Wallet-tightening tips

In these economically difficult times, we've been told to tighten our belts. For many residents of the east side of the Las Vegas Valley, the belts were tight to begin with.

Even in lean times it's possible to eat out, enjoy entertainment and take classes without breaking the bank.

Live music for little or nothing

All the major casinos on the Boulder Strip have lounges where you can enjoy live music, usually for no more than the price of a drink. Try Palace Grand Lounge in Arizona Charlie's Boulder or Marilyn's Lounge in the Eastside Cannery. Both venues host live bands Tuesday through Sunday. Kixx Bar in Boulder Station features live entertainment Thursday through Sunday including several karaoke evenings. Roxy's Lounge at Sam's Town offers live music almost every night. Sam's Town is also home to Mystic Falls Park, home of free animatronic animal and laser shows put on in a unique indoor park environment.

Bargains on movies

The Whitney area is home to the valley's only bargain movie theater, Regency Tropicana Cinemas at 3330 E. Tropicana Ave., near Pecos Road. The theater shows movies that were released previously for $1.50, a fraction of the cost of a first-run theater. On Tuesdays all movies are $1. For information and show times, visit regencymovies.com or call 438-3456.

The only way to see a movie less expensively would be to see it for free, which you can do at the county's public libraries. The closest libraries are the Sunrise Library at 5400 Harris Ave., which can be reached at 507-3900, and the Whitney Library at 5175 E. Tropicana Ave., which can be reached at 507-4010. Both show films for adults and children.

"All the libraries have their own individual film programs," said Melanie Cisneros, reference assistant at the Sunrise Library. "At the Sunrise Library, we show movies every other week, and we try to show a family-friendly movie every other time. We pick movies that are popular that we think will bring people in. We also try to pick movies that are related to any special events, like Black History Month and Women's History Month."

Libraries are also home to a wide variety of DVDs. While you may have trouble tracking down a specific title, you can find hundreds of selections to browse through, ranging from recent hit films to classics, educational films and a few oddities most video stores don't bother to carry. Libraries allow you to take out seven DVDs or videos for seven days at no charge. They're absolutely free, as long as you bring them back on time.

Many of the county's community centers also screen films regularly. The Cora Coleman Senior Center, 2100 Bonnie Lane, screens free films for seniors 50 or older at 11:30 a.m. on the last Tuesday of every month. For a film schedule and information, call 455-7617.

The Paradise Recreation Center hosts Friday Family Flicks at 6 p.m. on the second Friday of the month. The screenings are free, but families must register to attend before the preceding Monday by calling 455-7513.

Other special screenings take place periodically and can be found on the parks and recreation section of the county website, clarkcountynv.gov.

Free or cheap classes and events

The Clark County website, clarkcountynv.gov, is also one of the best places to find out about other free or inexpensive events hosted by the county. The featured events on the right side of the home page highlight some of the more interesting upcoming offerings. Every community center also has its own webpage on the site, and it's worth it to check them out periodically to find free or inexpensive events and classes.

Outdoors is still free, right?

Can't afford that gym membership? Right now, when the weather is hard to beat, the east side of the valley boasts several underused outdoor resources all free for exploring.

The largest park in the valley is the Clark County Wetlands Park at 7050 Wetlands Park Lane, at the east end of Tropicana Avenue. The park boasts a 100-acre nature preserve and miles of trails. Because it is an oasis with plentiful water, a remarkably wide variety of birds can be seen there including native species and exotic migrating species.

Can't spare the gas to drive to the park? Then take a walk close to home. A network of trails around the valley for pedestrians and cyclists is well under way, and many of the more completed sections are nearby. The Flamingo Arroyo Trail stretches from near UNLV to the Sunrise Trailhead in the foothills of Frenchman's Mountain and connects to trails in Wetlands Park, and trails that follow U.S. Highway 95 and the Las Vegas Wash. Access to the Flamingo Arroyo Trail trailheads can be found at the corner of the Pecos McLeod Connect and Emerson Avenue, just south of Des ert Inn Road; on Lamb Boulevard just south of Sahara Avenue; and at the corner of Ruby Creek Drive and South Sloan Lane.

Water saving tips

Lou Salazar, business representative for the Plumbers, Pipefitters & Service Technicians Local No. 525, said there are several inexpensive and easy repairs that can save homeowners money on water bills.

"First off, changing your shower head and putting an aerator on your sink will cut back a lot on water use," Salazar said. "A lot of older homes still have toilets with 3-gallon tanks, and they really should switch over to 1.6 gallon tanks, which does the same job more efficiently."

Inexpensive shopping venues

Bargain hunters can search for treasures at several unique shopping venues.

For folks looking for everything including the kitchen sink who aren't looking to spend an arm and a leg, there's ReStore, which is run by Habitat for Humanity. It has two locations, ReStore West at 1401 N. Decatur Blvd., which can be reached at 638-7736, and ReStore East at 3455 E. Flamingo Road, which can be reached at 638-7736.

The stores sell donated furniture and building materials at prices far lower than the big-box furniture hardware stores.

"Not all of it is useful for the way we build houses," said Guy Amato, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas. "We build affordable houses to a certain standard. They all have to be the same, so we have all these other materials we take and sell at highly discounted prices to the general public."

Although the selection is catch as catch can, there are often some surprising finds there, including some unique items.

In addition to the chain bargain stores and thrift stores, there are two indoor swap meets in the Whitney area, the Q Mall at 4440 E. Tropicana Ave. and Charleston Indoor Swap Meet at 4533 E. Charleston Blvd.

The largest swap meet in the valley is Broadacres Marketplace and Events Center at 2930 Las Vegas Blvd. North. While the 44-acre outdoor swap meet is in North Las Vegas, it draws visitors from across the valley.

In September the east side of town became home to the valley's first 89¢ Only Store at 4018 Boulder Highway. It has many of the things one might find at a 99-cent store but 10 cents cheaper. The store already has expanded since it opened six months ago.

Contact Sunrise and Whitney View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 380-4532.