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When you think of Las Vegas you may be thinking how expensive it may be. You can absolutely have an amazing time without breaking the bank at all. I’ll show you what we did to get a free flight for two people, tickets to a popular show, and a trip to the Grand Canyon. Plus there’s SO MANY fun, free, and cheap things to do there. Discover 22 ways to do Las Vegas on a budget and still have tons of fun!
Have Credit Cards Pay You to Travel
So you may be wondering how to get a free flight to Las Vegas. Well, have credit cards pay you to use their card. They pay you by offering travel points when you use their credit card. A lot of travel rewards cards out there offer 50,000 to 70,000 points just for using their cards, that’s pretty much an equivalent to $500 to $700.
Popular Travel Reward Cards:
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card – 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in 3 months
- Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card – 20,000 after spending $1,000 in 3 months
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card – 60,000 after spending $4,000 in 3 months
- Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card – 20,000 after spending $1,000 on purchases
- Bank of America Travel Rewards Card – 25,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases
- United Explorer Card – 40,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in 3 months
- Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard – 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $2,500 in 3 months
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card – 40,000 points after spending $1,000 in 3 months
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card – 100,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in 3 months
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card – 125,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in 3 months
- Hilton Honors American Express Card – 75,000 bonus points after $1,000 in 3 months
Now before you go off and start applying for credit cards, you need to read how we got approved for 6 rewards cards and accumulated 508,421 worth of rewards points.
Credits Cards We’ve Used:
- Capital One Venture (His) 102,009
- Capital One Venture (Mine) 57,534
- Baryclays Arrival 129,966
- Chase Sapphire (Mine) 87,836
- Chase Sapphire (His) 68,909
- Delta Skymiles 62,167
Total 508,421
Breakdown of points used for this Las Vegas trip on a budget:
- $293 – Flight for two using Capital One Venture
- $98.10 – Paranormal Mind Reading Show in Vegas using Chase Sapphire
- $226.10 – Day trip for two to The Grand Canyon using Chase Sapphire
We may be getting all these travel points but it wasn’t always like this. Matter of fact, we had 8 credit cards with lingering balances of over $31,000. We got serious about paying off our debt and cleared up all 8 of our credit card balances by using 5 simple steps.
Related: How to Get Out of Debt with These 5 Tips
If you want to get started knocking out some debt today, grab your free Debt Thermometer and join us in the free 5-Day Debt Free Bootcamp.
Steps Used to Get Approved For 6 Reward Cards:
- We cleared all our credit card debt by using the Debt Snowball Method
- Our credit naturally shot up to the 800’s by clearing credit card debt which helped us get approved for great credit cards
- Applied to 1 travel reward card at a time
- Use 1 credit card for ALL EXPENSES, that way it’s easy to meet the minimum spending requirement for these credit cards
- Pay off balance in full every month
By paying off all credit card debt, it can tremendously boost your credit score which will help you to get approved for amazing offers too. I also really recommend using only 1 card at a time and pay off the balance in full each month so that you won’t be stretching yourself thin trying to juggle multiple cards. Getting major bonus points from travel cards is the best way to travel for free!
Related:
Use The Debt Snowball Method to Pay Off Debt
Tips on How to Get a 800 Credit Score
How We Got Our First Time Cruise Trip For Free
How To Get Out Of Debt With These 5 Tips
Look For Best Travel Deals Before Booking
Besides finding ways to use credit card points for travel why not get even more savings by finding the best travel deals?
Best Site for Cheap Travel Rates
- Skyscanner – Skyscanner is one of the best travel search engines. They provide some of the cheapest flights I’ve seen around. They also have a nice ‘Everywhere’ feature in case you’re not sure where to go, it can pull all different destinations both domestically and internationally and include the best flight prices.
- Orbitz – Orbitz is a reliable site where you can search flights, hotels, vacation packages, car rentals, and cruises. They have really great prices, very competitive rates compared to other travel sites. Plus they also have their own rewards program, where you can earn points to apply towards your next trip.
- Hotwire – Hotwire is another very popular travel booking site that’s been around for nearly 20 years. They have great rates for flights, hotels, car rentals, and bundles.
- Travelocity – Travelocity has also been around for a while. They also offer low rates for flights, hotels, vacation packages, car rentals, and cruises.
Before booking any trip, make sure to get the most out of your money. Stop by Rakuten first because they will have cash back offers for a lot of travel sites like Orbitz, Hotwire, and Travelocity.
Sign up today with Rakuten to get $10 in a welcome bonus and be on your way to start earning cash back for online purchases. Don’t miss out on FREE MONEY!
22 Ways To Do Las Vegas On a Budget
If you’ve never been to Vegas, you have to go! Walking along the Vegas strip is quite an experience, there’s SO much to see and do. There’s great food, entertainment shows, activities, and incredible sights to see. There really is no other place like it. You can find so many places to explore and don’t have to spend a fortune. If you’re thinking about going to Las Vegas in the summer, think again. We went in June and it was VERY HOT! The desert heat is literally no joke. Pick a cooler month other than the summer to go because of how hot it gets.
1 | Bellagio Fountains
Bellagio Fountains is one of the staples of Las Vegas. It’s a magnificent show of water, lights, and music perfectly coordinated which is both mesmerizing and romantic. The best part about it is that it’s absolutely FREE!
2 | Volcano Show at Mirage
The Volcano show at Mirage is also another free night show that displays intense fire and explosions coordinated to music. Walking down the Las Vegas strip can keep you entertained and all without spending a dime.
