Las Vegas is a fun place to spend a weekend, or a few days for a vacation. However, many people think they cannot afford a trip to Vegas without breaking the bank. You don't have to pay full price for food or drinks. However, you can make the trip for a fraction of the cost. All you have to do is plan ahead.
Determine your budget. How much money do you have to spend for the whole trip? How much are you willing to spend per night on a hotel? What are your limits for airfare? Do you have a food budget? Are you going to gamble? If so, how much are you budgeting? Are you planning of drinking, going to shows or clubs? Take your over all budget. Subtract the maximum airfare and lodging fees. What remains is your food, gambling, and entertainment budget. If you find cheaper accommodations for your flight and lodging, you will have more money to play with, but that is the reason you go with worst case scenario first. It is better to over budget than to under budget.
Find your perfect hotel. You have already determined your maximum cost. Now you have to determine the location. Do you want to stay on the strip? If you don’t have a car, do you want something that is centrally located? Prices for the hotels on the old strip may be cheaper. However, the Old Strip usually only warrants one night to visit. It is very cool, but to bulk of the action is on the new strip. You may save money in hotel costs, but if you do not have a car, taxi fares are at least $20 one way from the Old Strip to the new strip. By the time you pay the $40 round trip once or twice, the savings are pretty much depleted. Once you have decided on a location, go directly to the hotel’s website to book. The hotel/casinos usually have pretty good deals if you book far enough in advance. Yes, last minute travel can be better served through Priceline and Hotwire, but you will usually find the best deals directly from the hotels months in advance. Plus, if you book with the hotel, you usually have a refundable charge, unlike the online travel sites.
Find a flight. Use sites like Kayak or other online internet sites to find the lowest airfare. You may want to check with individual airlines to see if they have any Vegas deals running. Sites like Hotwire and Priceline (with their go in blind for a better deal) have a very clear clause in their fine print. They have to fly you between 6am and 10pm on the requested day. That means you may fly out on 6:00 am on the day you want to fly, and you may fly out at 9:00pm. This could have a major impact on your plans. Yes you may find a great deal, but the trade off might not be worth it.
Plan your gambling budget. If you do gamble, make sure you have a set amount you are willing to spend. Once you have spent that amount, you are done. That means you will not want to blow it all in one setting. I’m not saying you have to have an iron clad gambling schedule, but do think about spacing out your gambling funds through out your stay.
Find free and discounted attractions. One of the great things about Vegas is that there are some many things to do. Many of these things are free. Just walking up and down the strip and seeing the different casinos can take a whole day. Go to the Las Vegas Official Website. There you will find lists of must do and see’s for any kind of traveler. One of the options they have listed is: things to do for the budget traveler. You can see how much attractions cost and where they are located before you head out for the day. The site also has links for discounted tickets for shows and other attractions. Only trust the links you find through the official site. There are many rip-off sites online!
Save money at the clubs. If you are thinking about hitting the club scene, there are a few thing to keep in mind. Look up the clubs online to determine what their cover charges are. Look to see if there are ladies night or and off peak night discounts. You may also want to look into VIP passes through the Official Las Vegas site. Remember, only trust links you get FROM the site, do not trust links from banner ads. Some VIP passes will get you in for free. Others have a small fee, but it is better than paying the cover charge. Do not buy VIP passes from people on the street. These are often scams.
Finding food on a budget. The best plan of attack is to have a smaller meal for lunch, and that frees up money if you want to splurge at dinner. There are little fast food places along the strip. Yes, the prices at Chipolte will be steeper than the one by your house, but you can easily get what you need for less than $8 at most. There is a food court in O’Shea’s casino (next to the Flamingo) and there are little places all along the strip. Use your online search to find a list of cheap eats. The official Vegas site has a listing of the best and cheapest plates in town. It has secret specials and where the best buffets are located. Do not spend the extra money on the hotel snacks. There is a Walgreens on the strip AND a Seven-11. Stock up on junk food there.
Let’s not forget the alcohol. Yes, Vegas with the lack of open container laws is known for sidewalk vendors selling beer. Yes drinks may cost a bit more here. If you are looking at a cranberry and vodka at the club, expect it to be around $10. Look for places with drink specials. At one time there was a casino by the Flamingo that had 99 cent margaritas, so keep your eyes peeled. Also there are liquor stores on the strip so push come to shove, you can always bring your own drinks to drink pool side. Of course there is the time honored tradition of giving free drinks to gamblers. Take advantage of these little perks.
