In February 2022, Lilly Skjoldahl, 26, took a trip to the dentist and left with a $10,690 bill but has managed to pay it off by using her impressive DIY skills.
Skjoldahl, who lives in Texas, didn't have any savings but she does possess a talent that allowed her to raise the money to pay off her bill.
In a viral video shared to Instagram, @thefurnituredr, Skjoldahl shows off her DIY skills as she presents before and after videos of old furniture she upcycled and sold for three times more than she paid for it. The video has gained more than 161,000 likes and over 2 million views.
Using the money from the furniture sales, Skjoldahl was able to pay off her dental bill by July.
Speaking to Newsweek, Skjoldahl said: "As a child, I had fillings in my molars but they fell out and exposed the nerves so I had to get them fixed. I also had a few root canals and crowns, it was excruciating."
"[The cost of the treatment] began to add up extremely fast. I didn't have it all done at once so I had a couple of months to make money in between dental appointments."
At the time, Skjoldahl had recently moved into a new home and was browsing on Facebook Marketplace for cheap furniture when she had a light bulb moment.
"I saw a piece with potential and thought to myself, I could probably fix this up and re-sell it."
"I truly never thought it would be this successful. I thought it would be a temporary thing to make some cash. But then it became very therapeutic for me and I found such satisfaction from each transformation," she said.
Flipping furniture soon became part of her everyday schedule as she spent most evenings converting old pieces of furniture into something stylish.
Most of the furniture was either free or cost less than $100.
Skjoldahl told Newsweek: "I have always been good at DIY, my dad is an engineer, but it was still a learning process and I learned a lot from my own mistakes. I also watched tutorials on YouTube.
"As I got better, I began taking on more than one project at once. It may take a little longer but more gets done."
A recent survey has revealed 39 percent of 1,000 US homeowners intend to improve their aesthetic design by carrying out a home project in 2022.
Three out of five homeowners are excited about the home projects on their to-do lists, although many are feeling overwhelmed or anxious.
Now that the bill is paid off, Skjoldahl who also works in an office, flips furniture for extra cash.
She told Newsweek: "I try to make at least three times what I spent on the item and supplies back. I price my things slightly lower because I want them to sell and because I live in an area with a lower cost of living!"
"I use my Instagram to help others flip furniture and DIY projects so they too can make a profit."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Lucy Notarantonio is Newsweek's Senior Lifestyle and Trends Reporter, based in Birmingham, UK. Her focus is trending stories and human ... Read more
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