On countless occasions, you've likely said to yourself "I wish I knew how to do ______." Then, of course, life got in the way and you put it off until you could find the time. Maybe you wanted to become fluent in a language, learn a new instrument, start performing your house repairs, or a master a myriad of other skills. With the vast amount of knowledge online, you're now your only excuse. Here are the top ten most highly desired skills that you can teach yourself—and should.

10. Repair Just About Anything

Sure, you don't need to repair anything anymore. You can just pay someone else to do it. But where's the ingenuity in that? Plus, who wants to waste a bunch of money on simple tasks you can handle on your own? If you've adopted the DIY spirit, learning to repair your own stuff is one of the easiest and more rewarding skills you can acquire. It's especially fruitful because as you learn new things, you can put them to use right away. So how do you teach yourself? We've outlined tons of repairs you can learn on your own to get you started, but if you're looking for something specific there is no shortage of how-to videos available on YouTube and VideoJug. There will be occasions when you do need to call a professional, as you're not going to be a master repairman (or woman) instantly, but do remember that there is an opportunity when things break: you can learn how to fix them.

9. Pick Up an Artistic Skill Like Illustration, Painting, or Photography

Although it often won't earn you the big bucks, artistic skills are highly desired because they provide you with the technical abilities required to create something beautiful. You're going to have to find your own inspiration and subject matter, but the skill you'll need is really just a matter of technical aptitude and practice. Picking up a book of anatomy and drawing different bones and muscles will teach you how to draw people. Drawing grids over photographs can show you basic perspective. Obviously it isn't as simple as that, but focusing on learning to draw one simple thing, like the petals of a flower or the human hand, will help you learn how it works and get in a reasonable amount of practice. When you're ready to move on from the basics and start illustrating on your computer, check out our digital painting lessons. For those of you interested in photography, we have lessons for you, too.

Whatever you're looking to learn, just set aside 15-30 minutes every day to practice a very small part of that skill. It'll take awhile to teach yourself how to draw, paint, take better photos, make hamburger sculptures out of clay, or whatever it is you want to do, but breaking the daunting task into pieces and practicing each part slowly will do the trick. Plus, it's a really nice way to unwind at the end of the day.

8. Learn to Defend Yourself

Who likes getting their ass kicked? Probably a very small majority. If that's what you're into, it doesn't require much skill—just endurance. If you'd prefer to not end up hurt or injured as the result of an unexpected attack, perhaps it's time to pick up some self-defense skills. While you'll probably want to have a partner around to help you out—at least when you want to test your skill—we've outlined several self-defense moves that you can learn on your own. Although you will hopefully never need to actually employ the techniques you acquire, if you do you'll increase your chances of coming out of a fight unharmed. Plus, it's pretty cool to walk around with the confidence of being able to take on most anyone in a fight.

7. Improve Your Design Skills (or At Least Acquire a Sense of Style)

Design and style aren't an exact science, as tastes differ and change as time goes on, but there are a few principles you can pick up that'll make your work, home, or whatever needs an aesthetic boost looking better than average. If we're talking traditional design, you'll first want to learn the basics of type and layout. These are skills you can employ in your everyday work to make it look a lot more attractive. This may seem like a nearly-useless skill, because spreadsheets aren't getting entered in any beauty contests, but when something looks good it can have a greater impact. That's always a plus in your work. If you want to take things a bit further, you can bump those skills up a notch and apply them to web site design in Photoshop. Your sense of style is even a useful thing when choosing a great wallpaper and creating a clean and organized desktop on your computer. If your home is boring, just follow these guidelines for awesome interior design. You don't have to be a pro, but learning the basics of design can make your life a lot brighter.

6. Pick Up Just About Any Subject You Missed In College

Whether it's science, finance, math, humanities, law, or anything else, if there's a course you wish you took in college you're not out of luck—you can probably find it online. To help you out, we've rounded up every great source of online education so you can gain that knowledge you missed. What's great about learning online is that you can take it at your own pace and put in as much time as you can spare each day. You don't necessarily have to master a subject, either, but learn as much as you need or want to know. While you won't end up with a degree for your hard work, you will be a little bit smarter—and that's the most important part.

5. Build and Hack Electronic Hardware

We love technology, and we love it more when we can make it do pretty much whatever we want. There is almost no end to what you can hack, but getting started does require teaching yourself a few skills. Learning to build a computer is a good place to start. Soldering is especially helpful, and understanding the basics of arduino can help you build some really neat stuff. One of the best ways to get started is to pick a project and learn by doing. If you're not sure where to start, our DIY tag page can offer a few ideas.

