5 Ways to Save Money in Vegas
There are a number of things you can do to spend less in Vegas without losing out on quality of experience. The following 5 are definitely going to save quite a lot of money:
♥ 1 – rent a car at the airport for the entire stay the moment you arrive in Vegas, and return the car at the airport. Taxis + tips can be costly (and waiting in line for cabs can be time-consuming); tourist buses are reasonably priced (though not cheap) but it’s a time-consuming way to move around. The monorail is not practical for some destinations and the airport shuttles, though very good, add up to the other transport expenses. So, renting an affordable car (ideally a hybrid for those who want to save even more money); besides choosing the right car, the secret is to find a good rental deal overall and for that (as well as tips to choose the right car for you), we have a page on renting a car in Vegas you can read. More tips: try and set up the rental booking online before your arrival; avoid falling into the trap of going for the upgrade (this means you must choose a reliable rental company, as mentioned on our Vegas car rental tips page). Next tip:
♥ 2 – sign up for a good players card program (some are better than others – we talk about it on Vegas players cards) and stay at the resort participating in that program; concentrate your gambling at the resort you are staying in using that card and, the next day (always before you check out) see what ‘comps’ VIP services or the resort’s players club can offer you on the basis of your play. We often receive free buffets (to be used during your stay) and, at check out, we often have our room comped. This happens with some resorts more than others. We write about this in detail in our ‘How to Get Comped in Vegas’ sections (see menu) and on the page ‘Best Rewards for Gambling‘. Of course, we’d recommend you only eat at buffets which are worthwhile, and for that we have a Top 10 Vegas Buffets page.
♥ 3 – charge everything to your room every time you buy something at the resort you are staying in (buffets, restaurants, stores, etc); some resort are ‘grouped’ (linked) together in this respect, which means anything you purchase within that ‘group’ can be charged to your room. Always ask, though, since those policies can change without notice. Some resorts (for example, some of those located downtown) have limited facilities (which means there’s not much you can charge to the room), so bear it in mind before choosing your Vegas hotel, if you plan to use this money-saving method.
♥ 4 – go for lunch and stay for dinner; this is a buffet ‘trick’ that you can adopt at many good buffets, since many of them stay open all day long (always check their opening hours by phone on the day you plan to go, though, making sure they’re open without a break, since things can change overnight in Vegas).
♥ 5 – this may sound obvious but… It’s important that you don’t gamble whilst heavily or even moderately intoxicated. The only time we lost any real money was when we had indulged in a couple of alcoholic drinks before or whilst gambling.