How To Save A Few Dollars in Vegas

It is VERY easy to spend money, lots of it, in Las Vegas. After all, the city was built on losers. Gambling was and is a big draw. Perhaps you have heard the phrase “The house always wins”. Add all the designer shops, show-stopping entertainers, fancy restaurants, wild nightclubs and well, ya may just leave with a slimmer wallet than when you started. Despite all that, there are a few deals to be had. Some require some research and others you can take advantage when you are there. It also depends on what you want to do when you are in Vegas. Keep all these things in mind.

Here are a few things I learned:

• Cheapest place for drinks like beers and coolers is the drugstores, such as Walgreens and CVS. A 24oz can of beer (Bud, Michelob, Coors, PBR) range from $2.49 – $3.99 in the cooler section. And it is legal to carry your drink in public (can not do that in Canada)
•  Many many bars and restaurants have Happy Hour with 2-for-1 drinks. The selection may be limited to slushy style drinks, certain beer brands and/or well drinks (no premium brands) but still a savings
• Often appetizers during Happy Hour are half price
• Same day show tickets. There are several kiosks on the strip where you can purchase valid same day show tickets at a discount. Expect a bit of a wait but you will save
• Join a rewards club. These are geared towards gamblers as you rack up points the more you gamble but you may also get a dollar or two off at restaurants and stores affiliated with the resort and casino chain. They are free to join. Be aware that your email will be bombarded with messages of deals for future visits. Just manage your subscriptions with the rewards club
• Prior to arriving you can do some Google searches and print off vouchers that allow you to get a discount book at some of the malls like The Miracle Mile Shops in the Paris Resort. In it you will find coupons for most stores located at that mall
• Coupons from promoters who are working The Strip. Most of these (even for the shows) are ‘buy on get one (BOGO)’ and may be worth a look. I do not know what types of seats you get with the show tickets as we never used them but something to consider. I did use a BOGO coupon from a promoter at Senor Frogs for their Yard drinks. Although we did not use them, we did receive $10 off coupons for Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum at The Venetian
• There is a free tram from The Bellagio to The Monte Carlo with a stop at Aria’s Crystal Mall. This will save you some time if you want to cover ground from that area of the strip. Do not confuse this with the Monorail which charges a fee and runs on the opposite side of the strip
• If you want a good, inexpensive and large breakfast then go to Ellis Island Casino (off strip on Koval Lane, behind Bally’s) and go to their cafe. $3.99 pancakes, $5.99 bacon and eggs with toast and breakfast potatoes. Very good – ate there three times. Full breakfast menu is available until 11:00am and then a few items are available all day

There you have it. I hope some of you can put this to good use. At the time of writing/posting this, the information above is up-to-date. Though, things change so please check all information online or while there for accuracy.