4. Play a (New) Instrument

Whether you already know how to play an instrument and want to learn something new or are musically inept, you'll find plenty of resources online to help you teach yourself to play just about anything. If guitar is your thing, you're in luck as you'd be hard-pressed to not find online lessons. JustinGuitar.com offers over 500, and we've rounded up plenty more. The internet can also teach you piano, drums, and even orchestral instruments like the flute and violin. Just like with repair skills, you can find a lot of how-to videos on both YouTube and VideoJug.

In addition to the instrument, you're also going to want to learn a little music theory. Ricci Adams' musictheory.net offers a bunch of free lessons to get you started. When you're starting to get good, you can put together a home recording studio on the cheap to start capturing your talent and sharing it with others.

3. Cook Like a Pro

With so many recipe sites and cooking skill how-to videos online, it's a surprise that everyone isn't a master chef at this point. There are so many simple things you can learn that can vastly improve your culinary skill set really quickly, many of which we've covered. We've written so much on the subject of learning to cook better that this little paragraph isn't enough to cover it all, but there are a few posts in particular that you'll want to read to get started. First, these tips and tricks for budding foodies will make your learning process easier. Second, follow this station-by-station kitchen guide to stay organized and efficient when cooking. Finally, these must-know recipes will help you round out your arsenal of cooking knowledge. For more, we like recipe and how-to sites Epicurious and How2Heroes. And, of course, you can always check our how to and kitchen tag pages for more great tips.

2. Become Fluent in a New Language

When we asked you which skills you really wanted to learn, language was at, or close to the top of many peoples' lists. Fortunately for you, this clever technique offers a way to all but master a new language in a short period of time by teaching yourself. You'll still have to work hard and put in the minutes every day, but you can come out speaking fluently in about half of a year. Pretty cool.

1. Make a Web Site, Create an App, or Just Learn to Code

Learning to code is something most of us Lifehackers aspire to do at one point or another, as it's not only a great way to create cool apps and tools that we want to use but it's also an incredibly marketable skill when trying to get a job. To get you started, we've put together two helpful sets of lessons: the basics of programming and making a web site.

Both sets include further resources, but there are plenty of others that we've learned about or have cropped up since. For starters, commenter mistermocha suggests using the "learn ___ the hard way" series. For example, if you wanted to learn Python, you could visit learnpythonthehardway.org. If you just fill in the blank with the language you want to learn and put that into a web search, you'll likely find what you're looking for. (You can also find most of the series here.) If you prefer more interactive lessons, you'll want to check out one of our favorites: Codecademy. I learned by subscribing to online learning site Lynda.com (and through a few basic classes back in college), which is still excellent, but I'd probably have gone with Code Academy at this point since it's in the free category. Regardless of how you decide to learn, programming skills are becoming more and more useful as time goes on. Code is not as complicated as you think, so go get started!

Photos by Mister Wilson, Alex Indigo, Andy Mangold

.

Dear Lifehacker,
I'm getting a new phone this week, and I've been debating whether or not to get a case. Most of my friends have cases on their phones, but a few people are also telling me not to get one because it "ruins the phone". I need an outside opinion. Convince me: Should I get a case or not?

Sincerely
Scared of Scatches

Dear Scared,
This is one of those arguments that will probably continue as long as smartphones are in existence. A lot of it is personal preference, something that you'll realize after you use the phone for awhile both with and without a case. However, there are a few indisputable pros and cons for each side—both obvious ones and the not-so-obvious. Here's a quick look at the arguments for and against using a case.

Bundle Up: Reasons to Protect Your Phone

You might think that cases are only for the anal retentive that care about keeping their phone pristine, but there's more to it than that. Things you want to think about include:

Drop Protection: Look, no matter how careful you are, gravity is just stronger than you. You'll probably drop your phone at least once or twice in the years that you own it. How much protection you need, though, depends on your phone: lots of Android phones are built a bit tougher, and are more likely to survive the occasional drop (I'm speaking from lots of experience here). The iPhone 4 or 4S, on the other hand, while blessed with gorgeous looks, are a lot more likely to break when you drop them, so the argument for using a case becomes much stronger.

It's also worth mentioning that even cheap cases can give you drop protection by preventing you from dropping the phone in the first place. A lot of phones have particularly slippery backs, and a good case can add a bit of grip to keep it from sliding out of your hand and onto the concrete. It still isn't as good as getting a quality case, but it's better than going naked.

Protection for More Than Just Cosmetics: Even if you don't care about the occasional scratch or even shattered back, there's more to your phone than that. Some phones (like the iPhone) have a camera lens flush with the back, meaning its much more prone to scratches and other damage—which can make your photos look pretty awful. You could also damage one of the buttons on your phone, which would make it much more of a hassle to use than just a few scratches.

