48 Fun Hours on a Budget in…Las Vegas

This is a new series showing you how easy it is to budget travel anywhere, where I also give you a quick overview of a new city each time in a brief 48-hour itinerary.

A lot of us fancy a short getaway throughout the year and need to balance a good time with smaller travel costs, because if you spend too much on your getaway, you won’t be going on that big vacation you’ve been dreaming of all year. We tend to stretch a weekend for a quick trip – 2-4 days – and then go on our 1-2 week trip in the fall. If you ask me, taking some mini vacations during the year can really keep you sane, but can also drain your bank account if you aren’t careful. Just a bit of research can go a long way to saving you big.

I love Vegas, but I can easily go overboard with my spending there. If I plan out my time, I spend more time walking and enjoying what he city has to offer and less time losing all my money at the slots. Don’t get me wrong. I’m still going to dump a few quarters in and hope for a big win, but with just two days, I’m going to make the most of my time.

Day 1

Breakfast Buffet! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so load up on protein and carbs to get you through your morning activities at an affordable buffet:

• The Fantasy Market Buffet at the Palms ($7.99) 
• Circus Buffet at Circus Circus ($10.49)
• Studio B Buffet at M Resort ($10.99)
• French Market Buffet at Orleans ($6.95)
• Ports O’ Call Buffet at Gold Coast ($6.95)
• Any of the Fremont Street casinos offer super cheap buffet prices, if you are willing to get up early enough to make it over there.

Wander the streets of Paris (at the Paris) and New York (New York New York).

Visit the lions at MGM Grand. This is one of my favorite things to do in Vegas, because lions are awesome, and trainers come through every so often talking about the lions and teaching starers about their habits and characteristics.

Explore Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden at The Mirage. ($19.95)

Head over to Caesar’s Palace to grab lunch – maybe at the Cypress Street Market – and then through the shops to witness the Fall of Atlantis. You could marvel at the statues and gold paneling in the casino for quite some time, too.

Play pinball and marvel at games you used to love or have never seen at Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame Museum. (Free admission, though it costs $.25-.50 to play each machine.)

Treat yourself to a truly unique dining experience at Dick’s Last Resort in the Excalibur Hotel and Casino. Or go to the Hard Rock Casino and get a table at Mr. Lucky’s. Ask for the “Gambler’s Special”, which is not on the menu, and receive an 8oz flatiron steak, three jumbo shrimp, salad and mashed potatoes for just $7.77. Winner!

Make your way to the Bellagio and wander the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Admission is free and it’s open 24 hours a day. Once you’ve had your fill of beautiful plants and flowers, wander outside to catch the free Fountains of Bellagio show. Of course if the weather is uncooperative, you can always see them well from the windows across from the shops upstairs.

Go down the street to Treasure Island and see the free Sirens of TI pirate show. If fire is more your thing, head back to the Mirage instead and watch the new Volcano show, complete with water show, flames and rockin’ music. Don’t forget to duck into the front entrance to admire the hard work of four gardeners with the atriums indoor rainforest. Wow!

Try your luck at the casino or call it a day.

Day 2

Get off the strip and head over to Ellis Island on the street behind the Paris. You can get a delicious and hearty breakfast for just $6.99.

Put some of your hard-earned money on the tables or in the slots and cross your fingers, then ride the free tram over to the Rio and wander the colorful floor, before making your way upstairs to browse shops and wait for the Mardi Gras Show in the Sky. The best time you’ll have outside of Rio de Janiero and New Orleans.

Take your beads and get a dose of Hawaii at the Hawaiian Marketplace near Polo Towers. You can find anything you could possibly want – and a lot that you don’t – at the vendors here as well as be entertained by live music, shows and dancing. If you’re looking for a cheap lunch, you’ll find it here. Or you could:

Linger over a Parisian lunch at JJ’s Boulangerie at the Paris Hotel and Casino. (Average $10/person) Once rested, take the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower and take in the strip and Vegas as far as the eye can see. ($10.50, which saves you $5 if you go before 7:30pm)

Ride over to Fremont Street to take in Fremont Street Experience and also engage in some ziplining. Yes! Ziplining in the middle of the city! It’s a bit spendy, but when will you ever have a chance to do something similar again? Only the next time you’re in Vegas. ($16-20)

If it’s not dark yet, splurge on a trip to The Mob Museum at the Golden Nugget. Sure, tickets cost $18, but it promises you “The story of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” If you’re into learning about the city’s seedy (and kinda glamorous) past, then you can’t miss this attraction.

