Now I know the words Las Vegas and cheap don't exactly flow together but I am here to tell you about how you can maximize your lit-uation for the lowest bang for your buck!
Getting There:
I flew Southwest Airlines roundtrip to Las Vegas from BWI (with a plane change in Phoenix, Arizona). I love flying Southwest for two reasons.. 1. no assigned seats and 2. FREE BAGS! Going to Vegas on a girls trip for my childhood bffs birthday meant it was SUPER important that we could all sit together AND that we brought every single cute item in our closet.
Getting Around:
Once in Vegas, my friends and I rented a car because we were planning on visiting the Valley of Fire and the Grand Canyon. Surprisingly the rental fee for the two days we had the car and the mileage was very reasonable (especially split 3 ways). I never rented a car for travel before but that experience was so good that I find myself considering it more and more when I travel.
We made sure to visit the Grand Canyon and the Valley of Fire state park which were both beautiful and worth the visit. The Grand Canyon was more expensive than the Valley of Fire but the breathtaking views were certainly worth it.
View at the Grand Canyon West
Fabulous red rocks of the Valley of Fire
How to Party in Vegas (w/out breaking the bank):
The most important part about partying in Vegas for the cheap is walking down the strip and allowing yourself to be stopped and talked to by the various promoters.
We were able to get on guest lists for amazing pool parties, concerts, and nightclubs. It was so easy. Promoters approached us as we were walking and asked if we wanted to go to whatever it was that they were promoting and we always said yes. They took down our phone numbers and then texted us with instructions for how to get into the event. It was super easy and reliable. We were on every single guest list we tried for and made it into countless events with no issues, even getting free drink tickets at some!
There are all sorts of events going on in Vegas every night so there is absolutely something that will please you if you walk the strip for long enough! There are also so many different experiences that you can take part in, including but not limited to free limo rides to strip clubs.
The drinks in Vegas are expensive and I surely saved quite a big buck on the simple fact that I was not drinking while I was there. There is a way to cheat the drink prices though in Vegas! If you are gambling at a Casino, the drinks are free while you gamble. My advice is to take advantage of those 1 cent machines and go to town on the pregame!
That being said, recreational marijuana is legal in Vegas so I did have a fun time chomping down on various edibles while I was there. The dispensary I visited and really enjoyed was Reef Dispensaries. It was affordable, the people working there were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend visiting Reef (and they give you a free cute bag!).
At Daylight Beach Club courtesy of a promoter's guest list (and we got free drink tickets)
What about Gambling?
My personal advice for gambling in Vegas is to know exactly how much you are willing to spend on gambling and be sure to not go beyond that limit. I surprised myself with how good I was about not gambling away all my money.
My favorite game was this 1cent to play game where I popped in a dollar and sat for about 40 minutes. You win some and you lose some but just know that there can only be one or so big winners so do not expect that you will somehow be "lucky"... everyone in Vegas is thinking that.
As long as you know your limit, you will be fine. And be sure to take advantage of the free drinks you get as long as you are gambling in a Casino! It sure saves money on the drink prices later.
Enjoy yourself in Vegas and be sure to let me know if you have any questions on how to get the best bang for your buck in the sin city!
xoxo Jets & Baguettes