Starting today in the PVT, a new column by Jessica Beaudoin will help you save some money here, stretch your dollars there, and still enjoy a worthwhile lifestyle. From making 50 cents or $5 go farther to offering tips for free entertainment options to passing along Web sites that will give your wallet a break, Jessica will give you a hand. From saving money at the gas pump to exploring the Internet, she's just as interested as the rest of your Pahrump neighbors. Take a look and let us know the money-saving tips you've come across yourself so Jessica can share them with the community as a whole. Advertisement

Still waiting for your bail-out package? Did Uncle Sam cap your salary at $500,000 and leave you scrambling for ways to make ends meet?

Or maybe you're just like the rest of us: looking to cut back and spend smart.

If you meet these criteria, you've come to the right place. This column will share money tips, helpful Web sites and Internet deals. We'll find ways to stretch your dollars, methods for trimming your spending and my favorite ... free stuff.

From painlessly plugging leaks in your budget to scouting the best interest rates on bank CDs -- this is the place for all things frugal.

So where are the tips already?

Tip

The cost of first-class postage will increase two pennies to 44 cents, effective May 11. If you're like me, you have a few 42-cent stamps you'll need to use over the next two months. Otherwise, we'll both be buying extra 2-cent stamps to supplement our letters. Forever Stamps can be currently purchased for 42 cents to lock in the lower rate.

Price increases at the post office are tied to inflation and cannot rise at a rate higher than the consumer price index.

According to Nathaniel Rich at Slate.com, investing in Forever Stamps as a hedge against inflation is not your best bet:

"Despite the numerous rate hikes over the last 36 years, stamps have actually been getting cheaper. The 20-cent stamp from 1981, for instance, would be equivalent to 45 cents in today's dollars -- which makes today's rate 10 percent cheaper than it was 26 years ago. Should this historical pattern hold, you'd be paying more for today's Forever Stamps than you would for any stamp in the future, no matter how high the rate goes."

Web site

Both Albertson's and Smith's have Web pages to print coupons.

At Smithsfoodanddrug.com, click on "In Store," then click on "Coupons." At that page, click on "Print Your Coupons." Simply input your zip code, then click on the coupons to "clip" them and print.

For Albertson's coupons, point your browser to http://albertsons.coupons.smartsource.com. (Notice no "www.")

You can also go paperless by saving the coupons directly to your shopper's card using Shortcuts.com. I registered at this site and input my Smith's FreshValues card number. Each coupon I added was downloaded to my card for redemption at the register. No more forgetting to use coupons.

Last week I combined an in-store sale with a Web site coupon, getting three boxes of Cheerios for less than $1.50 each.

Internet Deal

Just have a baby or are you due soon? Want six free issues of American Baby magazine? Go to AmericanBaby.com and scroll to the bottom of the page. At Magazines, click on American Baby, then click on subscribe. Sign up for six issues, totally free. Your street and e-mail addresses, along with the baby's birth date are the only requirements.

Totally free

Looking for something free and fun in Pahrump? This week's totally free suggestion is to visit the Pahrump Valley Museum. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., it's a fantastic treasure full of Pahrump's history.

Last weekend, my family celebrated Presidents' Day by visiting the museum's Lincoln room.

Our kids enjoyed reading Lincoln's letter to the 11-year-old girl who recommended he grow a beard, and his letter to Mrs. Bixby, whose sons were killed in the Civil War. We were warmly welcomed, and lucky enough to be treated to a personal tour of the buildings outside by museum archivist, Rob Mobley.

After seeing photographs of the Pahrump Store and the old school house, the kids enjoyed walking out back to explore these buildings. Additionally, we toured a house built from railroad ties recycled from the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad. Exploring this house is worth a visit in itself. Go this weekend and enjoy a walk through history, right here in Pahrump.

So look for this column in the Pahrump Valley Times for smart spending strategies, money-saving tips, penny-pinching purchases, and steals and deals. And remember to submit your tips and tricks to share with the rest of the community. I know some of you out there have some fantastic ideas. Together we can help each other save a buck.

Next column:

Watch an episode of "Lost" you missed, make money off someone else's trash.

I welcome your input to share with our community. Whether it's an inexpensive activity in Pahrump, a deal you discovered on the Internet, or a cool Web site -- email me at jbeaudoin@pvtimes.com.