Contrary to popular opinion, you don't necessarily need a Y chromosome in order to know how to fix something on your car. You don't even need to know what a breaker bar is or what you're supposed to do with it.

In high school, at the same time that I got my first job and my first car, something went wrong with it and I was looking at the prospect of an expensive mechanic bill to pay all by myself. And my 17 year old self had very little money to dish out. So I had to find a way to fix some things in my car by myself, the hard way.

Before I went through this, I thought anything more than putting gas into my car was almost like heart surgey, and I was afraid to even think of fixing something in my car when we live in a society that immediately runs to mechanics for any little squeak that comes out. I was afraid I would do it all wrong and possibly cause even more damage to my car.

But, to my surprise, with a little research and help from YouTube tutorials, some things turned out to be much simpler than I thought. And much less scary. Plus, I saved a lot of money!

While there are times you really should go to a mechanic, most times you can fix common repairs by yourself. Even if you're a girl (I'm a girl).

By the time you're done you'll feel less like a dummy who overpays at the mechanic and more like a certified genius.

Here are some simple things you can do all on your own (with almost no tools).

1) Change Your Cabin Air Filter

Mechanic Estimate: $85-125

DIY Estimate: $15-25

If you actually take your car in to a shop get this fixed...I pity the fool.

I once got charged $100 to get this fixed at the mechanic. But when I did it on my own, it cost me $18 and 2 minutes of my time.

The cabin air filter is simply a filter that cleans your air conditioning. Just like in an house. It is usually located behind your glove compartment.

Knowing how to fix this is really worthwhile because they say you should switch it out every three months in order to breathe in the cleanest air possible.

They get dirty pretty easily. This is an old versus and new one.

Easy Steps:

1. Buy a Cabin Air Filter for your specific car. Any car supplies store should have it for no more than fifteen to twenty dollars.

2. Take it to your car. Make sure your car is in Park. (Or do it driving down a hill if you're the reckless type). It would also be wise to turn your car off. (Again, unless recklessness is your thing).

The next steps are for most cars. I personally have a Honda civic. But it shouldn't be too different for any other.

3. Open your glove compartment. (Does anyone actually keep gloves in there? ) Take out anything in there and set it aside.

4. With your hands, pull both walls of the glove compartment towards each other. Then pull it towards you. It should hang out and (voilá!) reveal the slot where the cabin air filter lies awaiting your capable hands.

5. The box where its located should have two arrows on each side that you grab with your fingers and push inward, then pull towards you just like before. It should come right out.

6. Switch the old filter with the new. There should be an arrow on the new filter, make sure it's pointing the same way as the one on the filter box.

7. Push the box back in. Close your glove box. Put your stuff back in. Done.

Here is also another detailed guide on how to perform this.

2) Change Your Wiper Blades

Mechanic Estimate: $75-85

DIY Estimate: $15-30

Some of you may already know how to do this (I hope!). But if not, you probably not alone. I never knew how to do it...until I did. My dad helped me out with this one.

Easy steps:

1. Buy wiper blades for your car at any auto supplies store, an employee should be able to help you find them.

2. Now you can do this the easy way or the easier way. You can literally unhook your old blades and put in the new. OR you can just ask the employee who helped you to help you install them to see if they're the right ones. That way, if they're not, they know exactly why, what other brand might be better, and can do the return for you right away so you don't have to wait in line. Done! And the only thing you should be paying for are the actual wiper blades, unless you want to give them a tip for their help, although you don't have to, and sometimes they are not allowed to accept tips. Depends.

Here's another guide if you prefer to do it yourself.

3) Change Your Engine Air Filter

Mechanic Estimate: $85-100

DIY Estimate: $6-20

As opposed to cabin air filter, which you should replace every couple of months, your engine air filter you shouldn't need to replace until every 30-40 thousand miles, depending on what environment your car drives in. You should do it sooner rather than later if you drive in hot, dusty weather.

Easy steps:

1. Buy the product for your specific car. Bring it to your car, park your car, turn it off.

2. Open the hood and locate your engine air filter compartment which should be a black box, as shown.

3. Unlatch the top of the box and flip it open. Take out the old one and out the new one, make sure you insert it in the same direction the old one was facing (look for arrows on the sides).

4. Make sure it is in securely, close the latch of the box. Close your hood.

Your job is complete and shouldn't have cost you more than 20-50 dollars for the actual product, depending on your car, whereas at the mechanic it would have cost you 85-100 dollars or more.

See this link link for a more picture-detailed guide.

For more repairs you can do on your own check out this website and simply do a Google or YouTube search for a tutorial for specific directions if you are more visual. Most repairs take very little brain power, but a lot of caution so that you don't hurt yourself or the car.

So, next time something happens to your car, make sure it is something you can not do yourself first, that way you'll save a ton of money. No longer will you be the gullible goat who pays twice (or three times) as much for something just because you did not know what it was or that, possibly, you had what it takes be be your own mechanic deep within yourself.