What I’ve Been Up To
Hi all! I’m writing this as I look out my bright picture window onto the strip. Ceasar’s Palace and the Flamingo are in front of me. Vegas is a lot more expensive than I thought it was going to be – someone once told me that flights to LV and the food are cheap so that you spend your money on the slots. Not true, except for the $9.99 one pound ribeye meal advertised – makes you wonder where it came from as I can’t even purchase unprepared ribeye that cheap at the grocery!
I landed at LAS on Thursday, October 15 and attended Blogworld and Wordcamp 2009 Friday and Saturday. I learned a lot about blogging straight from the pros and got to meet John Chow and Zac Johnson. I also exchanged passing smiles and “hi’s” with Alli Worthington and Guy Kawasaki! I was excited to learn about freelance opportunities from multiple companies.
What about saving money?
- Flight from Des Moines was $149 – regular price
- Lodging – D got a 3-free night credit from a previous stay
- Food – D found a deal on Slickdeals that included 6 free buffets. Now that the convention is over and the free buffets used up, we’ve been using coupons (average $5 off a buffet for up to 2 people). A tip – go to the registration or concierge desk and ask if they have any coupons for the restaurants in their casino.
- In-town travel – I took a $6 shuttle from the airport and walked
- Entertainment – so far we’ve done a lot of walking! Walking through the casinos is fun as well as most are themed. You can also get freebies by signing up for the “player’s club” card. There is a free show at the Rio featuring installations that move on the ceiling. We thought this show was Mardis Gras themed but it is not anymore – the installations and stage below feature scantily clad women and shirtless men dancing provocatively.
I’m getting bugged about lunch, so I’m off for now and will post photos later! What’s your favorite frugal thing to do or place to go in Vegas?
My favorite thing to do in Vegas is get to go there. My entire family goes and I have to stay home and take care of my pets as well as the “CATS FROM HELL”. Boy, Those cats have ATTITUDE! My daughter trained them well. #1 Cat – I try and read and the paper is being pushed all over the place.Also this cat goes into the litter and pee’s outside. #2 Cat is up on the Table, Counter and where ever it can get to knock things off. Cat #3 – Wow, She is a real piece of work or what ever. I walk by and I get growled and hissed at like I was the bad guy. Gee, I fed, watered and cleaned their messes up. O well my term is about up and I am going to put this aside hopefully forever. Right, in several months I will more than likely be doing it again because the “CATS FROM HELL” really like me and I really want to @%$#*%&$#&#@$ the next time they come to make my life so wonderfull. But I am an animal lover so I will be nice. My little vacation with the pets was so much fun I can’t wait untill I go Deer and Turkey Hunting so I can shoot something. Just Kidding. After all what is a Father for? To pet sit of coarse. Dad
Comment by Loran — October 23, 2009 @ 1:54 PM
The key to keeping Vegas cheap is to do a lot of research before going. Allegiant Air offers buy one flight get one free several times a year. You can pair that with cheap hotel packages also.
Try the $20 trick when checking into your hotel. This worked for me at Imperial Palace. We were able to get upgraded to a suite with a huge tub AND wet bar with refrigerator simply by slipping the desk clerk a $20!
Another thing we did to save money was stop by Walgreens on the strip to pick up a few munchies to make lunch in our hotel room. Because we had the fridge we got lunch meats and sandwich materials. This saved us lots of money on meals.
Check online for coupons for attractions you want to do while there. We were able to score many 2 for 1 coupons for stuff we wanted to visit like the wax museum and a few show tickets.
Invest in the monorail pass. It is totally worth it. You can visit most major hotels thru riding it. The ones that aren’t as easy to get to on the strip usually have a FREE shuttle from a stop on the monorail. You will get to see more of Vegas with this pass, I promise! Also on that note there are many free shuttles to and from places on the strip. Research these before you go so you don’t waste time and money with cabs or waiting for shuttles to arrive.
The best way to get the most bang for your buck in Vegas is to go during the week. There is not as many people there during that time and most coupons for drinks and specials are valid Monday thru Thurs.
Above all don’t be afraid to ask for those upgrades and deals! Just by asking you can receive many unadvertised deals and perks! Hope this is helpful to anyone traveling soon!
Comment by Katie — October 27, 2009 @ 11:00 AM