Question of the Day - 07 March 2018

I happily walk out of the airport, pulling my cases behind me, to Dollar's rental location on Swenson Street, directly across Tropicana, thereby saving all the fees and taxes on car rentals at the airport location.

I refuse to pay resort fees or parking charges, so I use Extended Stay America, which has neither.   Additionally I use RetailMeNot to source promotional codes, which can offer a true and genuine up to 40% off

Stay, play and dine at one of the local casinos thus skipping higher resort fees and parking fees. And, where the slots pay out better.

Over 12 years ago we got roped into a timeshare. After 2 hours of hard closing, we demanded to be released. I will never do that again. The price of the deal was so inflated that even today we are thousands ahead of what the timeshare and hidden charges would have cost us! I don't think there needs to be an answer regarding timeshares in the poll!

We have a small coffee maker that we bring with us.  We do rent a car (not frugal I know) so we buy coffee and cream on our WalMart trip.  Once my husband even made hard boiled eggs in the coffee pot!  

How about adding use of an app such as MyVegas or Comp City Slots to get free rewards? 

My solution is to stop going to vegas on a regular basis.  It is sad that they have gouged their customer base so much that the question of how to be frugal has to be asked.

We pay off our credit cards every month so we use the Total Rewards and Southwest cards for everything. Then we can pay for air and shows, meals, whatever with points. 
Also look for hidden gems for inexpensive meals that rival the big name places.

I never stay at hotels unless they're comped (I can pay a relatively minor nightly fee to stay at my multiple locations of timeshares), as I refuse to pay resort fees. I also am accustomed to a higher level of room than most hotels afford. I do try to save money here and there while in Vegas, but I think there should be an answer that can be chosen that states - when in Vegas frugality is something that I choose to ignore, so I can live it up once in awhile. I feel that LV is an escape from reality for a few days, and just want to relax and enjoy myself. As I'm mostly there for vacations, I try to do something I wouldn't normally do at home. That usually involves spending money on fancy dinners or exciting activities. I still look for a coupon before I book something, but money isn't in the forefront necessarily. Enjoying the moment is my motto when in Vegas!

The way Vegas promotes itself, it's all about "leave your brain at home, drink party gamble blah blah." It's not a hundred dollars, it's a little black plastic disk. Etc. Learning to remain a rational human being, even while in Vegas, is the primary frugal strategy.

We always stay at MSS or Cal...no resort fees plus they have refrigerators. We play at Binion's and use the food coupons from the Motherlode free spin for cheap meals. Play Sigma Derby at the D for as little as 25 cents a race.

• Fill the hotel room's plastic garbage can with ice and use as a cooler for drinks and leftovers. • Stay downtown, never on the Strip • Take full advantage of all the free entertainment at night on Fremont Street.

Always take advantage of what using your players club card has earned in comps - discounts, free rooms, meals, beverages, etc. You earned and paid for them with your play don't let them go to waste.

Use a time share like I do. It is wonderful.

We always stay at the friendly Fremont Hotel & Casino. They are exceptionally friendly and their Silver Card handles everything we need.

We stay at MSS weekdays, and tour the western states in our rental car on the weekend when things get hectic.

Stay off-strip on Friday and Saturday nights and on-strip Sunday-Thursday. This way you can stay an entire week for as little as possible.

My best advice on being frugal is just stay home. LV has gotten much to greedy with fee's and charges. Stay home and frequent Gambling venues close to where you live. LV comps are much to difficult to obtain now days and improver your local economy by spending your voluntary tax to benefit your local community.
For over 50 years, we frequented LV but no more. With corporate ownership and little competition,  Corporate Greed always exceeds customer needs.

It sounds like a good idea, but what do you do with the cooler when you leave, assuming you are flying out of Vegas?  Just leave it in the room?  (I can only imagine what security would think of an unattended cooler, especially after the shooting.)

You can't take it home with you, as it's too large to carry on the plane and pretty much every airline would charge more for the baggage fee than it would cost to get a new one each time.

My best friend from high school and I go to Vegas a couple of times a year.  When we hit a new casino only he gets a players card and we jointly gamble using it.  New cards almost always come with special deals so we use them on the initial trip.  Since we are in effect doubling our bets we get comps faster.  

Next trip to the same casino I get a players card, get the sign up deals, build comp points on my card etc. 

WE also stay only at TI and get the "TV special", no resort fees, FREE parking, refrigerator

We do our primary gambling at Rampant, Southpoint,or Downtown, like Golden Gate etc. better odds, and faster comps 
 

Always check with a host to see what they will comp.  We have been pleasantly surprised many times.  

- Exit the casino to eat.  Many full-service restaurants on the outside have much lower prices than those inside, even compared to off-strip casinos, and there is a lot of variety.
- Find happy hours for cheap drinks and cheap food, especially sushi.
- Dedicate one email account to signing up for mailing lists and sign up for every business you think you might visit, so you can receive promo offers.
- In addition to coupons in LVA Pocketbook, check ACG, KSHP radio (esp. for 2nd tier show tickets), Groupon, and Travelzoo (esp. for spa/massage).
- Play craps for $1 or blackjack for $3 at Jokers' Wild in Henderson.  It's so cheap, you don't really need to worry about running out of money.  Friendly dealers too.
- If you stay in a hotel, book through the hotel website to get a bundled package, which essentially is a full or partial rebate on your resort fee.
- Wait until the next recession to visit Las Vegas.  Room rates fall by 80% and there will probably be lots of other promos.

- If room rates are too high, consider an AirBnb unit.  I have saved 50% this way.
- Join all the slot clubs, but steer clear of casino hosts and "VIP treatment".  They can pressure you into gambling well above your budget.  Those casinos didn't just build themselves.  If you want perks, you will probably come out ahead by just buying them with cash.
- Read fine print on coupons and work around them.  For example, if you are in Las Vegas with your family as I sometimes am, you can't use a 2-for-1 coupon for the buffet for kids.  Instead, use your coupon for yourself and spouse, and apply the room credit if you got one (see last post) to the kids' full-price entry.
- Also, if with younger, kids, a buffet might not be a good value, especially because most don't give discounts to kids and they often only want a simple plate of spaghetti.
- Have fun.  I love a finagle as much as the next person, but it's your vacation.  Prioritize and spend $ on what is important.

When ready to color up at blackjack and go to dinner (at same hotel), order favorite wine or cocktail, take with to the restaurant where it would cost $15-$20 or more.  You have your first drink for the cost of a small tip to the CW.

I regularly use discounts sites such as Groupon and Travelzoo to get great deals on shows, meals, drinks, and other Vegas experiences, often at 50% off or more