I Tried to DIY Safety. It Was a Mess.

I thought I could make my old rental safer without spending much. Turns out, cheap fixes are expensive in other ways. I overloaded a socket with a $5 extension cord. The lights flickered, then the smell—burnt plastic. I unplugged everything, hands shaking, and spent the next hour Googling if I’d just set my apartment on fire. Tried to install a smoke alarm myself. Dropped it twice, cracked the plastic, and the test beep wouldn’t stop. I ended up duct-taping it to the ceiling. It fell at 3AM. I bought a fire extinguisher, but it’s still in the box. I keep telling myself I’ll read the instructions. I haven’t. Every time I walk past the kitchen, I see the scorch mark from the pan I left unattended. I can’t afford to fix it, so I just move the rug to cover it. Trying to save money on safety made me more anxious. I wish I’d asked for help before learning the hard way. #DIYDisaster #HomeBudgetFail #BrokeButCreative #Home #HomeMaintenanceRepair