It's easy-peasy to fix your own toilet once you get the hang of it. The most common problem involves weird flushing mishaps -- like the tank not filling, or the water running too long or not long enough. These are simple maintenance issues that anyone can handle. So before you call a plumber, roll up your sleeves and have a go!

Don't know your flapper from your float arm? Don't have the patience to wade through a 500-page repair manual? Consider getting tips online. Lowes has an excellent introduction to toilet repair in its "how-to" section, complete with a handy color diagram and a problem-solving section.

Another handy resource: instructional Web videos, like this one on YouTube. The best piece of advice in this particular video? If you're a beginner at toilet repair and if you're not sure exactly what the problem is, get one of those all-in-one-box repair kits. They have all the commonly used washers and other doodads included in the box. Trust me. It's totally likely that this kit will save you at least one additional -- not to mention frustrating -- trip to the hardware store this weekend!