(Jaycie & Me)
A little over a week ago I met my dear friend Jaycie (from Coupon Geek) in Las Vegas, Nevada. We live so far apart and usually only get this opportunity at blogger conferences (if we are lucky). So, we decided we could plan a little FRUGALICIOUS vacation using all the online resources and coupons possible! Let me tell you….we definitely succeeded!! Your probably thinking, you what? In Vegas? Haha…well, we figured Vegas hotels would be cheap during the hot Summer months and it was! So, let me tell you how we did this little frugal mini-vacation and all that we were able to do in just two days!!
First, Jaycie saved up her Swag Bucks to purchase Southwest Gift Cards and flew to Vegas for FREE! Yes, I said FREE!! It is possible! Swag Bucks is an awesome search engine program that allows you to earn points just for searching the internet the way you already do and then redeeming the points for prizes or gift cards. My plane ticket was a gift from my parents for my birthday.
Southwest offered Jaycie a discount code for the Monte Carlo Hotel in Las Vegas when she booked her flight, so we got our hotel super cheap. One of the nights was only $59!! There are lots of online discount hotel sites like Hotels.com that offer very competitive rates and the further ahead you plan, the more you will save!
While we were there we ate at restaurants that we got certificates for through Groupon! Groupon is a wonderful online program that offers 50-90% off various online stores, restaurants, spas, entertainment, etc. Every day they have a different offer in almost every major city, so if you plan ahead, check Groupon daily and purchase certificates ahead of time for places near your vacation site (or even at home for a date night) you can save a ton on entertainment and dining out!
We paid $25 for a $55 dining certificate for the upscale Kotan Asian restaurant in the Treasure Island Hotel. I have to tell you….it was AMAZING food and it was fun getting dressed up too! The outfit I am wearing cost $15 (from Forever 21) and Jaycie’s dress was $25 (from Target)! When it comes to clothes, you are in the right place for deals because I LOVE fashion!! In fact a lot of my friends call me a frugal fashionista. I think that is funny! Well, who said just because I am wise with my money means that I can’t still have a sense of fashion? Right? Well, you will find clothing sales, promo codes, and printable coupons for department and retail stores on a weekly basis here on Coupon Gal.
…………..(This is me) …(This is Jaycie)
The food was not only delicious, but it was actually beautiful!! Check out our california sushi rolls and mochi desert!
For entertainment, we are simple gals (and frugal too), so you can bet we took advantage of the FREE stuff! We enjoyed our hotel pool, street performers, and even watched the water show in front of the Bellagio hotel. That water show is wonderful by the way….if you ever go there, you should take a little time to go see it.
I know you are probablly going to laugh, but we even went to the movies!! Haha…I know, movies in Vegas? Well, we both have little ones at home and it isn’t always easy to get out to see a movie, so we used our $4.00 Fandango Movie Ticket we purchased through Groupon to see the movie Eat, Pray, Love! It was a great movie by the way and I am reading the book now!
If you have been reading my blog for any time now, you know I LOVE to take pleasure in the sweet things in life! You know…. warm Summer nights, dancing when no one is looking, and of course DESERT!! I actually (just ONCE) want to go to a restaurant and order desert before my meal! Why not? Wouldn’t that be fun? Well, thanks to Groupon once again, Jaycie and I each got a dozen of Gigi’s Cupcakes for just $18!
I have to tell you, the best part about getting these cupcakes was giving them out to random people in Vegas! We gave one to a vendor in the middle of the Caesars Palace mall, gave some to two different couples eating next to us at the Cheesecake Factory, four different workers in Tiffany’s & Co., and even to a girl in the women’s restroom! Haha….seriosly, I did give her one in there! It felt wonderful to share our deals we got with other people, even if it was in the bathroom!
So, while I love taking the time to write and tell you a little about my life, my main point is thatplanning ahead is the best way to save money!! I know I say that all the time, but I say it because I really do believe it! I practice what I preach here on Coupon Gal. I have a Swag Bucks account, a Groupon account, I use Hotels.com, and I definitely PLAN AHEAD! Thanks to these wonderful programs, I am able to save, enrich my life, and enjoy frugal vacations and you can too!! So, cheers to your next frugal vacation!
*We were only there for two days and used three different Groupons!
