What The Las Vegas 99 Cents Only Stores Look Like Right Now

You have probably heard by now that the Las Vegas 99 Cents Only Stores are closing their doors for good. The company announced at the beginning of April that they were filing for bankruptcy and would be shutting all of their businesses nationwide, cnn.com. Immediately, Las Vegas locals flocked to the ten stores located in the Las Vegas valley to get the closeout deals.

Not only locally, but throughout the country, 99 Cents Only Stores have been hurting financially since 2015. According to cnn.com, the retail chain hasn't been profitable since that time. And the decline in their success has been from a combination of inflation, the pandemic, and increased frequency of shoplifting.

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Another factor that was mentioned was one you might not expect. Something called a "Go Taller" strategy, cnn.com reported. The stores brought in higher shelves, presumably to fit more product. But having that higher shelf lead to a lot of spoiled food that people weren't reaching for. As well as more broken merchandise falling from high up. Both hurting the stores' profit margin.

I visited the store at Warm Springs and Eastern recently. Just to get an idea of what people were picking off. This is what it looked like.

Not only are the products being sold off at the stores. But also the fixtures. Including gondola walls where products were hung. As well the dump bins where the store displayed items like stuffed animals or other soft goods. Note they are not discounted but still a good buy if you have a business or extra garage space.

When the 99 Cents Only Stores say they are closing, they don't waste time. The location I visited today had a sign that read there was only eight days left until the store closed. Although, 8newsnow.com reported that locations would close in June or when they run out of supplies. So your best bet is to just get there as soon as you can.

I asked the woman at the checkout about the bankruptcy. She said she wasn't told about her store closing. And that she found out about it on the news with everyone else. Because this is a company-wide closing, employees won't be transferred to other stores and have to find new jobs.

And Las Vegas locals will have to find a new favorite dollar store. Sad day all around.

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And now here's something from another talented Beasley writer...

With inflation hitting everyone, especially at the store, here are some money saving meals you can take advantage of at the grocery store. Now these might be money saving meals we loved as a kid, but now enjoy as adults.

According to a recent survey put out by Reddit, some might refer to these as their favorite "poverty meals". However, when it comes to saving money, we can all agree they are meals we can all like! One of the biggies on the list, but did NOT make the Top 5 is Hamburger Helper! As a kid, we loved Hamburger Helper, so it makes sense that as an adult we might think about using it to save when we can.

Another childhood favorite was a simple Cheese quesadilla. "Total cost to make one would be about 40 cents." Talk about money saving! You add a bit of chicken or beef and you have a treat! One more that might bring back some great memories, Kraft Mac & Cheese! Hey, you add some hot dogs to it and you're talking gourmet...of course, who can afford hot dogs right?

Not high on the list, but doable, it's Lasagna! Sure, why not. Make enough of it and freeze the rest, you are talking about for entire month! Again, keep in mind that everything tastes good in small doses, but if you're trying to save money, you do what you have to do!

Keep in mind that you probably couldn't eat all this day after day, but when it comes to cutting cost, every little bit helps. Just go back in time when life was easy and everything your mom made tasted great. The meals might have been pretty simple to make, but times being what they are now, may it's time to go back! So what are the Top 5 Money Saving Meals? Scroll down further to see the list...and enjoy!

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One of the money saving meals that cracked the Top 5 List was Lentil Rice Casserole. Seems easy enough to make and doesn't cost an arm and a leg to make...that's why it makea the Top 5!

Is there anything better than a grilled cheese sandwich and a warm bowl of tomato soup on a slightly chilly day in Las Vegas? Didn't think so! Cheap to make and it always tastes good...that's why it's #4 on the list!

This is probably the one meal we can all agree on. Easy to make, fun to eat and very cheap! To spice things up, go ahead and chop up some hot dogs to add to the mix...one reason why this money saving meal ends up at #3 on the list!

It seems that any "noodle" dish is going to be cheap to make and Maruchan Ramen is no different. Again, easy to make, fun to eat and you can add anything to it to spice it up a bit. All good reasons as to why it ended up #2 on the list!

Didn't we just say that anything "noodles" is going to be on the list? Well, there's a reason as to why Instant Noodles made it to #1...cheap and easy! That's why when you need to cut corners and save a couple of bucks at the grocery store, this is what you might want to stock up on. The main reason Instant Noodles is #1 on the list of Money Saving Meals at the Grocery Store!

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