>get yourself the right tools for any job

I can't stress this enough. I'm pretty frugal and back when I didn't have much money I would just make do with whatever tools I had or could fashion from what I had (and I still fight this instinct on every job even though I can afford tools now). Things are so, so, so, so much easier when you have the correct tool.

You don't need to go buying the most expensive high quality tool you can find, though. Harbor freight is great for those tools that aren't used too hard, but you really need. I wouldn't get anything that takes a lot of stress from them, but their stuff is just fine for regular homeowner jobs.