It all starts with a dream and a plan. Like everything great, you gotta know what you want to do, plan for it, and make it happen. If you’re anything like me, getting started is the hardest part! Well, here’s a little list to go from dream to reality for your next vacation.
When
Whatever that may be. It could be a birthday, an anniversary, summer break, winter holiday, or when you can start using your vacation days at work. You’ll want a couple different options (2 or 3) so you can start mapping out a realistic budget. For example, let’s say you have 3 vacation days saved. You could start looking into coming for your Birthday, your best friend’s birthday, your anniversary, or New Years.
Travel and Accommodations
This is where you can start mapping out a budget. Head over to my BOOKING page and start entering your dates to get special discounted rates on hotels. Then, head over to Hopper to check rates on flights and the best time to buy. Write out the price options for each date.
Entertainment
This is my favorite part! Take your dates over to my advisement page or send me an email, we can check out what’s scheduled during your dates and finish up your budget. You can also check out sites like LasVegasWeekly.com and Vegas.com for calendars with events and prices. You’ll want to add in any money you will spend on Gambling. Depending on how much of a gamer you are, I like to recommend $100 a day this gives you enough to try out anything you want and get some cocktails “on the house”. Try not to play it all at once, and if you do – STOP PLAYING RIGHT THEN!
Meals
Don’t forget to budget in your meals and cocktails! Most standard rooms do not come with a kitchenette here, no fridge and no microwave. These are unfortunately not standard in the regular rooms. If you have a suite, you will definitely have a fridge and microwave or kitchenette. Please read the description of your room to make sure. If you have a standard room, you are stuck eating out for every meal! That can range from $10-$50 a meal depending on where you are eating. A good cocktail at the casino bar is a must, so plan to spend at least $12 per drink and leave yourself a GOOD cushion on whatever math you do here to make sure you have enough.
Stick to your budget This is the last and most important part. Before you can make a single reservation, you have to make sure you can afford it. Keep your budget somewhere you can see it all the time if you have to. Cut back spending where you can, and make this goal a reality. Need some budgeting tips? OurFreakingBudget.com has some easy to follow guides, and tips to help you stay on track.
Still need help? Drop me a line anytime! I am here in Vegas every day helping plan vacations, so I am more than happy to point you in the right direction. If you can’t figure out the perfect time to come, here’s my video on my favorite times to bring my friends to town.
-Nikki
