Household chores are ideal for listing and drawing - because it puts off the time when they need to be tackled.

Having said that, unless you want to live in a ramshackle pigsty of a place, there is something to be said for tackling small jobs.

Here are some reasons for doing them.
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• They stop you being bored
• A better environment improves your state of mind
• Some gentle physical activity is good for you

Here in A to Z order are chores that I have successfully done or avoided over the years.  The idea of the illustrations is to put a little fun and color into them.

A box of self-assembly parts with clear instructions should be easy to put together.  When the most complicated tool is a screwdriver how hard can it be?

The first time flat pack purchaser eagerly rushes home to start the task, opens the box and begins to realise what they have started.  There is no turning back.  The cupboard is required immediately and surely any practical guy  could have the job done in thirty minutes.

One of my frequent self-assembly mistakes is installing a key component upside down.  The mistake only becoming apparent later and requiring disassembly to start again.

Say goodbye to any plans for the rest of the day as you screw, hammer and glue together a wonky structure that might last for six months if lucky.

​Flat pack - the right to self-assembly.

Not really a hobby, a Garage or Yard Sale is a chance to offload stuff you no longer need and make some money.  You could call it recycling too just to be extra green.

​Get all that old stuff out on display.  Clean it and price it.  Advertise.  Maybe make a little money.

​Along with Car Washing and any other money making ideas this probably needs its own page sometime.

School and work clothes require ironing.

An unironed shirt can create a poor impression in formal situations.  For a work interview an ironed shirt is probably still essential, along with a tie and a haircut.

Ironing is not one of the worst chores.  Put the TV or radio on and spend a while creating order in your life.

A pile of ironed clothes later and Brownie points should have been earned.

Some people claim to love ironing.  Whether meant ironically or as appreciation for their hard effort here is an expression of that love.

Some people like decorating.

In theory a pot of paint and a couple of hours light painting and the job should be done.

In practice there is stripping, peeling, filling, sanding - a host of preparation tasks meaning you are worn out before even lifting a paintbrush.

It is not the plumber's fault that bills for small maintenance tasks are high.  You are paying for his time to get to and from your house.  His van, tools, insurance and business expenses, plus the ten cent washer.

Alternatively you can research minor plumbing jobs on YouTube and source spare parts and tools from a hundred different online outlets.

An hour or so of effort and a ten cent washer later fixes the problem and gives a sense of achievement.

In this time of equality there are some jobs that still automatically fall to the poor down trodden man of the house.

Trash disposal is one of those.

Given that it takes virtually no effort or time and is relatively easy and clean - it is a job that most men should be happy to take on.

​And it gets you out of the house.

Vacuuming is a relatively simple job that men can be mostly trusted to do.

Initially precious objects will get broken or knocked over.  With near constant instruction and threats the man can be trained to be more careful and considerate.

Then it is a matter of buying enough extension cable to reach all round the living space and thinking thoughts to yourself as you try to avoid small children and cats.

These days you can buy a robot vacuum cleaner fairly inexpensively.  But where's the fun in that?

We sold our old vacuum.  It was just sat there gathering dust.

Cars don't really need washing.  They are designed to operate under all weather conditions and do not require garaging due to modern rust treatments.

However - headlights, number plates, windows and wing mirrors do need regular cleaning for safety reasons.

And by the time you have done that lot you might as well do the wheels and the bodywork too.

A traditional job to give medium sized children to do in an attempt to teach them the value of hard work and money.