It's Not A Bender, It's A Lifestyle.

  I'm due for a bit of a windfall in July. It won't be in time for my next trip, or possibly even my next, next trip, but there are finally some big benefits that will be hitting in July from getting the Iconic MGM card. Several "card anniversary" bonuses will kick in. -A yearly $200 resort credit benefit.  -A yearly "comped night" benefit, which will pay out as $250 in resort credit, and... -An additional 10,000 tier credit bonus after spending $25K on the card, which I already have. All that in addition to the $100 in Rewards Points (resort credit) that I already earned for making Gold, which I will likely use in April. And the monthly benefits based on my daily spend, which as noted in prior posts add up quickly. It's usually something like 4K tier points per month and a clutch of Freeplay. By the time I get to the Xmas trip (or the late summer trip?), I could have like $500 in resort credit built up. That's eating for free for most of the week in...

Possible next trip on the books. I found out that my work will be doing a summer shut down. It'll be closed for a week from 6/29 through the 3rd of July, during which we can "work from home" minimally, or take the time off. Rates in MGM land, it turns out, are cheeeeep for that week. I was able to book Sun-Fri at Cosmo in a Terrace Studio for less than $90 all in. Booked as fuck. I won't ask for the time off until after the April trip...if I get my ass handed to me financially on that trip then I'll likely just cancel this one, no harm no foul. Also won't book a flight (or decide to drive) until after April.  If I come home with a couple grand in hand from April though, this makes a good no stress summer trip, that I would likely be looking to do anyway. I already had a Bellagio trip planned for August, but if a save is not a factor this makes more sense. Me likely.

Got the 401k loan in the bank today. Sucks that I had to use it, but TBH it's just sitting there anyway, the market's been getting killed lately it's not like I'm losing a lot of gained interest on $4K. Doesn't hurt the cushion too much either. Would I love to have had the discipline to do the save organically, sure, but honestly I just don't care that much about Vegas anymore to make the daily sacrifice. It's something I haven't talked about much here, since this a Vegas blog, after all. But I don't have the passion for the trips that I used to. I was obsessed with Vegas, for the better part of a decade. I was more than willing to make the life compromises needed to fund the trips, and more of them. Yes, I have more financial obligations now (the car, mainly), but I also used to give up weekends out, or skimping on food and basic spending, to make the save number. It's really the only time in my life that I have been able to save for a goal. I...

Pussied out and will be flying into AprilVegas. Decided to book a flight after all. I got good times and seats on United, just threw it on my 0% interest card with Chase so I can pay it off over time. $260, but again, pretty good seats and should be an elevated boarding group. I was looking forward to road tripping in the WRX on the in leg, but having to face that 10-hour return trip while recovering from 5 days of Vegas...nope. Not this time, maybe later this year. As this is, it gets me to town at a pretty much ideal check in time (no waiting around for a room) and gets me out without having to wake up very early on fly out day. Also don't have to wake up at the ass-crack on what would have been the drive in day. I will just have to park the car on the correct side of the street before I go and will not have to worry about a parking ticket or having to park at SFO. I will have to shell out for transportation to/from the airport but I'm used to that at this point. So, that wr...

A month and change to yet another Vegas. Things taking shape. The dates are locked in after having to rebook, and MGM Grand is the resort. Looking forward to it. Newly remodeled room with what should be a decent, north-facing strip view. Not a huge birthday suite like the Conrad a couple years ago, but it's fine, with wanting to keep expenses under control this time. I like the Grand and the location is fine for my purposes. I found out WWE is going on in town at T-Mobile that week, which is balls, but I'll just avoid it by heading north. No change on the flight rate sitch (too high), so it looks like I will be doing my first road trip since 2021. 1st time letting the WRX stretch its legs, and as long as my back doesn't bark too much in the cockpit it should be a good time. Plan to leave early in the morning and get there by check-in time, then should be able to head straight up to the room, maybe take a couple hour nap then gogogo for 4 and a half days. Money...money will ...

Final room booking booked.  I had a NYNY standard room booked for around $100 for my birthday week, but my March offer dropped with added Freeplay. Cancelled the NYNY booking, but rates went WAY up for that week, so now I'm going the week before my birthday and for double the room rate. FML. Not all bad though. I'll be in the newly renovated MGM Grand strip view room, so an upgrade from what I had booked. $85/$100 FP/RC. I still plan to drive in, so no disruption of travel plans. Just need to reset my FTO time which will be no issue. This also avoids a couple big conventions and the NFL draft which would have busied up the strip the following week, so it's cool. Should be a fun trip, starting to get a little jazzed for it.