Head into the Golden Gate Casino and get a $1.99 shrimp cocktail from the San Francisco Shrimp Bar & Deli, watch more cool stuff out on the streets and then find dinner at the Four Queens Hotel and Casino’s Magnolia’s Veranda and get a prime rib dinner for just $8.95 or indulge in another buffet (it’s not a trip to Las Vegas unless you’ve been to one or two) and treat yourself to the $18.99 dinner buffet at the Golden Nugget.

At this point I would head back to my room and pack up for my trip back home. Two days crammed full of unique and traditional Vegas awesomeness and not too much money left on the tables. An average of $120 would be spent per person if you hit up all attractions and recommended eateries. Use VegasHotelOffers.com to find the latest room deals, BookIt to find a solid bargain on a hotel and airfare package or shop the Expedia and Travelocity summer sales to stay on your budget. 

What are some of your must-do things in the City of Sin?

Party in "Las Vegas" 6.27.12

Giveaways that are still open: Runnur mini "backpack" | $100 in Paypal cash

If you asked anyone what my two obsessions are (not including my family, which is a given), they will tell you travel and costumes. Yes, I do love to dress up, but more specifically, my costume obsession revolves around my love of theme parties and I think costumes just help make them that much more convincing. Often, I will ask folks to dress up for a birthday party that is in December or even June. Just because we are adults and no longer trick-or-treat, doesn’t mean that we can’t still have some childish fun.

Anyway, a couple weekends ago, I teased a Vegas party that I threw for my husband. I meshed my two (THREE!) loves together and since we couldn’t fly everyone to Sin City for the weekend, I threw a Vegas Buffet theme party for our family instead. As promised, I took some candids after decorating and setting out food. Unfortunately, none of us dressed as cocktail waitresses or dealers, but maybe next time!

Here’s what was on the menu:

Hot buffet

Seasoned grilled chicken breast

Spicy meatballs (special request of the birthday boy)

Beef tips

Black & White bowtie pasta

Parmesan asparagus

Buttered green beans

Garlic carrots

Red-skinned mashed potatoes

Herb and cheese biscuits

Sauces: marinara, lemon piccata & mushroom

Cold buffet

Coleslaw

Green salad with veggies

Assorted fruit

Bruschetta with two cheese spreads

Dessert Station

Piña colada cupcakes

Strawberry daiquiri cupcakes

Rhubarb pie (special request of the birthday boy)

“Money” wrapped butter mints

Bar/Beverage Station

Ice water

Mojito ice tea

Mango pineapple ice tea

Wine (white and sparkling)

Beer

Soda

Eric partaking in the cold buffet 

Yes, I do go all out when it comes to food that matches a theme. I find it’s one of the most important parts, after the décor. Generally, I can spend a few days just decorating the house, but I didn’t do as much as I could have, as we were only having about a dozen people over and also between work and other commitments, I didn’t have the time to do more. You can see how I turned the house into a mini Vegas casino and buffet. The food was plentiful, but mostly nutritious (not usually what you would expect at a traditional casino buffet) and we didn’t lose all our money at the tables. Everyone’s a winner! (If you really want to go to Las Vegas on a budget, don't forget to check out this awesome infographic.)

Craps gift table 

My next post will be the first in a new series called 48 Fun Hours on a budget in... This one will focus on Las Vegas. I hope you like it!

Do you go all out when it comes to birthdays and special occasions? Or do you create a vacation destination in your home/yard to feel like you're getting away?

I’m Also Going to Universal Hollywood! 6.23.12

Giveaways that are still open: Runnur mini "backpack" | $400 in Paypal cash

After a long discussion about how it would make more sense, financially, to wait another year to go to London and Paris on our big vacation of the year, we have decided that this year will go to our old standby: Disneyland. Now, as much as I love Mickey and the gang and am looking forward to doing all the new things, we really can’t spend an entire week there, so we also plan on hitting up Universal and possibly Knott’s Berry Farm, which neither of us has visited in over a decade. In my last post I gave you 5 ways to save your time and money in the parks and this time I’m going to give you 5 more. Between airfare and park tickets and food and parking and souvenirs, you can rack up some serious credit card debt if you aren’t careful, so make the most of your budget and try not to splurge on too many churros. Your wallet and your waistline will thank you.

