Vegas on a budget Q's

[SD33]

Hey all,

Planning a "mancation" to Vegas with a couple good friends for the first week in June and we need to keep it on a pretty tight budget so our wives don't kill us afterwards. We already have our lodging picked out but I need as many tips as possible for how to get cheap food, buy one get one free stuff, free buffets, free drinks, coupons, etc. I hear each casino gives out a coupon sheet if you just ask. Is this true? We're all pretty new to this. A couple of us have been before but didn't attack the strip in any meaningful way. How do we beat the "house", if you will, getting the most bang for our buck? We won't be doing shows. Mostly lounging by the pool, eating, drinking and gambling.

Thanks for any advice you can provide!

 

[usnuzuloose]

The Earl of Sandwich in Planet Hollywood is reasonable and the food is excellent. What kind of a food budget are you looking at? Helps if you can provide a little more info.

 

[skiingfast]

Take a cooler, bring cups, liqour, mixers or beers. Drink your own cheap drinks rather than gamble and tip for drinks or buy the expensive drinks at bars.

When getting ready I have a drink or two. When leaving the room take two drinks. One drink is usually gone by the time I'm out the casino and then still have one for the walk down the strip.

I've usually gotten coupon sheets at places that have free pull slots. Though the coupons were sometimes not very good some were for $1 drinks in the way back of casinos or half off buffets.

I'd go to Fremont Street in the evening, you can take the bus strait north on LV blvd. Cheaper table limits, lots of entertainment on the street.

If you have a car, driving the strip is a pain, but going to the out lying casinos will get you cheaper buffets and better food sometimes.

You might want to sign up for players cards right away and maybe get emailed a deal before you go.

 

[Queenbillabong]

There is also the Buffet of Buffets at the Harrah's properties (if you want buffets). It's around $45 per person, but that's good for a 24-hour period. So you could get four meals from that if you time it right - late dinner to start, breakfast, lunch, dinner. Make sure you get the Total Rewards card or it would be about $5 more.

It's good at Harrah's, Imperial Palace, Flamingo, Rio, Paris, Caesar's Palace, and Planet Hollywood. For an additional $15 you can also get the seafood buffet at The Rio.

I would also order drinks while you're gambling, then you just have to pay the tip, so a buck a drink

 

[SD33]

Excellent advice (especially the cooler and buffet of buffets ideas)! I'm sold. My budget is around $40 a day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks so that should work out just fine. Also, any other fast food ideas would be appreciated. I'll check out Earl of Sandwhich.

 

[usnuzuloose]

There is a Dennys in the middle of the strip. There is a Mcdonalds, also if you type in google free things in vegas there is one where you can print some coupons for BOGO free like a nathans hot dog, ice cream and I think two different ones and they are good in NewYork NewYork. I am trying to think of some more. I will be there the second week of June.

 

[skiingfast]

There is also the Buffet of Buffets at the Harrah's properties (if you want buffets). It's around $45 per person, but that's good for a 24-hour period. So you could get four meals from that if you time it right - late dinner to start, breakfast, lunch, dinner. Make sure you get the Total Rewards card or it would be about $5 more.

It's good at Harrah's, Imperial Palace, Flamingo, Rio, Paris, Caesar's Palace, and Planet Hollywood. For an additional $15 you can also get the seafood buffet at The Rio.

I would also order drinks while you're gambling, then you just have to pay the tip, so a buck a drink

The thing I don't like about the comp drinks while gambling is, they come a lot slower than at a bar. So it's easy to loose $100 between the dollar drinks. But if you are playing don't pass them up. And don't be afraid to ask for two, some places will do it some refuse.

Also with the buffets, that's a great deal to try different places, but make sure you get in at least two to make it worthwhile or 3 to get value. Also thier is a free shuttle from Harrah's to the Rio and back.

There is a Dennys in the middle of the strip. There is a Mcdonalds, also if you type in google free things in vegas there is one where you can print some coupons for BOGO free like a nathans hot dog, ice cream and I think two different ones and they are good in NewYork NewYork. I am trying to think of some more. I will be there the second week of June.

