If there is one city where you can live like a high roller on a low roller budget, Las Vegas is the winner...especially for the ladies.
I get asked a lot how I afford to take so many vacations, especially to Las Vegas. Vegas is actually one of my cheapest vacations I have taken! The most expensive part is your plane ticket and hotel.
So if your a millennial girl looking to take a trip to Las Vegas on a budget, I've got you covered. Here is exactly how I survive every Vegas trip basically for free. (Don't worry if you're bringing guys I've got some tips for them too.)
1. Find friends to stay with: Two of my best friends lived in Vegas for a year...so HELLO! I got to stay with them once when they still lived there after they literally said "get your plane ticket and we've got everything else." I only paid for my food the entire Labor Day Weekend.
2. Do your research for where to stay: The occassions when you don't have friends to stay with for free, it is pretty easy to find a decent hotel for a good price. Use sites like Booking.com, Expedia, Vegas.com, and TripAdvisor to compare the best hotel specials and deals.
3. Share your room: My friends and I go traveling in groups of 5 or more and ALL share one room. It makes for a pretty cheap weekend trip and it's extra quality time together. :)
4. Stay on the strip: Stay somewhere on the strip, preferably closer to the middle. The LINQ, Flamingo, Bally’s, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood, The Cromwell, Aria, Cosmopolitan, Bellagio, and Caesars Palace are all right in the middle of everything.
5. Take Uber: If you can't walk in your super high heels then I suggest taking ubers, not taxis. They are cheaper and pretty fast in Vegas.
6. Eat cheap: Sorry to admit, but I have only gone out to eat at a nice restaurant with Vegas with my mom my 21st...and it wasn't cheap. When I go with friends we normally get groceries when we travel to save money. We eat big breakfast, snacks for lunch, and order dinner or find somewhere cheap on the strip. To be honest there's not much time for eating when in Vegas.
7. Don't pay cover: I have a lot of friends who are promoters or know promoters in Vegas. They give you VIP access to all the pool and night parties. I've never paid cover or waited in line. Guys typically have to pay cover, but will be let them in with the girls as long as it is an even guy to girl ratio and they are dressed nice. Basically, if your a guy go in with a group of girls otherwise you probably will have to pay the crazy cover charge and wait in line.
8. Find promoters: If you don't know anyone in Vegas it is still easy! Club promoters are all around hotels and the strip. It is their job to get people to the club so they will put you on the list. You can also search #VegasPromoter on Instagram or #WetRepublicPromoter for example a few days before the event you want to go to. You will see multiple pictures of events and promoters telling you to text them for the guest list. Then you text the promoter for the place you want and they put your group on a guest list. It is seriously that easy. Sometimes they will even offer taking you to other exclusive events outside the typical clubs.
9. Free drinks: You can gamble or pretend to gamble/play the slot machines a few times and lose if you are me while getting free drinks. Just make sure you tip the server. Club promoters will also give out free drink passes with club entry. Once you get inside your promoter may escort you to a bottle service table that a guy group has already bought.
10. Meet new people: My favorite part about Vegas is having conversations with new people. I meet people that live in LA (like me) that are great to connect with after the trip. You also see a lot of people outside of the United States who are always interesting to talk to! When you are hopping around the venue, these people typically will invite you to hang at their table/cabana and offer you a drink. So you get a free drink and a new friend at the same time :)
All in all, it's VEGAS BABY! Don't stress out about clubs or pool parties because you really have to play it all by ear and let it happen. There are so many performers to see and so many places to go that it is hard to make a completely set plan. My friends and I normally pick the top performer or place we HAVE to go to that weekend and then play the rest by ear. That's more fun anyways right?
If you have any other tips of navigating Las Vegas on a budget feel free to leave them in the comments!