See all the shows – Parades, shows, street parties, dancing water. It’s all included in your ticket, so take advantage of them. I’ve seen better productions at Disney than I have elsewhere that I’ve paid a lot of money for. Aladdin is still, hands down, my favorite Disney production and would easily cost you $100+ for a ticket if it came to a city near you. These shows give you a chance to rest your feet, see some really great entertainment and are also short enough that you don’t have time to get bored before it’s over. 30-40 minutes is the perfect production time for little ones, too. Plus, if they can sleep through an earthquake, this might be the best thing to do while they take a nap if it coincides with their usual naptime and you don’t want to leave the park just yet.

Avoid the gift shops – They are everywhere and while they are fun to browse in, those high price tags kind of make me have heart palpitations. I once forgot to bring spare batteries and had to buy some in one of the merchants and two AA batteries cost me over $10! Why do they mark stuff up so much? Simple: People. Will. Pay. For. It. Save your pennies, or in this case, your Jacksons and Franklins, and window shop only. Look off-site for souvenirs (perfect for those with little ones who want shirts and hats and toys and stuffed animals) and anything that you can’t get elsewhere that is calling your name, you can go back for. I think you’ll find that you save a bundle this way and come home with a lot less “stuff”.

Make dining reservations – Yes, this is not really a money-saver, unless you split entrées, which I always suggest for those with small children. Your kids will eat better and you’ll save money if you share an entrée with them or between two of them. French fries are not a vegetable, nor are pasta sauce or ketchup. But I digress. Making reservations for dining is the best way to save time inside the parks, because you could wait up to 90 minutes for a table otherwise, especially during the busiest months. 

Make reservations well ahead of your trip (or as soon as you can) and try to aim for meal times just outside of normal ones, which will both lessen your chances of still waiting for others to finish and give you shorter lines when you are done eating and everyone else is in search of nourishment. What times are best? Lunch: 11-11:30am or 1-2pm. Dinner: 5-5:30pm or after 7pm. Remember, this is what you have snacks for. Some theme parks (Disney World resorts for sure) allow you to make breakfast reservations before the park officially opens. This means you can eat and be the first in line at the most popular rides. Double score! (Bonus dining hint: Some surrounding hotel restaurants, like Menage’s K’ya, and Downtown Disney restaurants, like Catal, are members of OpenTable and you can make reservations online, have a table waiting and get points toward free dining!)

Don’t buy two tickets for one day – Sometimes you’ll travel to a theme park for a special event, which will require its own admission ticket. We do this for Disney’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. The park closes down early for the general public and partiers can enter between 6pm and 7pm for the celebrations and special activities. If you will be spending a significant amount of time at your destination – 4 or more days – skip paying for another day’s admission and use the early part of the day to do things not theme parky, like maybe sightsee in a neighboring town, go to the movies, enjoy the pool, or just chill and do laundry while you read a book. You can save hundreds of dollars this way, depending on how big your travel party is. You’ll be refreshed and ready to hit the park again in the evening while everyone else is looking haggard and ready to fall into bed from a full day of stimulation.

Use public transportation and free shuttles – Unless you have a big travel group, paying $15+ to park is just not a reasonable use of your money. In Anaheim, you can walk or use the Rapid Transit system to get to and from the parks. The shuttles cost $4 per person per day, but less if you buy a pass for the days you’ll be staying. In Orlando, all the hotels have free shuttle service to all the parks (though they don’t run all day in the off-season, so you can get there early and come back late).

So, now you know my top 10 ways to save big at theme parks. Get the most for your money and waste less time standing in line and dealing with the “I dunno, what do you want to do” moments. Make a plan, stick to it and you’ll be happy you did, even though you think I’m planning OCD. You’ll thank me when you don’t miss out on riding California Screamin’ or the Transformers: The Ride on your trip, because you have the map memorized (maybe) and your schedule. If that’s not how you want to do things, you can always have me plan your trip for you!

What are your favorite ways to save and what do you think I must see/do on my trip in the fall? Comment away!