Looking at options

I changed jobs at the casino I work at and for the first time in my life I am making 30k a year give or take a K (most before that was 22k) and km thinking that I should be able to save enough to make a trip in 6 months or so. In reality the only thing stopping me is being a single parent of a 12 year old.

Background, been going to Vegas since 1986 or 87 (since I was 8 or 9), use to be yearly, then every 6 months through early 90s, then in 97 when I was 18 was the first time as an adult. I went in 2002, 2005 and 2011, In 05 and 11 I went during the first/second week of March and just love it at that time.

My opinions I find are limited.
1st option, I could intro my son who will be 13 to Vegas, he really wants to go but it's really my last resort. Back when I was going at that age it was not uncommon to be wondering around alone at midnight between stardust (where we stayed) and circus circus, now obviously that area is a ghost town.

2nd option is really two options. The only people family wise to him that could watch him are his grandparents but they are nearly 3 hours away. Only negative is he would miss school (same as if I took him with me). Otherwise I could ask and offer to pay his current sitter a decent amount, she is local and so school would not be an issue.

3rd, I can skip going my favorite time of year and visit during the brutal summer while he is visiting his mom in Texas. For the most part that is the ideal idea but I really don't like going in July /august due to hear and it is much farther out.

I feel gambling wise this could be my best trip, working as a dealer in a casino I now have a strong understanding of the games where I honestly knew very little before. Obviously I don't plan on hitting vegas thinking I'm going to get rich, I always plan on the money I take staying there, but the enjoyment maybe more knowing what I am doing.

I may bring the idea up to the sitter soon and see what she says, also the grandparents, I'd love to be able to get the time off work set up and buy my ticket and reserve the room.

 

Some other options for this would be:

a) See if the grandparents can come to you, stay at your place and make sure he gets to school. When I was younger that was the option my parents used when they went on vacation.

b) Doesn't your kid have any friends from school they could stay with for a couple of days?

c) You are talking 6 months from now... March is 7 months from now and when the kid is on spring break you can either take 'em with you or ship them off to grandparents and they won't miss any school.

d) You don't say how long you are planning on going. If its just for 3 or 4 nights you could always look at arranging your trip around some long weekend. Six months from now is pretty much getting in to "long weekend season" where there is one or two every month.

Personally I like going in the summer. Nice and hot outside, cool and air conditioned inside... plus, as they say about Vegas: the hotter it is, the less the women wear

 

The grandparents coming here is not an option, they both work full time, plus we are not on such terms I'd invite them to my house (ex in laws). The sitter would be the best option.

I should add if I go, it has to be during the week, the casino I work at does not let part time employees (which I am, but not complaining, 30k for a part time job is good $) off on weekends.

Another thing, I could send him to his moms in Texas the week of spring break (using April here) and he would not miss school and it's a sure thing she would say yes to an extra visit.

As for summer, true the eye candy would be more tasty but I would more than likely confine myself to the casinos instead of any of the outside stuff I enjoy, at least if it's anything like this summer has been with the record breaking temps

 

Everyone wins in this scenario.

 

I found that out last week. Went to the Venus Pool at Caesars and decided to study the topless participants ..........i needed to observe them every day for 5 days @ 9 hours per day in their natural habitat..........some women were at first hesitant, but i told them that i would still respect them the next morning.
Gawd i love Vegas!

 

$30k a year
Single Parent
Take 6 months to save enough for trip
Barely enough to get by.

Car, house, school, doctors, emergency fund (think Dave Ramsey).

Just sayin.

Edited to say it is none of my damn business. But, like spending my last $100 trying to beat Vegas myself, I could not control myself.

 

I could have the money in 2 months if I so desired. I just started the dealing thing a couple months ago, getting caught up on everything I was behind with before and building the emergency fund before planning a trip, plus I like March best of all. House and car are paid for, so just standard bills and food is all I really have, soon my student loan repayment starts as well. I'm so used to living on 10/hr that my 22/hr average is awesome. Not alot compared to many here but it's great considering how little I really have to pay out monthly