Contingencies. (UPDATED)

It being a worst case scenario post.

As I have previously pissed about, the save will not be sufficient this trip. I write this as a plan to deal with this, assuming there is no work bonus this year (which there may still be, making this post moot).

By hook or by crook I will have $5700 minimum on the trip. Scenarios:

-I get a bonus of maybe a couple grand, and this post is meaningless. Yay!

-With my next three paychecks, after paying all normal life expenses:

        I have $3500 Vegas save on 11/24 paycheck.

        I have $4400 Vegas save on 12/8 paycheck. This is the amount that flies with me.

        I have an additional $1300 on the 12/22 paycheck when I'm already in town.

The last one is the dodgy one, as it means I float whatever is left on my December CC balance and pay interest on it, which I hate to do but hey, it's Vegas!

Assuming I pay $1000 on the 11/24 and 12/8 checks, there shouldn't be more than about a grand left to float on the CC, so not the end of the world. Assuming, again, that I come home from the trip with a shiny nickel (not an inconceivable scenario), it will make paying down the card in January a thing, especially as I will no doubt pound that card pretty hard on the trip. But these are sacrifices I make for Vegas.

So on a 6 1/2 day trip, this is still not enough. What I need is $6500. Again looking at worst case scenario and I'm spending every penny of my daily save on the ground, I'll need to scrimp one of two ways. I can reduce the daily minimum - say $500 for the first night then the remaining $5200 divided by 6 days, which is only $866/day. Not ideal.

Or I can straight up skip a cash day, just drinking and eating on the card and not gambling. It would be the ultimate "cool down" day, maybe right in the middle on the Monday. I sleep in late that day. I nap. I recover from the first 3 days. Not a terrible idea for a lot of reasons. Then I've still got 2 more full rage days left with full funds. In that scenario we have the full $1K per day spend available.

I don't love the idea of essentially "losing" a gamble day as I need to gamble on this trip. Gold ain't going to achieve itself. But maybe the Gods will bless me with a handpay somewhere in the first few days and this will all be nothing but a mental exercise. It'll be a game week call.

This is all rather strange. For the last few years I've had various avenues of funds such that I haven't had to scrimp. Had I done a better job of not spending my tits off the last few months this wouldn't have been necessary, but here we are. I'll deal, I always do. And on the ground in Vegas I won't even think about it.

UPDATE:

The bonus will be coming through after all. I'll be getting around $2800 gross, so net after taxes should come out to around $2K. So with the $3500 I have now, add to the $1K more I can save after the next check and the $2K from the bonus, I'm good to the penny of what I would normally save. $500 for the first night and a full $1K for every full day after, as is my wont.

So no need for a financial cool-down day, no need for any massive credit card floating. My CC statement amount for December will be around $2K (better!) so I'll be able to pay down at least 3/4 of that and probably more if not all. Also, the bonus will come through on the first paycheck of the month so I won't have to make a run to the bank while in Vegas on the 22nd as was going to be the case.

So, basically, I'm good for Xmas. I can safely blow a full $6500 and not come home a pauper. And if the Jeebus blesses me with a handpay or two, it'll be a no stress trip and I can just bash my way to MGM Gold with no hinderances.

Relief. 

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE:

Getting another, unexpected "individual performance bonus" on top of the results bonus, gross of $1200. So between the 2 bonuses I should clear around $3K after taxes. Makes the save a laugher. Should be able to pay off the CC and still have the full daily Vegas save plus a little kicker. Also got a 3% yearly increase too, works about to about $1/hr more in pay. Clearing $90K gross now for the first time in my career.

Vegas worry status: not worrying.