How To Survive Las Vegas On The Cheap!

My last trip to Las Vegas was for charity, so I decided not to bring enough money for gambling, and just hang out. In the end, I didn’t even bring enough money for food, but I still had a blast. Welcome to the easiest way to survive without a lot of money in Las Vegas.

1. Stay at the Terribles Hotel and Casino.
   The exotic dancers in Vegas don’t even go here to hang out, it is more of a dishwashers and drunks type of place. As seedy as it is, the rooms are $69 bucks a night (with a $26 Sunday room). Beers are $2.50 at the bar, its one mile from the strip and you don’t have to worry about being harassed by “ladies of the night”. (A lot of pilots stay here.)
2. The secret to drinking for free in Vegas.
   Ever heard of penny slots? (Slot machines where the minimum bet is one cent). This is brainless, you go with a couple buddies and don’t want to spend $100 to get into TAO and $15-$25 a drink once you’re there. All you need to do is sit at the penny slots with about $3 each, play a few rounds and when the waitress comps you a drink, stop playing and wait while you hang out and drink. If she comes back through before your done hit the button again. Spin every once in a while to be safe, sit there and get hammered, then go walk the town.

   

3. Don’t take a taxi.
   It isn’t that far of a walk from any of the cheaper hotels to the strip. Bring a good pair of sneakers and hoof it, you prob could use a break from sitting on your butt anyway. Taxi’s in Vegas are billed on time, not mileage. A one mile ride can cost you $16 if you hit every light, or there is bad traffic. (There is only one time a taxi is free, when you are going to a gentleman’s club. With $30-$50 cover charges, you wont be going there if you’re broke.) Don’t forget, you’re hotel has an airport shuttle that doesn’t cost you a dime to get to and from McCarran International.
4. Hijack the buffet.
   There is no cheaper way to eat than a Vegas buffet. On my most recent trip, the Terribles buffet was $7.99 for breakfast, $9.99 for lunch, and $11.99 for the “shrimp and prime rib” dinner. Take whatever you can carry with you when you leave, especially if it has natural containers, or isn’t sloppy. (Bananas, apples, donuts, pastries,  hard boiled eggs, single serving boxes of cereal, etc.) If you can pull it off, load up a to go container with a final buffet trip right before leaving.
5. Don’t go to a gentleman’s club!
   If you must see a hard body in a bikini stop by the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, pole dancers are just part of the bar area. The beer is a little more expensive, but you could have 3-6 beers for the price of the cover charge at the “other” club. If you must see this type of entertainment, I have a secret that can help you out (ask me).
6. Ellis Island Casino & Brewery.
   Another seedy local hangout about one block from the strip across from the Bellagio. The bartenders are nice, and they still have gaming. (Stop gambling you addict!) Why Ellis Island? Free karaoke, and 20oz exotic pints that cost… wait for it… $1.50.
7. If you smoke, never buy cigarettes in a casino.
   Smokes can cost $10-$14 in a casino. One mile off the strip at a gas station or liquor store they are $4-$5. Get off your butt and take a walk.
8. Diablo Cantina.
   You have to have one great meal while your in Las Vegas, make it here. The food is spectacular, and not much more expensive than your average TGIFriday’s. Every 30 minutes during happy hour, the bartender has a customer of his choice spin a big wheel that lands on a new drink special.
9. Make friends with a local.
   I wouldn’t advise buddying up with a taxi driver, a drunk, drug dealer, or someone passing out prostitute ads. Maybe the guy or girl working the desk at your hotel or a Starbucks. The Vegas working class are usually very kind, hard working individuals and if you have the right personality, are more than happy to show you around in exchange for a few drinks. Remember, these are people that work for a living and cant afford to do TAO either.
10. Afraid of the pool at your cheaper than life hotel?
    You can always poach time at a big casino, how are they going to know if you just walk in with sandals on and a towel over your shoulder?

    

11. Go see the only free show in Vegas.
    The Pirate Show at Treasure Island. The Pirate Show takes place outside of the casino, just feet from the sidewalk. All you have to do to enjoy the beauty of this show is sit there, watch and listen.

    

If you have more tips on doing Las Vegas cheap, or have questions… don’t be afraid to drop me a line.

Images  © James H. Pickett
Do not use without permission.

       

The Great Pit Ball Benefit Concert, House Of Blues in Las Vegas

A few select images from the benefit concert at “The Great Pit Ball” in The House Of Blues, Las Vegas. Bands in attendance were Toetag, The Spyderz, Madball, and Sick Of It All. If you weren’t there, continue to help the cause and purchase a copy of VICKtory To The Underdog, or donate to Villa Lobos Rescue Center. A special thank you to Mr. Brandon Bond for creating the event, and his undying passion for the cause.

This is by far, the worst lighting I have ever come across for event photography, anywhere.

Sick Of It All

Madball

The Spyderz

Toetag

Look for more on The Great Pit Ball soon!

Images © James H. Pickett
Do not use without permission

       

Quick Update: The Great Pit Ball

Hey all, it’s Lara here. Just wanted to post a quick update because James is in Las Vegas right now, hanging with Brandon Bond and getting ready to do the event shoot for The Great Pit Ball event (surrounding Michael Vick’s pitbulls and their story) he’s talked about a few times here on ATL.

Personally, I can’t wait to find out how the whole thing goes – he’s updating me via text messages and brief phone calls but the main event itself, which is all going down TODAY. (Click the banner for details…)

I’m sure he’s going to have lots of great pics and stories to tell after this adventure, so go ahead and subscribe (on the sidebar) to be notified when he comes back!

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• Michael Vick Spent $201K On The Day He Went To Jail [Nfl] (deadspin.com)
• Wake The Kids And Hide The Pets, Michael Vick Is Heading Home [Nfl] (deadspin.com)

       

The Great Pit Ball – Las Vegas Red Carpet Charity Event

Brandon Bond, international tattoo artist and pit bull activist has been involved with pit bull rescue in his native Atlanta, GA for quite some time. Upon completion of his documentary film, “VICKtory To The Underdog” Brandon is hosting a red carpet charity event in Las Vegas, The Great Pit Ball to benefit animal rescue (more specifically pit bulls) and the Villalobos Rescue Center in Canyon Country, CA. Villalobos is the largest, no-kill Pit bull rescue center in the country. Some of my artwork will be hung in the charity auction at the event, and I have been contracted to be the event photographer.

I am no less than proud to be a part of this event, and even more proud to be able to donate artwork to help the cause. Sports Illustrated highlights what is happening now with the dogs, and tells a tale of how insanely mean they are not.

Stay tuned, I will bring you images and videos from the trip to Vegas, and the entire event as it unfolds.