ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- Jay Soetermans to-do list is growing longer in the down economy.

"Painting jobs drywall, "

Today's job was to fix a faucet .

" I came in for a hack saw to do a plumbing job in my bathroom."

It's this growing trend of DIY, that has home improvement stores
Like Zanocco Ace Hardware thriving.

"We noticed in the Spring people that were having a lawn service do their lawn care, are now taking it upon themselves."

"From small paint jobs to larger fixes like plumbing and insulation, DIY's seem to be tackling just about any project."

"Young people e are starting to get into it now to. Doing things they never though they could do before."

But with the main motivation being expense,

"I saved myself $300 minimum."

For Soetermans, the savings is worth the extra hours of manual labor.