Okay… so I’ve had this Vegas trip planned for a bit, but I had a few extra bills come up. So, I’m gonna wind up spending a week in vegas with about $500 to blow. Not what I hoped for. Anyone got any ideas of inexpensive ways to amuse myself while I’m there? Cheap places to eat, or things to see?
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If you want to eat cheap, take advantage of the free coupons that are passed out at most of the casinos. You won’t get nutritious food from them: free popcorn, 99-cent shrimp coctails, 99-cent hot dogs, etc. Last time we were there (September), my brother and I ate at the Rio buffet. About $8 for lunch, which is pricier than most, but the food was great. For years, Circus Circus had the cheapest breakfast buffet, but you get what you pay for there.
Things to see for free? All the new casinos at the south end of the strip. Take the tram, if you get tired of walking (if you’re not gambling or eating, there aren’t many places to sit). There’s an outdoor water show at Bellagio (I think) every half hour or so, which is better seen at night. Also, if the wind is down, the outdoor volcano eruption outside of the Mirage is worth seeing (they start some time in the early evening). Mandalay Bay has all sorts of attractions inside. When we were there, two slender bikini-clad young women were feeding and exercising a parrot by “playing catch” with it. The Imperial Palace has an antique auto museum that you might be able to tour for free with a coupon.
Cheap gambling is a bit harder to find, but most casinos still have nickel slots. A smaller place on the east side of the strip (the Royal?) actually had $1 blackjack tables. If you start gambling right away, expect to run out of cash in a hurry.
Shows aren’t cheap, either. You’ll either have to win (or lose) enough to be comped, or cough up the cash for them.
Some places give coupons for free slot pulls. We stayed at the Riviera, and won about a half dozen decks of cards from their free slot pulls (“everybody wins something!”). I won another deck of cards at the Tropicana. Slots 'o Fun and Silver City also have free pull machines, but you have to get coupons at Circus Circus for them.
“You can observe a lot just by watching.” – Yogi Berra
You know the best way to leave Vegas with a small fortune? Start with a large one. 
If you’re flying in, you’ve got to take Las Vegas Limousine from the airport. It’s only $4/person to the Strip–you can’t take a cab for that, with one or two people. There’s nothing like pulling up to your hotel in Vegas in a stretch limo.
The best way to eat cheap is to keep late or early hours. The Barbary Coast, for instance, has great breakfast specials for $1.99 from 11PM-7AM. (They cook the bacon just right, too.) There’s also the world-famous late-night steak special at Binion’s Horseshoe–steak, potato, salad, and rolls for only $2.99.
You can save a few bucks at the buffets by going just before they switch over. For instance, I went to the Bellagio buffet at about 10:55, right before they changed over to lunch. They charged me for breakfast, which is about $4 cheaper than lunch. Just get some fruit and nurse it for a while as they get lunch set up.
The cheapest gambling on the Strip is found north of the Treasure Island. There’s a $1 blackjack table at the Casino Royale that’s right next to the bar, so it’s a good way to get ripped on the cheap. (They also have $3 double-deck.) There are a bunch of $1 tables at the Sahara, but it’s a long haul from anywhere else. (It is, however, near the Holy Cow Brewery, which I highly recommend.) There are plenty of $3 tables in the evening at the Imperial Palace, which you should check out just for the cocktail waitresses. (Top-notch.)
For an interesting gambling experience, there’s a Texas Hold’Em tournament (that’s poker, BTW) every day at the Luxor at 12:00. $20 entry fee. If you study up on the game a little bit, and play tight, you might have a good chance.
My personal favorite thing to do in Vegas is to get all dressed up, go to the Mirage, get a drink, and hang out. It’s like the crossroads of the Universe in there.
Have fun, and don’t take insurance.
Dr. J
(PS: It might be out of your range–it was certainly out of ours, but my traveling companion was cleaning up at the tables and being a jerk about it, so it was on him–but I must recommend the Samba Grill at the Mirage. Their “rodizio experience” (Brazilian barbecue) is $28.95, but it is a bargain for the true meat lover.)
