What about free?

Free drinks, meals, games, rooms, shows, pools, night clubs, attractions, etc The city is good for it. I could easily spend days on free stuff alone and enjoy myself in a very high quality way. this is neither cheap nor frugal. Only as comps are free stuff a bargain. But free can be had without a single cent paid...and at favorable qualities.

Could you have fun on a free-freee day, no comps necessary? Have you ever considered it , or would it detract from your experience?

 

Its an interesting point you make.

Might be fun to try it.

 

Thanks. Yes, I have actually never done it yet but in theory it sounds doable (tips would probably be the main expense).

 

How do you plan on getting all that for free?

 

coupon books, promoter websites, third party hotel websites, hotel promotions, myvegas

I guess in some cases there is an expense that comes with it. For example, you pay for a room and you get a free show to see LOVE, but it's the normal rate you would have paid for the room anyway. Or, you pay for the coupon book and you get free drinks in specific places all over Vegas, etc. Some promos come with dining credits, gaming credits, tickets for free attractions, resort credits, etc. Myvegas is of course entirely free. Getting on a guestlist for a nightclub is free for a woman, but I have a $1.50 VIP club party pass (which includes the host and party limo) for comped for men and women (normally $99 pp). Great bars like Carnaval Court, Eyecandy, Chandelier can be free for men when it's early. Free for ladies most nights. Karoake at harrahs 6-9p is free. Pools are always free. some pools are open to non-guests for free like Hard rock and hooters so a little exploration there. Pools are usually free for women if there is no electronic/card entry. And we all know about the free attractions and mini-shows like the fountains and volcano.

 

I think you'd have to go to Costco for your meals... I know this wouldn't work for me, I don't want to have to work that hard on vacation, but I'm pretty frugal.

B

 

Well take for instance the abundant resort credits being given out now.

You do not have to go out of your way to use them. It comes with your room, which was regular price.

I dined at a couple places at Wynn for free for that reason.

The resort credit is a little different, in that you have to have a credit hold (and book a room), but the concept is still the same. It's free.

I also dined at Four Queens and El cortez for free using similar credits (and coupons). Most of my meals last trip (17 days long) were free. And I rarely get "comps".

I am basically doing the things I want to do...I am not going out of my way. But everyone does things differently. And I know I move around *alot* and I like it that way.

 

I agree. I work hard so I can take a vacation. Then when I'm on vacation I splurge and spend money in ways I never would at home. Trying to save a buck or get something for free is way at the bottom of my list.

 

But I figure for many people it would detract from the experience.

To me, it certainly adds. I'm a busybody on my vacay.

 

Our first trip had a mostly free day in it - we brought breakfast bars and otherwise did 2-4-1 coupons on Nathans, Ben & Jerry's and a sandwich place that I can't remember. We walked the whole strip & saw all the free shows, did the auto collection on free tickets and as it was our first trip signed up for players club cards & did a lot of free play too.

It was a fun day

 

Certainly sounds like it!

My mostly free days are some of the best days.

 

Vegas is great for frugalistas because no other place outside North Korea subsidizing Rodman's continued expertise at being an idiot can "give" so much away and have it not impact the bottom line while also having the recipients think they are making off with the goods. The push and pull factors are staggeringly powerful.

 

Here is my plan for a mostly free day on my solo trip - eat at delights (myVegas) take the bus (something my husband would never do) to the Pinball HOF & play a few rolls of quarters (technically a donation) take the bus back & play (and drink!) at MGM and then see Ka (myVegas). I will have to buy a snack or something light but that is going to be a great day - even more so because of the free parts. Free is like winning in advance.

 

We have had many trips where...except for using comp points to eat once and the "free" drinks while gambling were the only free things.

This upcoming trip is over the top free, part of the "game" IMO. First 2 free flights with SW points (total cost $55 for security fees and early bird checkin)...4 nights free in a Mirage Tower suite via myVegas, 3 nights comped at South Point (from spending way too much money last year)...$150 CC Steakhouse thanks to myVegas, Bellagio Buffet for 2 thanks to myVegas, spend my CET comp pts from using my credit card for the last year, whatever express pts I earn with Mlife, and a 2/1 Mirage buffet coupon in my pocket thanks to LVA. Never had so much free stuff, it is making my head spin! Normally I am happy to get a good price on air, hotel and a few 2/1 buffet coupons.

 

When I used to go to Vegas on $40 to $60 a day - including gambling money - I'd try to do the non-gambling things as inexpensively as I could. That meant enjoying the free drinks while gambling (usually at nickel VP), taking the bus or walking, using the POV and ACG for freeplay and matchplay coupons and 2/1 meals, and enjoying bands in the casino lounges, people watching, Bell'agio fountain shows, and other sights as entertainment.

I still do quite a bit of this today, as I'm not a big fan of expensive meals and don't see many shows. I also still use the bus in Vegas, as I feel it gives me more freedom to drink what I want, when I want. The difference is that my gambling budget is much higher than it was. Of course, this gets me more "freebies", but they're not really free.

So yeah, near-free is fun, but I like to play now for higher stakes than I used to.

 

Our upcoming trip is mostly free, paying for our fights is our biggest expense so far. I won a $500 gift certificate from a travel agency & used that for our hotel, shuttle to hotel(will take a cab back to airport), 2 tickets to see Mystere, & 2 tickets to Madme Tussauds. I still have $75 left to use at a later time. I have been playing MyVegas & have a $50 food credit at Monte Carlo, $75 food credit at the Sports Bar, 2 Bellagio buffets, & Cravings buffet for one. I bought the Kauhanaville special from Living Social($25 for $50, will use before seeing Mystere), & bought a couple $25 gift certificates from Restaurant.com for $4. Not sure if we will need the Restaurant.com certificates, but at least I have them just in case. I have also been saving my tip money from work to gamble with(dh & I neither are big gamblers). Besides airfare & what drinks we have(& tips), this will be a pretty cheap(& much needed)trip for us! Thinking about seeing Jubilee as well, which I have a bogo if we have time.

 

Free is usually what I strive for during my travels to Las Vegas.

I try to track money spent on food and beverage, transportation, and entertainment and sometimes I'll include to cost of hotel in there too. I try to win back what I spent on the trip in a session or two of small stakes gambling. Most times including coupon usage I make back what I spent. Thankfully airfare is taken care of thanks to my profession.

Sometimes I feel being a flight attendant is the best career decision I ever made. Others...when I'm dealing with difficult passengers I wonder why I do this sometimes.