The Broke Millennial's Guide to Las Vegas - THE BALLER ON A BUDGET - An Affordable Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle Blog (2024)

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Ah, Vegas: a bustling city packed with food, drinks, and unlimited entertainment of all sorts. This vacation destination always has something new and exciting to offer, making it one of the hottest destinations in the world.

A perfect location for bachelorand bachelorette parties, honeymoons and family vacations, Vegas’s popular attractions often come with a huge price tag. But what about us young folk who are barely graduating college and scoring internships, or even just those who can’t afford to spend like millionaires? How can we enjoy Vegas both in-style and on a budget?

Luckily, with the competitive rivalry between businesses and an abundance of event promoters, there are plenty of ways to save on activities and hotels in Vegas. Continue reading for my best tips and tricks below.

More Travel Posts and Tips:

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$275 for a VIP Vegas Experience: My Las Vegas Travel Diary
Affordable Eats: Next Republic Kitchen in Alhambra, California
The San Diego Budget Travel Guide: Eat, Drink and Sleep Under $400

Look for hotels with new renovations

Many of the existing hotels on the strip have been standing for over decades now, and many of them are due for renovations. Because business is always booming in Vegas, hotels will only do renovations in small sections to avoid shutting down entirely during construction. When these renovations are completed, many hotels are eager to showcase their newly remodeled rooms to guests, so specials are given away left and right. Most hotel websites will have information on newly renovated rooms, and if not, a quick call to their hotel will give you that answer.

Sacrifice convenience for lower rates

If you’re not intending to walk to and from your hotel, a cab ride to a hotel away from the strip can save you plenty of money onhotel rooms. There are some great hotels such asSouth Point, Palms Place, and CancunResort that offer luxurious accommodations with a much cheaper price than hotels located directly on the strip. Some of them even have an on-site spa and gorgeous pools to lounge in! If youprefer toenjoy an all-inclusive vacation experience within the comfort of your hotel, then try the hotels awayfrom the strip.

Dine like a local

Sure, places like Bacchanal Buffetmay on the top of everyone’s Vegas bucket list, but $30 for a single meal can add up to almost $100 a day for just one person alone. Vegas has many more hidden gems to offer in residential areas with prices much cheaper than the tourist traps scattered on the strip.

Go with your girls to waive entrance fees and bypass lines

Ladies’ night is practically every night in Vegas. Promoters love to get girls in for free because the more ladies there are in clubs, the more drinks are bought (courtesy of foolish men, ha!). If your group consists of mostly girls, sometimes promoters may spot you in line and offer to get you to the front, free of charge.

Make friends – they’ll hook you up

You never know who you’ll run into Vegas. Vegas is an international party destination, so it’s never a surprise when you run into a young heir from another country or a successful business owner. Be nice to those you speak to, and you never know what they might offer – an abundance of money and booze will make peopleextremelygenerous.

If getting friendly with complete strangers isn’t really up your alley, you can always find promoters for clubs and bars everywhere on the strip. These people will usually approach you on the strip and offer you flyers or even their phone number – be sure to contact them if they have a good deal that you and your friends and interested in.

If you need a promoter for your next visit to Vegas, I highly recommend contacting my friendCarlos ReyesonInstagramso that he can set you up! He always gets me into the best clubs! You can read more about how I’ve gotten into nightclubs like XS Nightswim and Intrigue with Carlos here.

Here are some of my favorite clubs Carlos can get you in:

Intrigue at the Wynn
XS at Encore
XS Night Swim
Encore Beach Club at Encore (day club/swim)
Encore Beach at Night (night swim)

Focus on the pre-game: Cheap drinks in Las Vegas

Since Las Vegas has a zero-tolerance law for driving under the influence, it should already be a no-brainer that you’ll either be walking or taking a cab to your destination. If that’s the case, make sure to stock up on liquor and start pre-gaming with your friends as you get dressed up for a night out on the strip.

If you want to drink while walking on the Strip, make sure to find a Fat Tuesday and order a “Yard Dog” for $15 – these are frozen daiquiris in a yard-long plastic cup you can drink while walking around. You can also add extra shots into your drink for just an extra $1 – $2, depending on the liquor.

All-You-Can-Drink Specials

C Bar at the Stratosphere also has an all-you-can-drink 2-hour special for $19.99 from 6-10PM. They also have an endless happy hour where every hour they feature one drink at a special price, often between $3-$6.

If you want a nice view, the High Roller offers a “Happy Half Hour” where you can enjoy one full rotation on the wheel complete with an open bar. Soif you want to pump down drinks before hitting up the clubs while enjoying a nice view, go here! Make sure to buy High Roller tickets online since you save more: “anytime” tickets are $47, but if you pick a specific date it’s $35.

Maybe you could care less about dressing nice and just want to down drinks casually while enjoying some bar food: Blondies is your go-to. Located inside the Miracle Mile Shops, this sports bar and grill offers all-you-can-drink domestic drafts and well drinks for $20, Monday – Friday from 3 – 6PM.

Bigger groups help you save on bottle service and cabanas

When renting out a table at a club, there is always a minimum amount you must spend to cover the reservation. During peak seasons it’s uncommon to see prices go well past $1,000 for just a few hours at a club.

With prices that high, it can be extremely hard to meet that minimum and not waste all that liquor. Make sure to bring a group that is exactly the max limit that your table can accommodate, so you can get your money’s worth. Remember, there are no take-out boxes for liquor!

Side note: Again, be sure to contact Carlos on Instagram (@carlosreyeslv) and ask about tables and cabanas!

Bottle service?Make sure to order food

With excessive bottle service minimums, it’s already hard enough to finish all the booze on your table. An overambitious group might attempt to do just this, but getting too drunk will get you kicked out of the club immediately. And trust me, unless you’re all acting out-of-line, they’ll single drunk people out and kick them out individually, leaving the rest of your group to finish the liquor. It becomes a game of “last man standing” after that.

Ordering a good amount of food will not only help you meet the minimum easilybut will also give you a chance to snack on somethingand getting too drunk to the point of no return.

Will you be going to Vegas anytime soon? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more travel guides delivered to your email.