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

  Back to the hobbit hole from AprilVegas. High/lowlights. Flights: The in was fine, on time despite a bit of a tarmac hold and got me on the ground a little after 1p. The out was a shitshow. Fucking incoming landing delays kept pushing the flight back time and again. Didn't finally get off the ground, for a 1:30p flight, until after 5:30p. Nightmare. I hate waiting for anything, even more so waiting in a packed airport on flyout day when I'm tired and hung over. Not United's fault, but just bad. Rooms/Resort: MGM Grand, the Emerald suite was a banger all around. Huge room, 3 bathrooms, giant TV's, bar, just amazing. Best room I've ever had in Vegas, not close. No view really but didn't care. Totally quiet and no housekeeping issues. Paying a grand was worth it in this case. Won't do it on every trip but it made it a better one. The Grand itself was fine, busy for the WWE as expected. Didn't really affect me much, usually was just there for the start and...

  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...

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 likey. UPDATE 4/22: Done deal, as I am able to pay forward some of the April save, this trip is now on...

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. 

Got a "wrapped" type email from MGM Rewards detailing my points activity from last year. Pretty insightful stuff. In short, I'm not earning shit for points on gambling anymore. I earned 84K points and change last year. 75K is required for retaining Gold year to year, so unlike past years where I scraped by, this year I cleared it comfortably. A strong spend/play December trip made it a laugher. For the year, fully 62K points came from the points earning on the MGM Rewards Iconic card. Most of that is just daily non-Vegas spend: food, bars, deodorant, etc. I gained only 17k points all year from gambling. That amazes me. 95% of that on VP. I fed $53K into MGM VP machines last year and only got 17K measly tier points out of it? Another 3800 points came from onsite resort spend, and that's it, that's the whole 84K. Only a little over 20K points were actually earned in a Vegas resort, which is where you're supposed to earn most of your points. I play VP in Vegas...

  I spend too damn much money in normal life. It's affecting the Vegas save. I have no daily save discipline unless it's my 401k or if I'm JUST about to go on a trip. I can be a little disciplined right before a trip to put away a few extra hundy, but I need to extend that to the rest of my daily life.  The car is part of it. I spend $325/month on the lease payment, $150 on insurance, probably another $140 on gas. No more bridge tolls anymore, which helps, but that's $615 right off the top. My rent is still low...it's food and Saturdays that kill me. I routinely spend $40 a day on food, which is insane, and can easily spend $300 on a normal Saturday out in the City, x 4 times a month. The car is what it is. I need it for work and that's not going to change in the near future. The Saturdays...that's not going to change either. I NEED the release after a long work week, and I love it. What I CAN control is the daily food budget. In short, I must have a daily ...

  Getting a grand back from taxes this year. Made more money and went up in tax % but somehow a better refund than last year. Meh. That'll certainly help for Birthday Vegas, which, inevitably, for good or ill, is coming. It'll be a shorty, just flying on the Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, flying out on the following Monday. Max 5 full days on the ground. So if I can only put $4K together by then, that's fine. With the tax refund that gives me 6 checks to stack as much paper as possible by fly out. Currently have a soft rezzie for NYNY on that date which would cost me about $30 with 4 comped nights and no resort fee, but we'll see what the offers look like after February breaks. The NYNY package has $150 of RC/FP value which is less for my current offers, so I might just stick with it. Also have a $100 RC bump from retaining Gold, so at least a couple good meals to be subsidized. I do tend to go a little more baller on rooms for birthdays though, so we'll see. D...

Yeah, OK. That was by far not the best trip ever, but also not the worst. Highlights: Flights:  OK on the in, a little late to be flying in really, kinda wasted the day to not even be in the airport until like 8:30p. The flight left on time though and I got there with no issues. On the out, on the day after Xmas, there was a 1 hour delay due to weather in SF. Not much to do or say, just sat there at the gate and dealt with it. Resorts: Love love loved Fontainebleau. Beautiful room. Oblique strip view, everything new and clean and beautiful. Hoping to continue to get offers from there to stay, even if it's only a couple nights. Especially based on the MGM sitch detailed below. Mandalay Bay for the other 4 nights was...fine. Gotta say, MB is one of my fave resorts but it's time for a refresh. A lot of dinks and dents in furniture, stains, nothing is automated in the room, etc. It's just showing its age. It still works but it's not up at Aria or Bellagio standards anymore ...