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

  I'm a silly bitch. I just upgraded to an Emerald One Bedroom Suite at the Grand for this week. Over 1300 sq ft. One big bedroom, a guest bathroom and a HUGEnormous master bath, wet bar, fridge, shuffle ball table (!), black marble everywhere, big lounge area with a 65". Three sets of windows on a high-ish floor, hopefully with a strip view. Crazy. It would be a $4600 suite for the 5 nights if I wasn't in Rewards. I'm getting it for $945 for the week for me, so a stupid discount. It might be the baller-est suite I've ever had in Vegas. I SO don't need it, but at this point I honestly don't know how many more birthday month trips I'll have to Vegas, or anywhere, for that matter. I'm certainly not getting any younger or healthier. Let's go big while I can, is what I'm thinking. I have a little extra cash in the bank RN, so fuck it. The CC will take a post-trip hit but I've already paid it down by $500 today after booking and I'll jus...

  Getting dangerously close to AprilVegas. Pulled the sacrificial gambling fund out of the bank today. I'll be taking $5500. $1K for each full day and a little "walking around" money for the airport and cab and stuff Wednesday. Still have all bills covered and am paying down the CC somewhat on this check so I'm not leaving myself destitute as I have done at times in the past. The 401K loan was not ideal, but hopefully I can pay some of it forward to a summer trip if the VP doesn't murder me. The fund is meant to be spent, but again, it doesn't suck to bring some home. I may end up putting a couple grand on the CC especially at MGM spots, but I should be able to dig out of that next month then can start saving for (hopefully) June or (probably) August. I'll make that call of which summer trip timing when I get back from this one. June would save me a few PTO days but otherwise it's a wash. Maybe one last check-in before I go, but yeah, the hype is real ...

It is nearly upon us. My retirement fund withered away ( before I retire) in a hostile desert not meant for humankind despite my full knowledge that it's a complete and total scam. Another fucking Vegas trip! Yay! Ah well. I'm not long for the world anyway, might as well spend it before I go. Buying more useless shit with what little money I have won't do me any good when I'm dead either. Might as well have some experiences with the time left instead. So, in one week I will have signed off of work and will be busily packing the carry on bag full of mushrooms and cocaine. And socks, I guess. No change to anything. Still flying, the TSA thing shouldn't be a problem now that they're being paid. Still at the Grand for 5 nights. With fucking WWE in town next week, I'd much rather be further upstrip to avoid the wrestling mouth breathers, but I know if I rebook to Aria or Bellagio now it'll be a huge bump in room cost, and I'm just not going to do that an...

The final MGM Rewards have dropped in pre-trip, so time to tally. -5 nights at MGM Grand in an Emerald One Bedroom Suite: $945 all in, would be $4635 at rack rate, savings of $3690. Whoa. -$85 Freeplay and $100 resort credit from the booking package: $185 in value. -$100 resort credit for getting to Gold last year: $100 in value. -$277 in Slot Dollars accrued: $277 in value. All together $4252 in savings over some sad shitbag with no MGM status. Very tidy indeed and best savings ever in my Vegas career. Over $4K in value before I even step foot off the plane is pretty killer. It also explains why when it comes to vacation time the answer is always Vegas. The $200 in resort credit will mean a couple good meals for the price of a tip, and the slot credit could mean millions. I intend to use the slot dollars on actual slots this time, instead of on VP, where I can't really win much from it. If I throw it into a high paying bonus slot I might actually hit something and walk away up for...

  Wouldn't be a Vegas trip without a plan post. It's the law. Wednesday 4/15 Fly in day. If all goes well with United, should be on the ground by 12:30p, in the cab and to the Grand by 1p, up to the room to unpack and out to the strip by 1:30p. Then it's a no-plan day, probably will hit some of my spots to warm up, maybe Fuel or Rematch, will need to grab some foodz at some point in the afternoon too. No evening plans either, so probably some gambles at some point to start BUILDING the bankroll, and maybe a grab and go dinner somewhere, then tits to the wind as usual in the dark hours. No early wake up call this day so could be a rager. Thursday 4/16 First full day in town. No need to rush the get up, if the previous night was a banger I can sleep in a bit. Want to make sure I'm taking care of my body on this trip. Trying to feel close to functional on the last day, not just today. Once up, the day is open, can wander a bit, maybe upstrip for a while if I want. Giants a...

  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 last year, which I will likely use in April. And the monthly tier points and Freeplay 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 $50 or so 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 eat...