Article by Ploomy contributor Allison Dieppa.

We’ve previously discussed the heights – or rather, the lack of them – a bachelor party in Las Vegas can reach when you have the “moolah” to back it. That’s not to say, however, that Sin City isn’t kind to bachelors and their buddies who have significantly less green to spend. Although a bachelor party funded by thousands of dollars will knock your socks off and possibly make the groom have second thoughts, you definitely don’t need to be a high roller to have an amazing bachelor party in Vegas.

Treasure Island

With the economy on life support, now is the perfect time to get a great deal on a few Las Vegas hotel rooms for you and your gang during the bachelor party excursion. Nearly all the hotel-casinos are focusing on luxury with value, and one of the best examples of this is Treasure Island. There, for the low to mid $100’s a night, you can stay in one of their newly refurbished and renovated rooms. Sure, it doesn’t come with a stripper pole, but it does come with a big plush bed to pass out in, custom designed furnishings, and neat clock radios where you can dock your iPod. Throw in a mini-bar, and you have all you really need.

If you want to spend even less, downtown is where the value is at. The Orleans is a long-time favorite among penny pinchers, offering cheap eats, rooms, and friendly service without being a complete and total dump. With rates ranging from $30 and up on weekdays and $80 and up on weekends, the quality and cleanliness of this hotel-casino will actually surprise you.

Playboy Club

Now to the fun parts. For the frugal fun lover, the concept to keep in mind is economizing. Everyone in Vegas wants a tip, from the host to the limo driver, so it’s best to avoid bar and strip-club hopping and stick to places that offer multiple goodies for male enjoyment. That said, the Playboy Club is a guy’s dream come true. This club at the Palms Fantasy Tower offers everything – beautiful ladies in skimpy outfits, loaded cocktails, and gaming, all in one spot. You might even get to hang with a few sports stars and celebs while you’re there – maybe even Hef himself.

If staring at the ample assets of the Playboy Club dealers isn’t enough, you’ll probably want to hit a strip club. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a cheap strip club – would you really want to go to one? However, The Velvet Lion (link to: ) has openly committed itself to not overcharging guests, and the club is one of the most hospitable ones around. Just say no to the VIP room.

Carnegie Deli

Between all that partying, you have to eat. There’s no shortage of restaurants on the Strip, but you might have a hard time finding one that doesn’t overcharge. The Carnegie Deli at The Mirage, though provides an enormous sandwich for just $15-20, and you’ll probably have enough left over for a snack later. Similarly, Garduno’s at the Palms provides generous portions of tasty New Mexican eats, and Mr. Lucky’s 24/7 at the Hard Rock Hotel is perfect for nourishing a hangover with great specials and a cool atmosphere.

So let it never be said you can’t have a great bachelor party in Vegas on a budget – you simply have to know where to look. Worst-case scenario, you can always check out free attractions like the Bellagio Fountains (link to: ) and the Mirage Volcano with the rest of the tourists. Anything is fun if you’re drunk enough, and our guess is…you will be.

The $70 gift certificate can be used for all sorts of things on the ProFlowers.com website including but not limited to: sending flowers, sending chocolates, or sending other types of gift baskets. They have a huge assortment and some of the best choices on the Interwebs for flower delivery.

In order to win one of these $70 gift certificates, all you have to do is tell us why your wife, girlfriend, mother, or that girl in marketing is deserving of flowers this Valentine’s Day?

Your answers don’t have to be particularly long, just convincing. Allow your answers to be funny, inspirational, creative, entertaining, heart warming or just ridiculously cool—there is no wrong answer!

Add your comments on the site no later than Sunday Feb 8th at 11:59pm (pacific time) and we’ll announce the 5 winners on Monday, Feb 9th.

Just remember one entry per person. Apologies in advance to all our friends in other countries, but this contest is only open to those living in the United States.

We’ve talked about money management here on the site before, but the question I have for you today is, “Do you have a Personal Monthly Budget?”

If you don’t have a personal monthly budget, you really should think about putting one together. I used to have two roommates that worked (and still do) in the financial sector and both helped me realize how important personal finance is (especially for guys starting out in their twenties).  My old boss also once told me something that stuck. He said, “In your twenties, even though you may have already graduated from college, you’re still in school and learning what it takes to succeed.  In your thirties, the focus shifts more to starting a family and working on crafting your career.  And in your forties and fifties, if you play your cards right, you’ll be making the most money in your life.”

photo by PPDIGITAL

Of course this won’t all apply to everyone, but there is some basic truth to it for sure. I’m not a brilliant guy when it comes to numbers, but what I’ve learned is that you don’t have to be as long as you have a good system of checks and balances (no pun) in place to help you out.  Sure you know how much your rent, cable, cell phone, car payment, insurance, and haircuts all cost, but do you have all of that info in one place for you to review at regular intervals?

If you have Microsoft Excel and like keeping track of your own numbers, then I’d recommend downloading a free personal monthly budget from Docstoc. These types of things are handy and really do give you eyes on your finances. They are also great because you populate it once and then just update it monthly or as needed.

If you’re the type that doesn’t even like to balance your own checkbook, then you are not out of luck. There are all sorts of free personal finance sites out there like Mint and Wesabe as well. I personally fall into this category and use Mint. I like them because it aggregates all the data from my spending accounts and sends me updates.  It even reminds me when credit card bills are due and when my balance is low in my checking account.  Of course the arguments against these types of web finance sites is that they might not necessarily be the most secure, but if you think that then maybe you should continue to keep your money under the mattress.