Ahhh Yes, Las Vegas, reminds me of the line “I hope I break even. I could use the money”.
I don’t know who said it, but I love it!
Enright3
Vegas for the Frugal ? One of my favorite topics. A lot of the casino websites have coupons for funbooks. If you really milk them, you can save and have fun doing it. You have to be careful, though. I got a free green baseball hat at Fitzgeralds downtown and made the mistake of running in it that afternoon. The hat bled green dye into my skin and I walked around Vegas with a green stripe across my forehead for 2 more days. The tables downtown are much cheaper, I play craps with 8 bets at once and I live for those 2 dollar tables. Get the half pound hot dog for 99 cents at Slots-O-Fun next to Circus, you won’t want to eat for the rest of the day. Good Luck !
“Hope is not a method”
Hey, Just a little info for ya,
If you want cheap eats, get away from the strip. The strip is the most expensive part of Vegas. I wish I could remember the name of those casinos that were out away from the strip. We ate latenite breakfast there for like $2. Can’t beat that. The only thing is, it would be a little expensive getting there if you don’t have a ride. Those places are nice, not trendy, and they’re paid for, so they don’t ask a lot from you.
“Rolling with the dopes you know. Rolling with the wrong gun on you”
“I dream that she aims to be the bloom upon my misery”
I must warn you–if it’s 3:00 AM, and you’ve been playing blackjack at Slots-A-Fun for the last six hours, and you’re up $300, and you were drinking beer right up until you switched to straight bourbon about an hour ago, the 99 cent half-pound hot dog will seem like a fantastic idea. Let me assure you, it is not.
(Or so I’m told.)
Dr. J
Or if you want to be cheap and not risky, there are a couple Denny’s on the strip as well as a BurgerKing (In either Fitzgeralds or O’sheas – one of the small “Irish” named casinos) and a McDonalds (near the Aladdin, if I recall correctly).
One of the other fun free things to do is see the Fremont Street Experience, but if you see the last show at midnight be warned that all the stores roll up and you do NOT want to be stuck there when all the lights go down like we were! (We’d taken the bus from the Flamingo and when we went back to the bus stop they had “closed” it for road construction! We went back to Fremont St. and it was like a ghost town and all the shady characters were coming out of the darkness. We were lucky to grab a cab, but if you’re not staying at one of the casinos on Fremont St, drive yourself there so you have a way to split fast!)
Another cool attraction is the Las Vegas Museum (I think that’s the name) in the Tropicana. It has chips and memorabilia from all the old casinos back in the day, as well as videos of fires and explosions, etc. I think it costs like $4 per person, but if you have a local magazine in your room there’s usually a free admission coupon that’s good for 4 people.
For a suggestion of an expensive thing to do, the Four Seasons hotel is adjacent to the Mandalay Bay and has a FANTASTIC restaurant. It’s a ritzy-type place and you’ll drop a load, but I assure you it’ll be one of the best meals you’ve ever eaten.
Oh, and I know I’ve mentioned this before: Don’t see “Lord of the Dance!” It’s like $60 PER PERSON and all it is is people stomping for like TWO HOURS! Arrrgh! The waste! THE WASTE!!!
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THAT’S the one, not the Royal. I played at that table for about 2 hours, and won $5 or so. (No promises or guarantees implied.)
If they have a Laughlin turnaround bus, you might consider taking it and spending a day there (about a 90-mile one-way trip). Most of the Laughlin casinos still have single-deck blackjack tables, though they all hit soft 17.
If Las Vegas has a Visitor’s Center, this would be a good place to pick up coupons and local magazines that list weekly specials.
Also, check out the Gambler’s Book Club at Charleston & 11th Streets. They carry all sorts of titles about every game in town. They even have a used book section. There are other used book stores in town, too. Check the phone book once you get there.
Drinks are free, so long as you’re gambling (tips are expected). If you want to drink, but don’t feel like gambling, you might sit in the Keno section or the sports book, pretending to examine the numbers or the racing form. The cocktail waitress will come by soon enough.