Readers share tips on ways to save money

Economically speaking, things are a little tough right now.

Which is like saying that it gets a bit warm in Las Vegas in mid-July.

But, roller-coaster stock market and incredibly shrinking retirement accounts aside, we choose to be optimistic. Tough times don't last but tough people do, and when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and all that.

Still, anybody can benefit from a few money-saving tips. That's why we asked readers to share some of their favorite belt-tightening tricks, strategies and ideas with us.

And you responded, with a few tried-and-true basics and some buck-stretching tips that are new to us.

Much of your advice involved food -- buying it, preparing it, eating it, at home or in restaurants. Several of you, for example, recommended taking full advantage of coupons when shopping or dining out.

But it hadn't occurred to us to look for coupons not only in the newspaper but, as Becky Pantuso of Henderson pointed out, on the Internet and, even, on the receipt we receive from the supermarket.

Kathy Veatch-Corso of Henderson was among several readers who noted that shopping trip planning can save big bucks. She suggested planning meals around weekly supermarket fliers and devising recipes for on-sale and seasonal items.

Veatch-Corso also said to put supermarket competition to good use. For example, she noted, Wal-Mart will honor competitors' sale prices, and other stores may well be agreeable to doing the same.

Convenience, whether in the form of fast food or prepared foods, typically carries a premium. So, Pam Patterson of Las Vegas suggested planning meals at home and taking home-cooked lunches to work.

Eschew expensive prepackaged snacks for homemade ones. Janet DiGiacomo of Las Vegas recalled how her mom saved glass baby food jars and filled them with canned fruit for school lunches. "You just had to ignore kids who made comments about eating baby food," she said.

DiGiacomo also suggested learning to cook from recipes if you don't already know how. "Make your own tomato sauce in big batches and freeze it in small containers for a quick pasta meal," she said, and prepare soups according to the same strategy.

Learning to cook from recipes also can expand a home cook's repertoire of inexpensive dishes featuring inexpensive ingredients. For instance, DiGiacomo said, use a box of elbow macaroni to make meals featuring various vegetables, seasonings and meat.

Use coupons when dining out, too, but consider the fine print. JoAnne McMaster of Las Vegas said that she and her husband treat themselves to an occasional restaurant meal, but only at places that offer two-for-one coupons. She added, "We never use coupons that state 'must buy beverages.' "

A single beverage can add $2 or $3 to a restaurant tab, which, McMaster noted, may well eliminate any savings the coupon afforded.

Take advantage of coupons when buying nonfood items, too. Veatch-Corso said that Borders, for example, has a book club that offers members discounts on books. "This comes in very handy when the kids need books for school or a birthday gift," she said.

Patterson suggested buying quantities of an item on sale, and to ask the cashier if you may exceed the limit. Often, the answer will be yes, she said, "especially if it's the last day of sale."

For clothing, DiGiacomo recommended thrift and consignment shops. Or, "have a clothing exchange party with friends," she said. "I wore hand-me-downs when I went to school and had 40 different skirts, which is much better than five new outfits, in my opinion."

A surprising amount of money can be saved by thinking about minor purchases. Diane Lemon of Las Vegas, for example, suggested using cheap terry cloth wash cloths instead of paper towels in the kitchen, using paper only for grease, paint or other "things you don't want in your washing machine."

Utility bills represent a large part of household expenses. Vince Locke of Las Vegas noted that many home electronic devices -- TVs, computers and the like -- still use electricity even when turned off.

"To fight this energy usage, I have plugged all of my electronics into power strips with on/off switches," he said. "When I'm not going to be using them for a few hours (e.g., when I'm at work or asleep), I flip the switches and cut the power to them. Doing this has cut my electric bill by around 50 percent."

We all know about the basics of closing vents in unneeded rooms, keeping the thermostat at a constant, efficient temperature and the like. But Tom Townsend of Las Vegas noted that many can save "a couple of thousand dollars annually on heating and air-conditioning without sacrificing at all.

"In the summer, well-placed fans where you eat, watch TV, work online, etc. in conjunction with and/or instead of central air will allow you to use less (air conditioning)," he said. "And often when it's too hot, the fans alone will make it comfortable."

Think about the services you pay for but may not really need, from Call Waiting for the phone to, Pantuso said, premium cable channels and pest extermination services.

Even, for that matter, barbers and hairstylists: Learn, Pantuso suggested, to cut your kids' hair with a trimmer.

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.