I've been tormented by squeaky hardwood floors in old apartment buildings for years, and recently realized I can just fix them myself super easily. I bought this kit called Squeeeeek No More from Lowes for like $25 - it has special screws whose heads break off just below your floor boards once they're pulled snugly against the joists beneath them. The hardest part is learning to predict where your joists are, but it's pretty simple once you find the first one. It's really easy to just learn to tune out the things that ambiently annoy you about your apartment every single day, and I think life gets way better when you realize it's usually easier than you think to fix them (i.e. home improvement serenity prayer). There's an obvious satisfaction to building with your hands and learning how things work, but most importantly there's a clear payoff at the end when you get to enjoy a way nicer apartment
Most of the time you can fix your car yourself. Or build that shelf yourself. I ended up making my own bedframe after moving because I didnβt want to rent a UHaul, checking out tools from the Chicago Tool Library. Even if you think you donβt have the skills now, learning to do it will save you money in the future