cooking beats takeout almost every time, but not every ingredient is worth making from scratch.

New best friends, Trevor Morris and Sundi, make an elevated summer snack.
New best friends, Trevor Morris and Sundi, make an elevated summer snack. Mike Haskey mhaskey@ledger-enquirer.com

Buy these:

  • Dried pasta: Homemade dried pasta costs about 51% more per pound than store-bought dry pasta.
  • Canned vegetables: Growing and preserving your own rarely beats the per-unit cost unless you have a serious garden operation.
  • Condiments: These involve fermentation, reduction, or preservative chemistry that makes home versions time-intensive and inconsistent.
  • Peanut butter: The time-to-savings ratio rarely justifies the chore.
  • Cheese: It requires equipment, cultures, and aging time that make store-bought a clear winner.

Clothing

Sewing your own clothes sounds romantic. The math usually isn’t. Sewing blogger, Petite Font, calculated the true cost of a single simple blouse. After the fabric, notions, and labor, the final price was nearly $75. You could probably buy a similar one for around $20.

Buy these:

  • Basic T-shirts
  • Socks
  • Underwear:
  • Jeans and activewear 
  • Winter coats

You could always split the difference, and just switch to thrifting.

Thrifting saves times and money.
Thrifting saves times and money. Jordyn Paul-Slater jpaulslater@ledger-enquirer.com

Health, safety, and personal care

This is where DIY enthusiasm can actually cause harm. Aside from the danger, NerdWallet says that personal care products offer some of the biggest savings of any store-brand item.

Buy these:

  • Sunscreen
  • Toothpaste
  • Deodorant 
  • Medication

Around the yard

A basic prefabricated swing set kit runs around $350, while a comparable DIY kit with a swing beam, slide, and climbing ladder costs around $1,800, plus another $430 in surfacing and safety materials

Outdoor sets can be really expensive to make yourself.
Outdoor sets can be really expensive to make yourself. Photo by Rene Terp

Buy these:

  • Flat-pack furniture from mass retailers 
  • Outdoor play structures like swing sets and playhouses
  • Slip-n-slides 
  • Cornhole boards 

DIY is a genuine money-saver in the right categories, but time is money too. Would you like to see a story about items that are cheaper to make rather than buy? Email me at srose@ledger-enquirer.com or find me on social media.

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This story was originally published February 20, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "DIY is not always best. These items are cheaper to buy, not make for Ohio consumers."