Do you have a money-saving idea to share with the community? Have you visited somewhere nearby that's fun and frugal? Know of an activity in Pahrump that will entertain, but not break the bank? How about a Web site you've found with cool tips and tricks?

Submit your suggestions by e-mailing jbeaudoin@pvtimes.com. Your ideas and tips can help us all save a buck or two.

Tip

Are you always searching for fresh batteries for your remotes, digital camera and electronic devices? Here's a tip: Invest in rechargeable batteries.

Billions of batteries are manufactured each year and unfortunately most end up in landfills. If you're like me, you've found your digital camera eats batteries like a teenager eats pizza. By switching to rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries, you can save money by recharging them hundreds of times, rather than buying new ones.

The rechargeable batteries I've bought cost about $2 each, versus 75 cents for a regular alkaline battery. Since Christmas, we've recharged them dozens of times. It just makes cents to invest in rechargeable batteries that won't just be used once and thrown away.

Web site

Do you like to read? Is your book shelf filled with paperbacks you've read once and never will again? Check out PaperBackSwap.com, a Web site that facilitates the exchange of used paperback books for only the cost of shipping.

Start by listing the books you'd like to swap, then choose your wish list of books you'd like to receive, which are free and yours to keep. The shipper pays approximately $2.25 shipping (for books weighing less than one pound) and the receiver gets a new book to read for free.

Internet deal

Searching for some new tunes? Check out Amazon.com's mp3 downloads.

Go to tinyurl.com/dz5t9o to find over 800 mp3 songs available for free download. Among all these, there are sure to be a few you'd enjoy. Perhaps you'll even discover a new artist.

While you're there, sign up for Amazon's mp3 Download e-mail subscription to receive a weekly e-mail of a handful of totally free songs and other deeply discounted albums.

Totally Free in Pahrump

This weekend, the Pahrump Arts Council hosts the 15th annual Art & Sol festival at the Bob Ruud Community Center.

Come enjoy the live entertainment, participate in raffles and vie to win one of several door prizes. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Money quote

"A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it." -- Bob Hope

Reader's tip

PVT readers may benefit from a new state government Web site that offers a comparison of hospitals, based on diagnoses, costs and lengths of stay. In an effort to improve health data transparency, this Web site was launched by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services along with various health care organizations. Visit NevadaCompare Care.net to review information regarding hospitals and health care centers to make a more informed choice, should the need for health care arise.

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 -- e-mail me at jbeaudoin@pvtimes.com.