A few quick cost-saving ideas...feel free to post your own!

We were just talking how Performance Bikes can be cheaper that our LBS for basics..

You can also shop on ProBikeKit.com.  It's a European site that seems to have much better prices on cassettes, brakes, chains...any parts for your bike.  Plus, they ship fairly quick- 5-7 days to the US east coast.

www.bikesdirect.com

Better bikes, less coin.

BJ's Wholesale Club sells Clif bar 24 packs for $20, same with some Power Bar stuff.  Less than a buck a piece.  At one point they were even selling 12 packs of Gatorade Endurance for around $9.  But I haven't seen them in a while .........

When at all possible, go course supported.  No reason to carry all this extra stuff when in most tris there will be aid stations along the routes.  Find out what they are going to have and practice with it before race day.

REI garage sales.  If you live in driving distance of an REI, keep an eye out for them. Whenever a store gets enough returns, they schedule a garage sale to get rid of it.  Some stuff is pretty beat, but most of the time I get great deals.  Stuff is returned for the best reasons - "didn't like color", "couldn't get to work" (usually means "needs batteries" or "can't read instructions".  I once got a pair of $300 mountaineering boots for $30 that were missing a shoelace. And since they carry bike stuff and workout clothing, you can often find things for 40-90% off the regular price.  Also they have regular sales on energy bars/blocks/gels.

You usually have to get there very early (at my local store, if I get there 2 hours before the doors open, I am lucky to get in the second wave of entry), but the deals are killer.

There are likely very few here who can claim to be as much of a cheap b@$tard as I am. Seriously. I reuse just about anything that can be, and even some things that shouldn't

In addition to making my own elastic laces, I've also made quite a few race belts for under $1 each, which I give away at races.

I buy NOTHING new at full retail price. I either wait for a sale or hunt one down somewhwere. Buying used is the way I go as much as possible; there's nothing better than finding a gently-used bargain and saving big $. I've bought a ton of used multisport clothing, jerseys, tech shirts, cycling shorts (without visible skid marks - I have no some standards) and in fact, I'll use many articles of clothing and then re-sell it (ebay and kijiji), usually at a profit or at least to break even. I frequent local second-hand, charity and consignment clothing stores (at least weekly) and buy by the cartload. Check out clubs and other groups you can join that offer membership discounts. Team Javelin costs me $25/year and I get a high-quality tri suit every year in addition to big savings on products, including my bike frameset at over 50% off.

I've bought a few pairs of cycling shoes used, most of the DA, UltegraSL and Oval components on the tri bike I recently built up as well as my current clipless pedals and cycling shoes used. My bike looks showroom new, has a retail worth of well over $4000 and cost me under $1500.