Normally, doing something yourself rather than paying someone else to do it can save some money.

That is the case most of the time, but it requires you have the time, the skill and the willingness to do the work.

Lack any one of those, and you’ll find yourself in trouble — fast.

Earlier this week, a Ferriday alderman proposed the town cancel an agreement with a professional waste collection company and purchase a garbage truck, garbage cans for citizens and hire three full-time employees.

The idea, Alderman Elijah “Stepper” Banks said, is for the town to save nearly $2,000 per month over what it’s currently charged.

We urge aldermen to carefully consider the proposal before they entertain the notion.

Unfortunately, Ferriday has proven ineffective in managing its own utilities in the past. In particular, the Ferriday water system disintegrated into a mess many years ago and only now has the beginning of a plan to remedy the situation.

Even the seemingly simple task of collecting garbage payments from customers and then, in turn, paying the town’s former garbage hauler proved difficult. As a result, the town accrued a past due bill of approximately $200,000. That amount is still being slowly nibbled away through the careful management of town finances.

Perhaps the town simply needs to get past the water woes and the garbage debt before it decides to tackle another do-it-yourself project.