Resale Value: That said, even if you aren't obsessive about the little scratches on your phone, many people are—and while dropping your phone without a case may not break it, it will create little nicks and scratches on your phone that will lower the resale value. Putting a case on your phone is one of the best ways to upgrade to your next phone for free—so if you sell your phones instead of keeping them around, a case can be a great idea.

Stand Out in a Crowd: While there's always an argument to make for "individuality", a case can also make you stand out in a practical way. Next time you're at a social gathering, count the number of people with the same phone as you in the room. Now imagine none of those people had cases on their phones, and left them on the table or counter (as so many people do). Have fun finding your phone in a sea of identical iPhones. Photo by FreshFiber.

Go Naked: Reasons to Skip the Case

Conversely, lots of people are heavily anti-case. Popular reasons include:

Added Bulk: This is the most obvious reason, and doesn't really require a lot of explanation. A case is going to add more bulk to your phone, plain and simple. Silicone ones make it harder to slip into your pocket, and a lot of people think they cover up the design of the phone, which is often one of the reasons you buy the phone you do.

A Case Won't Save You From Every Drop: It's a bit of a weak argument, but it's true: a case isn't going to miraculously save your phone from ever being broken. Just because you have a case and an unbroken phone doesn't mean the two are directly linked. A soft case will protect you from breakage better than a hard case, and no case is completely immune from damage—it just depends on how your phone hits the ground. It'll certainly protect your phone better than no case at all, but whether that's worth the other cons is up to you.

They Get Dirty Very Easily: When you put a case on your phone, you're adding a bunch of extra nooks and crannies for dirt to get in. And, while it's easy to clean off, it's a bit of a hassle, and if you're too lazy to clean it, you're going to end up with a dirty looking phone.

Cost: You can get a simple case for pretty cheaply, but the more you spend, the better protection you get—and once you start getting into quality case territory, you could end up spending upwards of $40 or $50. That's not horrible by any means, but it is probably 1/4th the cost of your phone—and, if your phone does break, it may not be as expensive to repair as you think. The math isn't perfect, and it all depends on what case you're looking at, but it's something to consider.

Heat: Nothing will kill your battery, slow down your phone, or burn a hole in your pocket quite like an overheating device, and a case is only going to exacerbate that issue. If your phone is prone to getting a little warm, wrapping it in a non-breathable case is not such a great idea. Photo by Justus Bluemer.

Can I Protect My Phone WIthout a Case?

If you decide you don't want to use a case, there are other things you can do to keep your phone safe. The best thing, obviously, is to get some insurance, like SquareTrade's fantastic gadget insurance. For only $100 a year (plus $50 for any individual repair), you can get protection against drops, spills, and tons of other accidents. It's great if you're particularly accident-prone, but again, it may be more cost effective to just repair the phone yourself or stash that money away in your own "extended warranty" fund.

You can also give your phone a bit of extra protection without applying a full case. Screen protectors may not be necessary for screens anymore, but they can protect the back of your phone from scratches, as well as keep it from shattering completely (since it'll keep it all together if it breaks), plus they'll add a bit of grip to the back of your phone to keep you from dropping it. And if you still want to give your phone a bit of individuality as well as grip, you can get a skin for your phone as well. Photo by Brian nairB.

Again, in the end, it all comes down to personal preference, how accident prone you are, and what phone you have, not to mention how you're using it—if you regularly hike, play sports, or impress your friends with your iPhone juggling skills, you might want to take a closer look at a case. If you're particularly careful, you might be okay with a less intense form of protection. Our recommendation: try out a case and see how you like it. You can always take it off and try both ways to see which method you prefer.

Sincerely,
Lifehacker

P.S. Many of you probably already have strong opinions on this subject, so share your thoughts on the case debate in the comments below.

We feature a lot of do-it-yourself projects here at Lifehacker, but oftentimes they seem undoable because they require a skill you don't have. Thankfully, there are quite a few DIY skills out there that are much easier to learn than you think. Here are our 10 favorites.

10. Coding

Instead of waiting around for someone to build the exact program you need, knowing how to code means you can make it yourself—so no matter what your computer needs, you can make it happen. To get started, check out our Night School lesson on learning to code. It'll introduce you to the basics. While you won't be writing the next Spotify within a few weeks, you could easily get started on making your own web site or putting together a Chrome extension. And, after tackling your first coding project and doing a bit more research, you can move onto something bigger.

9. Working with Electronics

A lot of the coolest DIY projects out there require working closely with electronics like an Arduino. If you're trying to create a house of the future or just put together your own ambient lighting setup, you'll need a basic knowledge of electronics and (probably) soldering. Luckily, there are simple how-to comic books for getting started with both, not to mention our own feature on making your own electronics with Arduino and someone else's code. Not that you need someone else's code since you read #10, right?

