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Oct 7, 2008 7:45 pm US/Eastern
Money-Saving Secrets: 'I've Reinvented My House'
Reporting
Cindy Hsu
FLORAL PARK, N.Y. (CBS) ―
CBS 2 has been asking viewers to write in and tell us their money-saving secrets, and we've received lots of great ideas, including a slew of them from a woman from Floral Park on Long Island.
We decided to tell her secret.
The minute her 3 kids are off to school, Berdine Japsi turns off every light in the house and unplugs all the appliances. By switching to an energy-efficient washer and dryer, the water bill went from nearly $100 to $57 in three months.
She says the $2,000 cost for the appliances is worth it.
"It's more money, but you're actually going to save in the long run. You're not going to feel it when you're paying for it, but you are going to see the difference in your bills when you do get them," she says.
And Japsi really saved money on her home renovation by bartering for services through friends and acquaintances. She saved big time getting the inside of her home painted.
"We did save quite a lot of money there. He did quote somewhere in the thousands," she says.
When it came to fixing up her house, Japsi saved the cost of buying new furniture by staining what she already had.
"It saved a lot of money, I didn't have someone come and do it and I think it looks pretty good," she says.
For family entertainment, a night out at the movies would cost the family about $100, so now they record what they want to see on their TV a for Friday movie night at home.
"We can make our own popcorn, you can add what you want to the popcorn, you can have your own sodas and drinks, you can even invite a friend over," she says.
Japsi says she's using these tough economic times to teach her children the value of money early on.
"I'm teaching them for maybe in their adult years. You know when times get tough you can still make it and these are the things that are going to help you."
If you have a money-saving secret, we want to know what it is. We may even tell your secret on CBS 2.
What Are You Doing To Stay Grounded In This Crisis? 
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