Online casinos are a great substitute to gambling in Vegas, but nothing beats the excitement of actually walking down the Las Vegas Strip and heading to the tables at Caesar’s Palace for some poker.
But a plane ticket to Vegas doesn’t come cheap (and you’ll need money to spend when you get there).
Thankfully, there are a few simple lifestyle changes you can make to save enough money for the holiday of a lifetime.
Read on for five tips you can use today to start saving for your once-in-a-lifetime Vegas trip.
Cut out the booze
It’s hard to admit, but it’s true: for many of us, alcohol is one of our biggest expenditures. This is especially true if you enjoy the occasional pub or club, with pints reaching prices of £4.50 all around the country, and often even more in London!
So cutting down on drinking (or cutting it out altogether) will save you huge amounts of money each month.
It’s worth it! When you get to Las Vegas, you’ll have no shortage of places to drink. While it might be tricky now, you can look forward to having a martini while you try your luck on the tables.
Cook your own meals
We all enjoy the occasional takeaway or meal out. After a long week at work, there’s nothing better than plonking yourself down on the sofa and ordering a nice curry (and perhaps enjoying the perfect night in playing poker).
But if you want to save up for that holiday of your dreams in Las Vegas, you’ll need to say goodbye to the takeaways for a while.
And the same applies for your lunch too. It’s easy to nip down to the shop and grab a meal deal to eat at your desk. But these cost around £3-4 each, which adds up to at least £15 a week — a hefty amount!
Try investing in some good plastic containers and make your own food, bringing that into work instead. It’s easy to make a big one-pot meal at the start of the week and freeze it, and it’s cheap too. These meals are often much healthier for you, so you can head to Las Vegas looking and feeling great.
Ditch the commute
We often think nothing of paying a few pounds each day for a bus or train ticket to and from work. When we need to get to the office, we just want to get there (and home again!) as quickly as possible.
If you can’t ditch your commute entirely, why not shorten your journey and try walking part of the way? You’ll save a little money each day, and get the chance to stretch your legs and enjoy some fresh air.
To really get the most of your walk, why not download a few podcasts or albums to listen to? You’ll feel more awake and alert by the time to get to work, and you’ll save thousands of pounds into the bargain.
And if you live in London, check out this walking map of Tube stations. The map shows how many minutes it takes to walk between stations — you’ll be surprised at how quick it can be.
Change your energy supplier
Energy prices today are highly expensive, and are often the most costly of all our utilities. Many households spend more than £1,130 a year on their electricity and gas, a significant amount.
But you can save hundreds of pounds by switching your energy supplier, and it’s easier than ever to do so. Yes, it might take a little time to go through the ordeal of changing supplier, but it’s worth it.
Shop around for the best deals — Money Saving Expert is a good place to start, and its Cheap Energy Club finds you the best prices with ease.
Look at your direct debits
Many of us have more than a few direct debits that come out of our account that we hardly think about: our Netflix or Spotify subscription, our gym membership, our phone contract, and so on.
But some of these direct debits can be reduced with ease by switching to a cheaper phone tariff or finding a cheaper gym. And even more of these are unnecessary, and can be cut out entirely. Do you really need Netflix if you don’t watch it that much? And could you dig out that old mp3 player and cancel your Spotify subscription?
These little changes might be mildly inconvenient for now, but all add up and will save you lots of money in the long run.
Save money by XYZ
Cashback is an underused but highly effective way of saving money. The idea is simple: just sign up with a dedicated cashback website and use them to buy products through their website. The website then rewards you by giving you a small percentage back as a cash refund.
Sign-up is free, and you can make purchases from hundreds of major retailers. The rules for claiming your cashback vary from website to website, so be sure to do your research before buying — MoneySavingExpert has a handy guide to get you started.
Try to get into the habit of buying through cashback websites. Gifts, essential home goods, or just the occasional treat — you can save a huge amount by buying all these and more through cashback sites.
How to spend savvy while you’re in Vegas
So you’ve saved enough money for a plane ticket and you’re ready to hit the Strip — but your frugality doesn’t need to stop there. It’s still possible to have a great Vegas holiday on a budget.
- Start by booking a flight and hotel package. Many sites offer affordable combo packages with discounts on most major airlines and hotels. Use a comparison site to find the best deal for you.
- Choose an off-peak flight. Fly out during the week, and avoid flying outside of June, August, or the middle of December — these are the best times to get cheap air fares. Las Vegas is a city that never sleeps, even outside of peak vacation times, so don’t worry — you won’t miss out.
- Have a budget so that your spending doesn’t suddenly get out of control when you run out of luck.
- Go with a friend (or group of friends) and share the cost.
A plane ticket to Las Vegas might be pricey, but it’s possible to make little changes that save you a lot of money. Follow the tips above and start saving the pounds, and soon you’ll have more than enough for a plane ticket for a holiday that you’ll never forget.
