Squeezing out savings

Whether one is in the money or looking to stretch their bottom dollar, savvy saving is a great equalizer.

Like most Americans, the economic downtown took Lisa Murphy's family for a ride. Her hours were cut at work, her husband was forced into a pay cut and the northwest couple feared foreclosure.

Her response made dollars and sense.

The Murphys cut out cable and cut up credit cards. They ditched gym memberships and started buying more store brands. The little measures added up.

Murphy said they also have formed new habits they'll keep beyond the lean times.

"Once I started to trim the fat, we realized how much we weren't missing," she said. "We just had to be smart and stay focused and not think, 'Oh, I'm living like a pauper.' "

Local experts and fans of frugality weigh in on how it pays to tighten the belt:

The ride way

To combat rising gas prices, consider becoming one of the more than 54.8 million riders of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada.

The northwest is home to one of its four transit centers.

Residents can park their vehicles and use transit at the Centennial Hills Transit Center and Park & Ride, 7313 Grand Montecito Parkway.

About 1,000 riders a day use the line that goes from Centennial Hills to downtown Las Vegas and on to Spring Mountain Road, the Strip and UNLV, spokeswoman Tracy Bower said.

Fares are $2 for a ride, $3 for a two-hour residential pass, $5 for a 24-hour residential pass, $15 for a three-day residential pass, $20 for a five-day residential pass and $65 for a 30-day residential pass.

Residents may use residential passes on the Strip & Downtown Express and Deuce on the Strip routes by presenting their Nevada ID.

The parking lot also is open to commuters who need a gathering space for a carpool.

"It's a safe, convenient place to access carpools or the transport service," Bower said.

Schedules and information about the commission's employer-based assistance program, including ways to find potential carpool partners, are available at rtcsnv.com.

For those headed to the airport, the commission offers a free park and ride from its South Strip Transfer Terminal, 6675 S. Gilespie St.

Motorists can park in the supervised lot and take a 10-minute bus ride directly to McCarran International Airport.

Free way

Who doesn't love something free?

All of the trails in the Spring Mountains National Recreation area are offered free. For a more in-depth experience, the U.S. Forest Service offers interpretive hikes led by a trained naturalist for free, too.

To organize a hike, call the Spring Mountain Conservancy at 804-2681.

The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District offer a bevy of free lectures, workshops and events.

For a list of schedules, visit lvccld.com or call the Centennial Hills Library, 6601 N. Buffalo Drive, at 507-6100.

The libraries have an ever-growing selection of books and media available to cardholders. Library computer labs are free, too.

Check out ilovefreethings.com for freebies and samples from many brand-name manufacturers. Avoid paying the price of landing on spam lists by creating a second email address for offers from the site.

If a gym membership is no longer in the budget, use playground equipment. To meet athletic groups or like-minded people, meetup.com has a range of organized topics.

Sign up for Las Vegas Councilman Steve Ross' Ward 6 newsletter. The city of Las Vegas hosts events such as movies in the park, church barbecues, potlucks and gatherings that are free and open to the public. To get on the email list, call 229-6154.

The city of Las Vegas Spring Celebration is planned for noon to 4 p.m. April 9 at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs, 9200 Tule Springs Road. See page 7AA for more information.

Woes to wows

Steven Budin, certified financial planner and president of the Budin Group, tells most of his clients the same thing when they reach out for support.

"Track your spending for 21 days or even 30 days," he said. "It'll blow your mind to see that one or two Starbucks a week, a candy bar here, a bottle of water there and how you're spending more than you should on frivolous spending."

Next, take a look at expenses being deducted from accounts via auto pay.

"The gym membership is a big one that comes up," he said.

Deconstruct cable bills, he said. Eliminate premium channels and debundle if a seldom-used land line is just sucking money away.

When making a purchase online, Google whether there is a promotion code or coupon for the item.

For homeowners, Budin suggested readjusting homeowners insurance for lower premiums if the house depreciated.

"Why pay the insurance company more than you have to?" he said.

Although many of his tips are common sense, Budin suggested taking the difference of each and plucking it for savings.

"It's tough to generalize, but in this economy, it's always good to have a cushion for emergency expenses," he said.

Contact Centennial and Paradise View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.