50 percent

Amount the appliance-repair business has grown at the Gracious Home store on New York City's Upper East Side, according to Santos Lopez, the store's repair manager. "Because the economy is in bad shape, everyone needs to save money, so they bring in every appliance they think they can save," Lopez said in this March 2, 2009, article in the New York Post.

If you're unsure whether to keep or ditch a balky piece of equipment, refer to our repair-or-replace advice, based on survey information from more than 13,000 subscribers. For some appliance-saving inspiration, read this March 2009 story on great old appliances and the people who love them. And visit RepairClinic.com for more repair help for many different appliances. (The parts illustration is from RepairClinic.com.)