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PENNY PINCHERS only please - how do u save $$?

i live in las vegas & want TRUE saving tips. LV is tough. the bus is NOT an option, no farmers markets (in the eastcoast sense) & the AC is a necessity not a luxury, the urban sprawl is murder on gas so 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 more 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 they suggest. what kinds of things are y'all doing? what kinds of things are y'all NOT doing? i am not a miser & 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. Become a hypermiler
2. Get a better job =)
3. General dollar and dollar store;)
4. eat rice,drink water,eat noodles,plant a garden,plant fruit trees,ect
5. stop saving and start living! if money makes you happy, well then i guess not
6. I save money by voting Conservative.
7. This will tell you the lowest gas prices in your area http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=&src=Netx
8. ....you coverd just about everything but not eating
9. make a chart and keep track of all your expenses every time you buy something and enter it in the chart, then see if these things were necessities, if not, eliminate them and invest your left over money into roth IRA's
10. Just try this learned it from having gone through a divorce and filed bankruptcy because of bills left to me..try getting a small notebook or pad and for one month write down every dime you spend, and I mean every dime ...It's just to see where your "money" actually goes, and then adjust from there, being in Vegas cost of living is a bitch..good luck...
11. Well, since you do live in Las Vegas, have you thought about being a cocktail waitress? I hear they make good $$$. Maybe you can just do that on the weekends.
12. You are, well, cheap. There are some things you should be splurging on and if you haven't got any luxuries then what are you living for? Quality of life spending is reserved for things like clothing and health & beauty. Please don't spoil this for your family.
13. I sew my stuff, shop at discount/wholesale stores, buy bulk, make ramen vegtable soup,planted a garden, and cut back on eating out.
14. no cable or other entertainment expenses,no news papers or magazines. remove most of the light bulbs and replace with florescent ones.disconnect the computer from power when not using it(have the Internet turned off and use the public library instead). use a programmable thermostat on both the water heater and air conditioning.Make sure your tires are inflated correctly
15. I started drying my clothes out on the clothesline instead of using the gas dryer, and my utility bill went down $70! I put the clothes in the dryer for about 10-15 mins with a good fabric softener though, so they wont feel like sandpaper! Also, I only buy meat that is on sale, buy clothes from Goodwill, or ask friends for hand me downs, dont drive anywhere unless I need to, sell our outgrown clothes to Goodwill, when I go out drinking with friends, we drink at one of our houses first, then just get one or 2 drinks at the bar (that saves a ton!), I hope my suggestions help!!!
16. Places like Costco and Sam's Club help. When you buy things in bulk, you save money and it lasts longer. For me, I only buy food that's on sale (the necessities not included). Why should I pay more for potato chips? They're all the same anyways. Since you have the ac on at all times, find other ways to cut down on the electricity. Buy those fancy coil bulbs. Don't leave things on all the time when no ones in the room. Find leaks in the windows and doors. You might be losing cold air and, therefore, using more electricity. If you think about it hard enough, I'm sure you can make up a pretty long list.
17. It's always a good idea to look at your bills and utillity bills are you doing your part to conserve water and electricity? In return you get a lower bill. If you have cable, internet and phone do you have a "bundle" deal with the company? Collecting cans and bottles sure add up fast for a few extra dollars at the recyclers, and buying store brand over name brand even if its a few cents it all adds up. You sound like your doing a pretty good job already though, good luck on your penny penching quest, I was born and raised in Las Vegas and its not easy.
18. I buy cheaper cuts of meat from the butcher...if you are creative and know how marinade you can produce a good meal. We have dollar stores in my area with name brand products.-why spend 2 or 3 dollars on tooth past when i can buy the same brand for a dollar. I will buy a name brand washing detergent (liquid) for 7 bucks...get a cheaper brand of washing detergent from the dollar store and use 1 and 1/2 of each for my laundry. Stretches it out.