Friday, October 13, 2006

$aving Money in Vega$

At home, I'm somewhat of a spendthrift. Ok, maybe more than somewhat. I cut coupons, look for deals, and even wash and reuse Ziploc bags. It's not that I don't like spending money. On the contrary, I really enjoy it! But I like to save a few bucks here so I can spend a few more bucks there (in Vegas).


Once I'm on vacation in Sin City, I usually don't worry about shelling out a few dollars more than I would at home. The trips to Vegas are what all the penny-pinching is for, anyway. But, since I do like to save money, I make sure that if it's convenient and if it's worth it, I'll save some dough. Here's how:

First, and most importantly, remember the most important 3-letter word in Las Vegas - ASK. If you don't ask, you won't get. Ask nicely, and you might even get some more. Once you join a slot club or "rewards program" or whatever they call it at any casino, they track your play so that you can get comped (receive complimentary items). I join all of these, because even though I usually don't qualify at most places for free comps, it's still worth holding on to the player's card in case they're having a promotion or something. For most table games, a lot of places expect you to shell out $25 per hand or roll to get comped. That's too rich for my blood. However, if you're a slot player, it doesn't matter if you're playing nickels or $500 per pull, insert your card into the machine and it will keep track of your play. The longer you play, the more points you accumulate for free stuff. Easy as pie - or cherry cherry cherry if you're playing slots.

In addition to the casino's club, take advantage of your hotel's coupon book (sometimes called a "funbook") if it offers one. They only give them out to hotel guests, so it's kind of like a "thanks for staying with us" gift. Usually, they'll have good coupons for food, shows, night clubs, and gambling. Make sure that you look at the restrictions on the coupons. You don't want to try to use a 2-for1 buffet on Saturday for a coupon that's only good Sunday through Thursday. Been there done that.

Many Vegas publications have coupons, too. Check out the Las Vegas Visitor Information Center (it's at the corner of Paradise and Desert Inn) for lots of good newspapers and magazines, including What's On and Showbiz. Mostly their coupons are for shows and attractions, but you'll find some good restaurant deals, too.

The internet. You can save a bundle of green before you even get to Vegas if you plan properly. The world wonderful web is a good place to start. When you plan your trip, check out internet deals because they often beat travel agents' and hotels' best prices. Package deals (especially ones offered by airline companies) are usually a good way to save a lot of cash because they bundle services (flight + hotel + rental car or a combination of these items). But even if you're not bundling services, if you deal with a reputable site and read the fine print before you put your money down, you might be surprised at how much you can save.

You can also save some money with internet coupons. Just enter "free vegas coupons" in your favorite search engine. I wouldn't mess with services that ask you to pay for coupons, even if it's just a few dollars, unless you really know what you're getting and you're sure you're going to use them. There are plenty of free coupon sites out there, so why bother paying for them?


That gives you a good starting point to saving money. At least until you blow all that cash when you hit the big jackpot!

Friday, October 6, 2006

Itinerary Begins with "I"

Ever notice that you seem to spend more time in Vegas getting to where you want to go than doing what you want to do? Especially on the Strip, where traffic can come to a crawl?


If you plan your day carefully, you can do all of the things you want to (and then some!) if you group like things together. Here's what I mean:

I get emails from the online form for a free itinerary where people check a bunch of items on the list... let's say: see a free show, go shopping, eat at a good restaurant, and gamble. Obviously you can do all of these things all over the Strip. However, with a little preparation, you can cut out your travel time and increase your fun time. For example, let's say your hotel is on the south side of the Strip (MGM Grand, Luxor, Hooters, etc.) and you are staying in Las Vegas just for two days. I would suggest the following itinerary for the criteria above:


Day 1: See the lion habitat at MGM Grand, have lunch at Backstage Deli or La Salsa at the Luxor, shop at Mandalay Bay, have dinner at Aureole. The gambling part is easy - anywhere you feel lucky and comfortable.

Day 2: Take the monorail (or car, bus, etc.) to Aladdin to shop at the Desert Passage. While you're there, see the Merchants' Harbor Rainstorm. Grab a bite anywhere at Paris. See the fountain show at Bellagio at night, have dinner at Olives. Again, gamble anywhere you like.

Simple, right? But when you get to Las Vegas, it's so easy to go from one end of the Strip to the other that you wind up exhausted from running around. If instead you go from MGM to the Luxor to Mandalay Bay, you've covered 3 properties easily and have saved considerable time, especially considering you can use the free tram when going from Mandalay Bay to the Luxor!

The same holds true if you are staying at or traveling to the outskirts of the Strip or downtown. If you're in Vegas for more than a day or two, chances are you're going to venture out beyond where you are resting your head at night, even if you think it's the best hotel in the world. The more you group like things together, the more time you'll have to do the fun stuff that you came to Vegas for in the first place.

So give those tired feet a break, plan ahead, and save time!