3 | Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a must see. They have spectacular and seasonal displays that change every 3 months. If you want to get some great pictures with large sculptures or just walk through beautifully decorated floral paths then check out this spot. Oh, and it’s free too!
4 | Aquarium at Silverton
Silverton Casino offers a free aquarium with an abundance of fish, stingrays, and live mermaids to interact with guests on the other side of the glass. It’s a great place to bring your kids to spend a few hours in Las Vegas without spending a cent!
5 | Fremont Street Experience
Experience a free over head light show as a part of the Fremont Street Experience. It’s fun to just walk around and people watch. You will see a lot of street performers and characters. Use caution when bringing your kid’s there. Some people dress up in obscene costumes. Walking around Fremont Street can be fun too, check out the different souvenir shops, staple casinos, museums, restaurants, and more.
6 | Binion’s Casino
While you’re at Fremont Street, stop by Binion’s Casino to get you a free souvenir photo.They will take your picture with a huge stack of 1 million bucks. They give you the glossy 6×8 photo for free!
7 | Golden Nugget Casino
Have you ever seen a 61 lb gold nugget? You can see it at the Golden Nugget Casino in Fremont Street. It’s called the Hand of Faith.
8 | Welcome To Las Vegas Sign
You have to take your picture at the iconic Welcome To Las Vegas Sign.
9 | The Park
The Park is nestled in between New York-New York and Park MGM. It has a lively outdoor hangout spot where you can check out 40 ft tall sculptures, grab a bite to eat, enjoy live music, grab some drinks, and explore more art.
10 | Sunset Stampede Show
Check out a 10 minute water, laser, light, and sound show at the Sunset Stampede Show at Sam’s Town Hall and Gambling Hall.
11 | Streetmosphere
Experience Streetmosphere which consists of live outdoor entertainment of jugglers, singers, performers, stilt walkers, and living statues at the Grand Canal Shoppes
12 | Seven Magic Mountains
Check out the artwork in the middle of the desert called Seven Magic Mountains. It’s located near Jean Dry Lake and Interstate 15 about 10 miles from Las Vegas. These colorful boulders are stacked 30 feet high. It makes for some kool Instagram pictures.
13 | 3-D Murals
Get some trippy photos with 3-D murals at The Linq Promenade + Experience along with free night live entertainments with a light show.
14 | Chocolate Fix
Satiate your sweet tooth at M&M’s World . Do you want to see how chocolate is made? Get a free tour at Ethel M Chocolates & Cactus Garden plus you will get a free chocolate sample at the end of the tour.
15 | Circus Act
Check out a free Las Vegas Circus acts show at Circus Circus. The performances range from trapeze tricks, clowns, juggling masters, contortionists, and more.
16 | Forum Shops
If you love Roman inspired architecture definitely check out the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. It’s an awesome place to window shop at some luxury stores plus they have The Atlantis aquarium as well. It really is a pleasant experience just to walk around and marvel at the architecture, you’ll feel like you’re in another country.
17 | Lake of Dreams
Watch a free entertainment show called Lake of Dreams at the Wynn. View a spectacle light display against a 40 foot wall coordinated to music. It might be something your kid’s will enjoy.
18 | Coca-Cola Store
Get away from the Las Vegas heat and head to the Coca-Cola store where you can enjoy some refreshing Coke Floats and try 16 different international beverages. Don’t forget your picture with the notorious Coca-Cola polar bear.
19 | Flamingo Wildlife Habitat
Get away from all the noise, lights, and step into paradise at the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat in the Flamingo Hotel. There are also, swans, ducks, pelicans, turtles, parrots, koi fish, Sacred Ibis, and more.
20 | Las Vegas Strip
Put on your walking shoes and just explore the Las Vegas Strip. Take in all the lights and architecture of the casinos.
21 | Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam is a must see National Historic Landmark. It stands more than 725 feet above the Colorado River. It’s about 40 minutes from Las Vegas. You can see the Hoover dam for free if you park in one of the free parking areas and walk across the dam and marvel at it’s magnitude. There is a visitor center and tour of the dam itself and the price ranges from $15 and up if you want to learn more about the dam.
The cheapest way to get there will be to rent a car for your Las Vegas trip and scope out the Hoover Dam for free.
22 | Grand Canyon
If you go to Las Vegas then it’s a must to check out Grand Canyon. Marvel at the beauty and the magnitude of beautifully carved rock formations. Pictures do not give it justice as the sight will take your breath away. It’s a definite must see.
The Grand Canyon has 3 major parts. One is the West Rim which is closer to Las Vegas about a two-and-a-half hour drive. The admission is around $56 per person. If you want to take a tour bus the costs are usually doubled but that often includes the ride, admission to the park, and lunch.
The more cost effective way to go would be to venture to the North and South Rim since the admission is only $35 per vehicle. The downside is the long drive of around 5 hours to and from. People say the North and South Rim have more incredible views compared to the West Rim. I’ve been to the West Rim and was still amazed at the views.
Do you have any children in the fourth grade? You’re in luck! Fourth graders and their family can enjoy the parks for free here at everykidoutdoors. All you do is print the ticket and show it to one of the rangers there and you’re in.
The Grand Canyon is truly magnificent and a beautiful place to visit. Whether it’s the West, North, or South Rim, you won’t be disappointed.
Las Vegas can be full of adventure and fun while staying on budget too! There are tons of things to see and experience without spending a dime. Once you go, it will leave you planning your next trip back to Vegas. Remember, you can still have a blast and not break the bank. Las Vegas is the perfect place for that.
Thanks for reading and happy travels!