Keep an eye out for the signs, because along the strip is a lot of options, usually burried inside the casinos but noted out front. Subway, Wendy's, McDonalds....

Also I've gone into the liqour stores along the strip and bought forties to carry along with me.

Also while there are drinks at the pool, the drinks aren't cheap, but taking a nalgene or used water bottle full of rum and coke is.

 

[malibuconlee]

Where are you staying? Hit an ABC store for cheaper liquor/beer. Well, cheaper than drinks from a bar, more expensive than at home.

Drinks at a bar will run around $11 for a mixed drink. Casino Royale has I think it's $1 Michelob and $1 margaritas.

Sign up for players cards at each chain. That is when you will get a coupon book. Have fun!

 

[bluedevilinaz]

Palace Station has a $4.99 breakfast, $6.99 lunch and $9.99 dinner/brunch buffet if you sign up for their players club card and it's actually a pretty good buffet for the price. It's off Sahara and the 15. Also, if you're driving in use google maps to find the nearest Lee's discount liquor to the strip. It's probably the cheapest place to get liquor/beer and mixers in Vegas.

Where are you guys staying at?

The table game with the best odd's is Craps. If one person puts a pass line bet and one person puts a don't pass line bet of the same amount down you can gamble for (almost) free and build up comp's. I've played for hours on a combined bankroll of $200 on a $5 table just betting table minumum. Just betting table minimum won't get you much in the way of comp's but you get cheap drinks and its cheap entertainment.

I cannot stress this enough though, set your win goals and your loss limits and stick to them firmly! I've seen many a friend blow away all of their spending money in a couple hours of gambling.

 

[KKB]

Palace Station is off strip....
Buy an American Casino Guide (off their site or Amazon).
You might check out www.lasvegasadvisor.com. They have a $40 coupon book--pricier, but take a look at the list maybe it is what you are looking for.

 

[lovebug33]

Vegas isn't very cheap anymore. It depends where you are staying, but those all you can eat buffet deals are great! Stay away from gambling. It's a rip off!

 

[Thumper_Man]

Just a word of caution on the buffet of buffet. Remember it's for a 24 hour period. Allow yourself enough time to use it. Especially approaching that last hour. If you're line when your 24 hours expires, they will not honor it. They'll make you pay again.

DW and I went this past April. This is how we did it in a 24 hour period:

Dinner at 8 pm.
Breakfast at 8 am.
Lunch at 1 pm.
Dinner at 7 pm.

I agree with buying drinks for the room. Stay away from the mini-bar. Even though it was a little more expensive, we bought beer in the gift shops. Cheaper than buying them at the bars.

Few other places we go to and things we do as well, because we usually go on a budget.

Margaritaville. Share the nachos. It's a big plate. Buy the 100 oz. margarita. Costs $50 but you can get about 11 regular size margarita's out of it.

Rainforest Cafe (inside the MGM). We usually order and share a pizza.

As others have mentioned, if you are renting a car, dine off-strip.

Also keep in mind, most hotels will put a hold of a $100/night on your credit card. Just found this out last trip. At least the MGM properties did while we there.

 

[Green-bay]

Another vote for Earl of Sandwhich -- great food, good price and it is open for all meals

 

[Alltiggeredout]

When getting ready I have a drink or two. When leaving the room take two drinks. One drink is usually gone by the time I'm out the casino and then still have one for the walk down the strip.

Do they mind you walking around casinos and the strip with cans/bottles of beer etc?

 

[KKB]

Do they mind you walking around casinos and the strip with cans/bottles of beer etc?

One of the beauties of VEgas!

 

[skiingfast]

Do they mind you walking around casinos and the strip with cans/bottles of beer etc?

One of the beauties of VEgas!

Surely great^^^^

About the only restriction is no glass in the pool areas, but other than that, you can drink anything almost everywhere else in the tourist areas you will be visiting, no problem.

 

[Alltiggeredout]

Sounds like a good way to keep my beer bill down for our stay.