Get your local service listed
When I first moved to San Diego, I had a pretty tough time finding trustworthy local handyman shops. I had some major issues with my car, and tried out a couple of different mechanics. Unfortunately, none of the men at these shops took me very seriously because I am a young woman who appears to them as clueless about cars. I know more than they think, thanks to my dad telling all of us girls about how to fix simple car issues when we were first beginning to drive. Anyway, I had to learn quickly to bring a man with me, which seemed pathetic.
Fortunately, I recently discovered a local auto shop that I love: Speedy Auto Repair (http://www.speedyrepairsmog.com/). The men at this place are very helpful and actually tell me about my car in a way that isn’t degrading. Since moving out here, my sister and I have befriended a local plumber who is able to talk us through issues we may have with our toilet or plumbing, in general. And over the past few months, my sister and I have acquired some handy skills of our own. She is actually pretty skilled in carpentry. She hung up ALL of our shelves in the house and constructed our wooden side table where we keep the computer. It even has drawers for the ink cartridges and inkjets!
Thank goodness for our handyman friends for showing us a thing or two about cars, carpentry, and plumbing. These are all skills that are very useful to have in day-to-day living.