How to Save Money While Visiting Las Vegas

The city of extremes can have some pretty extreme prices. But if you know how to find the deals, you, too, can enjoy the life of a high roller for discounted prices. Here are some tips to help you find affordable things to do in Las Vegas and make the most of your trip. 

1. Catch Free Shows

The light and music show at the Fountains of Bellagio still enthralls. Watch this choreography of water a couple of times an hour. The Mirage’s exploding volcano delivers an extravaganza of fireballs and explosions, with a soundtrack by the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart and Zakir Hussain. Along the Carnival Midway at Circus Circus, you can ooh and aah at the daredevil trapeze artists swinging overhead.

2. Hunt for Discounts

“In Vegas, you want to do the opposite of what common sense tells you everywhere else,” says Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor, a Sin City deals newsletter. “You want junk mail. That’s where the deals really come from.” Check out Las Vegas Advisor and Vegas.com.

Sign up for online loyalty programs and email deals pour in: Aria Resort & Casino offers various promotions, such as dining credits or a facial at the spa, followed by a relaxing stretch on a heated-stone bed.

Facebook, Twitter, websites: It’s easy to find discounts, especially for entertainment, even on top-drawer experiences like Cirque du Soleil. You may find yourself watching one of their six different shows such as The Beatles Love and Zumanity for less than full price. Cirque du Soleil also has discounts and exclusive offers for students and military.

3. Embrace the Workweek

Things are cheaper Sunday through Thursday. A room can cost half as much on a Tuesday as it does on a Saturday. Spas offer midweek discounts; so do buffets.

One of the best buffets is the Cosmopolitan’s Wicked Spoon, which offers small scrumptious servings—a shot of ceviche, a crème brûlée—in cute mini pots and baskets. The weekend brunch costs $36, but weekdays it’s $28.

A reserved poolside lounge chair is $50 to $75 Monday through Thursday at Bellagio’s Cypress Pool—complete with Evian misters, chilled towels, mini smoothies, and attendants adjusting umbrellas.

4. Eat Early

The secret to eating well—really well—on a budget, even at celebrity-chef restaurants, is to eat earlier. At the white-tablecloth Greek restaurant Estiatorio Milos, you can lunch on appetizer selections including fresh Maryland lump crab cake and a Greek mezze plate, while main course options include Shetland Island organic salmon and shrimp saganaki, for $29.

5. Head for Happy Hour

Las Vegas is thick with happy hour menus. The appetizers are specially priced at The Strat's 108 Drinks (that’s 108 floors above the Strip) and can fill you up, and the cocktails are two-for-one from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

At the trendy Lavo lounge overlooking Treasure Island Hotel & Casino’s pirate ship show, you can get a complimentary cocktail with the purchase of an appetizer.

6. Try Strategic Bargaining

If something catches your eye in a boutique, but the price is too high, ask the sales clerk what they can do for you. They can say nothing, but if they don’t, you may come home with a stylish new outfit—at a discount.