8. Sewing

Stereotypical gender roles aside, everyone should have a little sewing knowledge. Whether it's just so you can sew a button back on or fix size issues in an otherwise perfect shirt, knowing how to thread a needle can come in handy pretty often. Best of all, it's super easy to learn the basics—this illustrated guide is a good place to start.

7. Auto Maintenance

Car repairs are actually pretty easy to perform, and pretty hard to screw up. You'd be surprised by what you can pull off, and the kind of money you can save doing things for yourself. Check out our list of car repairs that anyone can do themselves, despite their abilities for more info. That way, when you see the check engine light, you'll break out the tool chest rather than heading to your nearest dealership.

6. Home Repair

Everyone should be able to patch up a little bit of their house, whether it's fixing a hole in the wall, filling a hole in the floor, or even just fixing a stripped screw hole. You should also know a few basic things about plumbing, like how to unclog a drain. None of these things are very difficult, but knowing how to do them saves you a call to a repair man (not to mention a bit of money) when something does go wrong. Photo by Sharon Pruitt.

5. Cooking

If you're still eating cereal and ramen noodles 3 meals a day, it's time to learn a few things about cooking. You don't need to be Mario Batali to pull off something that tastes good. Check out our 10+ dishes and drinks everyone should know how to make at home, plus how to eat healthy when you hate cooking. And if you're on a budget, don't let that stop you—you can still enjoy great food without blowing a lot of money, too.

4. Photo Editing

So maybe you've got the basics of photography down, but you've always wanted to learn how to make those photos look even more awesome with software like Photoshop. We've taught you how to touch up photos with color correction, whiten teeth, remove blemishes, brighten an image, change a specific color, and more in our learn the basics of Photoshop Night School, so check that out to get a primer on everything you can do to edit a photo. If you don't want to pay for Photoshop, though, it's worth noting you can do all those things in the free, cross-platform GIMP as well. While you're at it, check out our #photoshop tag to see all the Photoshop tips and tricks we've shared over the years.

3. Building a Computer from Scratch

If you're still buying Dells, it's time to take the leap into custom computer building. You'll get a lot more out of your machine, being able to control what you put in and get the perfect machine for your needs—plus, if you're lucky, even save a little money. Check out our night school on how to build a computer from the ground up to see how easy it really is, and if you're having trouble picking out parts, we've created a few awesome builds that should help you start your search.

2. Jailbreaking/Rooting Your Phone

You've heard us talk about it constantly, whether we're sharing the 10 best root-only Android apps or talking about how to remove manufacturer-installed junk like Carrier IQ. If you still haven't rooted or jailbroken your phone out, it's time to take the plunge, because it's super easy. We have always up-to-date guides for both Android and the iPhone, plus a whole host of information on what to do after you've jailbroken or after you've rooted, too.

1. Emergency Preparedness

It's hard to argue that survival isn't the most important thing on this list. If you don't already have a 72 hour emergency kit and some basic survival skills, there's no better time than now to learn. You never know when disaster might strike, and when it does, you may very well be left on your own, so knowing how to help yourself can make a big difference—even a strategically placed phone can be part of a good emergency plan. And, as always, none of this is actually very hard—it just requires a bit of forethought. So check out our top 10 emergency and survival tricks to stock up your knowledge now.

Got any easy, useful DIY skills we forgot to mention? Tell us about them in the comments.

Title photo by 3355m (Shutterstock).

Whether you choose to buy your next vehicle with cash, or you've just paid off a financed vehicle, having the title in your hands doesn't mean you're free and clear—that vehicle may be all yours and not the bank's, but it's still going to cost you in maintenance and repairs if you want to keep it running smoothly. Take the money you would have spent on a car payment, or what you could afford as a payment if you had financed, and stash it away in a maintenance fund, so when you do go to the mechanic, the bill won't be hard to swallow.

This trick follows on the principle that if you've budgeted for something that you no longer have to pay, that doesn't mean you can't still afford it. It may be tempting to take that couple-hundred dollars every month you would have used for a car loan and spend it on something else, but tuck it away instead for car-related costs. The next time you have some unexpected repair, or need to take the car in for regular maintenance, it'll be easier to pay, and you won't have to put the costs on credit.

After all, the biggest reason most people neglect their vehicle's regular maintenance is because they're worried about what will turn up and how much it'll cost to fix. If you have some money stashed away just for this, there's nothing to be afraid of. How do you manage your car maintenance costs? Even if you buy a car with cash, how do you make sure you have the money to repair it when needed? Share your maintenance budgeting tips in the comments below.

Photo by David Davies.