For some reason in planning this Vegas trip, I have gone all freebie crazy. I don't know if it is from MyVegas or what, but I am all apeshit over getting free stuff for this trip. Between my Bf and I we have two Aria lunch buffets, two Mandalay Bay dinner buffets, picnic by the pool at Monte Carlo, and am still trying to get the Monte Carlo $50 dining credit. We are also getting bogo Monorail passes. I also got $10 in CET rewards from their social rewards, and on a website called Mypoints a $25 Maggiano's gift card. I have never done this before. What is wrong with me? I think I have decided that since the major planning is done, I am killing time before the trip without killing my bankroll going to local casinos. LOL
nothign is wrong with you and everyone likes to save money even bill gates. maybe people like mc hammer or mike tyson dont like to save money and you see what happened to them. everyone also likes comps,if you gamble and dont take comps than you just loose out. they wouldn't let you play myvegas and exchange points for things in vegas if they werent getting something out of it. thats just business. so everyone wins, you get nice freebies and they get there marketing.
I think my g/f was more excited about our last Vegas trip than I was because of all the "free" stuff (quotes because the game does suck up time) that we got from MyVegas. The dates were originally chosen because on I preemptively booked the Quad for Mother's Day weekend on Feb. 28th before CET implemented the BS "resort fee", and it was the cheapest May weekend at that point. I got more excited about a week afterward when they majorly adjusted room/Cirque rewards and prices (a week later). We are often the money nits on our Vegas trips. I laugh at people that say a $300/day budget for gambling is "low roller" here. Most of this forum would think it's sad; however, when it comes to Vegas, I am definitely liking the quantity, which our frugal ways have definitely increased our number of trips (5 together in the last 2 years; including 2 in December).
I call it "playing the game", which is in addition to the actual games when I get there. Finding the specials, the two for ones, the freeplay offers, etc., is me trying to get the most value for my money on vacation. I think that's how I justify going so often. When my friends and coworkers ask how I'm able to afford to go so much, especially on solo trips, I just explain to them I've figured out how to take advantage of free/cheap rooms, rewards points, etc. I "play the game" to get the most out of what the casinos are offering me. I'm not a penny pinching, coupon clipping, only get a beer if it's comped for playing $.05 VP cheapskate, but I'll take advantage of offers that appeal to me. I may have to stay downtown on the weekends to get free rooms, but then I can move to the strip for free during the week. Great Race to the Rewards gives me $750 in comps? Steak dinner and show tickets on me! Screw around on Facebook and get tickets to Love, monorail passes, good buffet, and whiskey for free? Hells yeah!
Same with my girlfriend. She's addicted to MyVegas at this point even despite the awards, she just likes playing it. She earned us a bunch of good things for our last trip and was super excited about it. When she would talk about MyVegas I used to tune out. Then I realized she was actually getting some decent stuff out of it and since she enjoyed the game time wasn't necessarily a cost. Plus she liked the idea of being able to treat me to things which I don't like her doing with her own money. As far as getting deals, discounts, etc you're a bozo if you don't in my opinion. I work in investments/trading where every asset we deal in has a bid and an ask. If someone is selling something like a show ticket for $100 face or $50 if you rip out a coupon than the ASK is $50, not $100. You'd be considered the "dumb money" in financial markets that gets their face ripped off by the "smart money" if you paid $100. It happens every day and those people don't survive. So maybe its that conditioning. Time is always a factor of course, but the internet and just the ubiquity of deals available in Vegas has made that mostly moot. Most of my spend in Vegas is usually comped, and its the same thing. If you know enough about the comp system you're going to get much more value out of it than someone who is clueless. It's the same exact thing when you're spending actual cash and knowing how to get the best deals.
I ended up getting the $50 steakhouse credit for excalibur. I got tired of waiting for the monte carlo one to open up. Always sold out! Funny how it was always available until I leveled up to get it, and now that I can, it is never there.
I've done that too in the past year. I don't know how much I'm "saving" exactly. But I feel like I've gotten to do more with my limited budget. Normally, shows were a budget buster for me (I mean if my room is $59 is hard to spend $100 on a show ticket), but I've seen quite a few this year, 2 were free. Also a lot of travelzoo deals and groupons and stuff like that. If anything it's getting me to try new places. But, also it's a lot of work, but as long as I'm enjoying the deal hunting I guess it's cool.
Ok, here is the final tally. Booked the Red Room at Paris, comped for 5 nights. Two free nights at NYNY, with the third at $49 plus resort fees. MyVegas rewards: $75 NYNY Times Square piano bar credit. (finally got this morning ) $50 Excallibur steakhouse credit Two Aria lunch buffet credits Monte Carlo picnic by the pool Two Mandalay bay dinner buffets Social Rewards (CET) $20 rewards credits for me $20 rewards credits for BF $25 gift card for Magiannos I figure we have saved about $1500 this trip in free stuff. Now we get to go and give it all back on the slots. LOL
My husband did not see what the value was in myvegas until a couple nights ago till i told him i had enough points for a room night and still had lots more points to get before we go. When i first asked him to get it on his account he didn't want too. I was a lot of points up on him, still am, but last night he told me maybe i can show it to him and he can play it more (instead of me) so that we can use both our accounts for free stuff. I am a coupon person though and have gotten tons & tons of free stuff at home. I spend lots of time online as he works longer days than me so i use it to my advantage. Nothing wrong with free when everything else is so expensive.
This is one thing I love about Vegas - its a big game, trying to take more from them than they take from me. Sometimes I win!
We got to the point where we are concerned there won't be anything charged to the room to have removed at the end of the trip. We got 1/2 PH buffet on Groupon. $50 credit at MC from MyVegas. Buffet of Buffet pass due to the credit card.
Ohh you got a giftcard from Mypoints??? I never even THOUGHT of that! I'm gunna have to go check out if they have anything else for Vegas! LOL Don't even remember how many points I have... I'm totally doing our trip on the cheap too. Only way we would be able to afford to go. Aint no shame in my game.. I'm gunna get a savings or coupon for whatever I can! LOL
Just came back from LV. I highly recommend you going to Aria's lunch buffet before they change it to dinner. Many people will disagree with me but I think it's the best lunch buffet in LV.
I leave tomorrow and between my husband and I we have the following MyVegas rewards: Weekend comp room at Monte Carlo Picnic by the pool at MC 2 Aria lunch buffets 2 for 1 frozen drinks at MC Dueling pianos reward at MC Free cotton candy 2 for 1 pound of candy BOGO monorail Thunder from Down Under ticket Appetizer at Wolfgang Puck Also have a 2 for 1 HHAGG dinner coupon for "liking" their FB page as well as a 2 for 1 coupon for a seeing Raaack and Roll at The D and a pile of other freebie coupons for other food items. So excited for all the savings. More to play with in the slots. LOL
It only occurred to me because I was looking at my e-mail for the room res, and a my points e-mail was right under it, and the lightbulb went off. I had 3800 points saved up. They also had Cheesecake Factory, and Rainforest Cafe cards available. It was a hard choice. I got Maggianos because the bf loves it there.
I guess I shouldn't have said "final tally" as I still have points to spend. I intend on getting monorail passes, and some things for Sugar Factory.
Good to hear you're still open for other suggestions........ Not sure if the "free Veronic (not sure of the spelling)" are still available on travelzoo, but free is free! You just pay the $2.50 processing fee for a $99 ticket. Good luck! Update: the "vpaper" special is still available! Hurry and get some tics for FREE! The show is at Ballys