DIY Do it Yourself or Not®

We get a pile of magazines and catalogs delivered every day and couldn't find a box large enough, so we installed a mail slot in the front door. Our carrier doesn't have to struggle stuffing everything inside the box, and when we're traveling our mail is waiting for us safely inside the house when we return. It's a good improvement we're glad we did.

Mail slots are sold at home centers, in home-related catalogs and online (type "mail slot" in any search engine). Most are made of brass, but they come in a variety of finishes, such as oil-rubbed bronze, satin and antique nickel, satin chrome, and polished brass to coordinate with door hardware. They come in a variety of sizes, but the most popular size was with a 2-inch by 11-inch opening.

If you have carpentry experience and tools, you can make the installation for $35, the cost of the mail slot, and save 58 percent. You'll need a tape measure, screwdriver, power or handsaw, and electric drill. If you use a power saw, make the cut from the inside of the door - and make it from the outside if you use a handsaw - to prevent the wood from splintering.

If cutting a hole in your door is intimidating, you can hire a carpenter to do the installation in a wood door for $84, which includes the labor and material.

Tip: To prevent the wood from splintering when you cut with a power saw, make the cut from the inside of the door. If you cut from the outside, use a hand saw.