Xmas Money Hmm.

-


I have given up on the Xmas Vegas save.

Which is not to say I'm stopping saving, just that I don't have much chance of making it to $6K by go time. I'm at $2800 now, and on the next check will only be able to put about $800 away after paying off the CC and all the other stuff like rent. So that's $3600, with only two more checks left to save. Yep, it's getting that close, the trip.

If I can scratch $2000 together on the last two checks, it's best case $5600 that'll be in pocket on go day. No infusion in-trip, so that would be $930/day spending cash. That's workable, and frankly if I just take it slightly easy on day one and drink and eat more than gamble and gamble, I can have the full $1K or more for the last 5 days. This should be doable. I like to hit a bunch of my drinking spots on day one, and gambling is usually something that I kick into more on the 2nd, full day so it falls within the usual plan.

I will probably dole myself out $700 cash for the first day, which is still a health amount of VP, then if I can just make up $100 somewhere along the line I'll be fine. I can slam the MGM CC pretty hard this trip since I can take a month to pay it down before the April save has to start in earnest. So meals and drinks, certainly at MGM props anyway, will be on the CC. By February I may be making somewhat more in salary too, so that could make that save a laugher. And the after-trip CC bang from the hotel charges will be minimal.

Besides, maybe I'll actually WIN some money gambling.

Ha. HA HA.

In any case while I won't hit the save target this time I'll be fine in the end, and even if I come home rubbing two nickels together I'll still be OK to start the year as I get paid literally the day I fly back.

As ever with the money thing in my life, as Tay would say "It's me, hi, I'm the problem it's me!" but it won't be much of a problem this time. Last year I had Big Xmas Money Mojo. Wouldn't suck to have some this time. After this gambling year I'm due.

UPDATE: Eh, I'm just going to carry a balance in December. First time on this card, won't be a problem as I'll be able to pay it down in late December/January before ramping the save back up in Feb for the April trip. Will have 6 full checks to save for that trip and low CC carry so no big whoop. Might even help my credit score to carry a balance for a month, who knows.

So a full $6K on the docket for the trip.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I'm Posh, Ya Bish.

-
Image
This is going to be a baller-ass vacation. Private planes, 1100 sq ft suites in a 5-star resort, steaks and high-end sashimi. We be living  good  on the 55th birthday trip. It all starts with flying semi-private on JSX in and out. Flown with them a couple times before, SO much less hassle than dealing with the fucking major airports. Private terminal, no TSA, no bag worries, big cushy seats, free drinks. Hopping on in OAK and will just UBER it to and from. So much more evolved than being basically violated by TSA in the normal airports.  Then on arrival in LAS it's in the taxi and over to Resorts World. I have added early check-in to standby, so hopefully I can just roll straight up to the room at 1:30p. It's the One Bedroom Suite at the Conrad, 1100 sq ft of lovely at the north end of the strip. No resort hopping this time, one room, one unpack, one relax.  Trying to think back, pretty sure this will be the biggest room I've ever had in Vegas, I think Encore or Dela...
Read more

JuneLyBies. June/July Freebies and Discounts.

-
Image
A decent haul, y'all. -6 nights at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas. $412 all in. Would be $1409 all in with the best website rate. Saved $997 over rack rate. -$30 Freeplay and $50 Resort Credit included in the deal. $80 value. -Roughly $160 in Freeplay from MGM by the time I get to town, $160 value. Total overhead saved = $1237. Not nearly an all timer but not bad for a holiday week trip. Would have been $700 more had I stayed at Fontainebleau as originally planned so a bit of frugality after the baller April trip.  1 month.
Read more

Pointses.

-
Image
Got a nice little Resort Credit bump today, from an old job.  While I was with Kit/Ro in late '22 to early '23 I racked up some Marriot points while I was flirting with the move to Phoenix. Now that Marriot and MGM are bumping uglies, I was able to convert those (otherwise useless) points into MGM Rewards points. It turned into about $190 in credit, which, thanks old job! That means with what I already had earned, I will have over $230 available for the Xmas trip. Hello, Xmas dinner on Marriot, and one other dinner too. That's on top of the $50 I will have from the Aria booking package, and the potential $100 RC bump from getting to Gold on the trip, if I do. 3 nice meals (at least) inbound. We eatin'  good  for Xmas, y'all. The Xmas-freebies post coming up this year will be tidy.
Read more