Article Marketing Resources

SAVING MONEY IN VEGAS FOR LOCALS - true penny pinchers only need respond!?

i live in las vegas & want TRUE saving tips. vegas is tough. the bus is NOT an option, no farmers markets (like the eastcoast sense) and the AC has to be on all day pretty soon so some of those kinds of tips don't work for me. starbucks has never seen a dime from me, i never shop w/o coupons, stock up during great sales, use freecycle when possible and i am not above buying day old bread but i still know that i can eek a few more $$s out of my budget. what are some "quick" solutions to this problem of rising prices & stagnant incomes. i mean i do some sewing but not enough to make clothing. i cook 95% of all my meals. whenever i see one of those MSN or the like articles on tips for saving, they never help. i already do all that. what kinds of things are y'all doing? what kinds of things are y'all NOT doing? i am not a miser and i am not poor. but i am a woman with a family therefore there are choices to be made. i need to know more options. thanks!!

Public Comments

1. I'm married to an auditor which makes me about as frugal as they come since he checks out every receipt that comes in through the door. With the soaring price of groceries be sure to stock up on things you use when they are on sale. That is, if you have a craving for Ritz crackers NOW but they're regular price wait until the store offers a good deal on them and THEN buy a box or two to have in reserves. Our local grocery will have a 10 lb. log of beef for a really good price from time to time. I just divide it out into 10 1 lb. packages (in Ziplock bags), write the date on the outside in a Sharpie marker and freeze it so when I'm ready to make tacos/spaghetti/whatever it's only the 1 lb. that the recipe requires. Weekly you'll have to do the milk/bread/eggs run where it's convenient but for the big trips try to make it to a cheaper grocery store. That said, don't stock up on things that are on sale that you don't ever use just because they are cheap. You'll wind up wasting the product and the cash. Take advantage of rebates. They're a pain, I know but if you track the date you send them in it helps. When you send them in, make a photocopy for your recods and record the sate you send it in on the copy. Calculate out how long it claims to take to receive the rebate, jot it down on your calendar with the 800 number to call if it doesn't come in (i.e. if it says 6-8 weeks, mark that time on your calendar to call for follow up) that way you can make sure you get the money you are due. Sometimes you can find things (groceries and whatnot) that are free if you ues the rebates. Make your trips out in the car count. Don't run to Target one day, Wal-Mart the next, the mall the following day, try to get all your running around in one day to avoid wasting gas getting to and from. I LOVE shopping garage sales in high-end neighborhoods for my girls. You can score lots of nice brands and if you're picky about what you choose there's no reason that their wardrobe can't look brand new and stylish for a fraction of the price. Also look into local resale shops (Once Upon a Child is a national chain and well known for the quality of the items they have...although it's pricier than shopping garage sales). Finally, if you still like to go out to eat and want a treat from time to time check your local TV stations or other outlets that might offer 1/2 price dining gift certificates. We find local restaurants that will offer a $25 gift certificate for $15 (I think Restaurants.com might do this as well...) which makes for a nice savings and a night out! Hope some of these tips help, best of luck!