Visiting Vegas on a Budget

The majority of people talk about visiting Vegas at least once in their lives – and they definitely should! It’s surprising to some that visiting Vegas on a budget is possible. Whether its for a Bachelor/Bachelorette party, birthday, girls trip, or really any occasion, you’re bound to have a great time in Vegas! I’ve visited Vegas about 8-10 times personally and I’ve always found something new to do each time, along with discovering things I like and do not like doing.

When I travel to Vegas, I typically stay at mid-tier hotels. I tend to have one night where I have a fancy meal with probably way over-priced drinks, while eating cheap on all other days. I’m not interested in gambling, so this definitely brings my overall cost down.

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Tips for Visiting Vegas on a Budget

Hotels

The key to keeping your budget low when visiting Vegas is to find cheap accommodations. With the number of hotels in Vegas constantly rising, it can be hard to decide where to stay. There are fabulous accommodations on and off the strip, making the decision difficult. I’ve stayed in places costing $60 a night to places costing $500+ a night. Finding the balance between cost, location, and quality of room can be exhausting, thats for sure.

When it comes to choosing hotels, it really depends the experience you are looking for. If you are planning on spending majority of your time out at the casinos, shows, eating, or wandering around, you won’t need to splurge on a pricey hotel. In this case, look for hotels off the strip or either quite North or South of the strip. Uber is cheap in Vegas, so staying further away from the core is still convenient and cheap. I’ve stayed at numerous hotels at the North End and South End of the strip and have loved them. They aren’t no Cosmo or Bellagio, but I’m not one to spend much time in my hotel room when travelling.

Food

While the buffets at hotels such as the Cosmo or Caesar’s Palace are dream worthy, they are definitely pricey, reaching an upwards of $50 for lunch. If you can afford it, I highly recommend going to one as the vast array of foods will change your life.

Of course, you probably shouldn’t eat buffet for every meal! Here are some options that will make your stomach – and your wallet – thank you during your stay in Vegas.

Here are some cheaper alternatives to dining in restaurants and eating pricey Vegas meals:

1. In-N-Out. MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE, but I may be biased because I lived in California
2. Tacos El Gordo. Who doesn’t love Tacos, drinking or not!
3. Secret Pizza, or really any other pizza joint!
4. Halal Guys
5. Shake Shack
6. Dirt Dog. Unique and sometimes over-the-top hot dogs!
7. Really any food place that isn’t meant to be a sit down restaurant

I always struggle to refrain from buying every food item that catches my eye, thats for sure! I love trying new foods, especially if it is mega-sized or a new food trend. But, planning out and sticking to a budget has really helped me refrain from eating my body weight in tacos.

Drinks

I think it is obvious, but the big clubs tend to be very pricey when it comes to drinks. I, personally, am not a fan of the club scene and am constantly searching for more low-key, cheap drinking spots.

Typically, I stock up on alcohol before arriving in Vegas. As you are legally allowed to walk around with solo cups and drink on the strip, this is definitely the most cost effective way to drink alcohol. You can’t bring glass bottles

My absolute favourite, budget-friendly drinking strategy is to get BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS.

You can find bottomless mimosas at many brunch and buffet establishments. There is usually about a 2-hour limit on bottomless mimosas, but it is definitely enough time to get your money’s worth! I’ve even been to buffets where they give you an entire bottle of champagne to go in paper cups!

As for bars, I tend to venture further from the strip, or find dive bars around Vegas. Drinks are definitely cheaper at these types of places, and the vibe is much less chaotic than a Vegas Strip Nightclub. If you are looking to save money and go to a fancy nightclub, I suggest rounding up a bunch of females in your group and posting around social media. Promoters crawl instagram during the day (and wander the street) to build their guest list (usually free entry) to the clubs where the top performers come to play. But, they typically expect the group to be majority female. If your group has a good male to female ratio, you may be able gain free entry and drinks from the club!

Activities

Although bars and club can be exciting in Vegas, they are definitely expensive, especially if you’re male! And if you’re like me, you may want to explore different areas in Vegas! Here are some ideas for activities outside of bars and clubs:

• Visit the Famous Las Vegas Sign
• Rent a car or take a bus out to see Hoover Dam
• Visit the Fountains of Bellagio

• Visit Red Rock Canyon
• Check out the shops at Las Vegas Premium Outlets
• Visit the “World’s Biggest Souvenir Store” at Bonanza Gift Shop for cheap souvenirs and gifts
• Visit the shops by the Palazzo
• Wander around and enjoy the people watching!

What are your favourite budget tips when visiting Vegas? Let me know in the comments!

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