If you’re rich and come to Vegas with heavy pockets, you can definitely lighten that load pretty quickly. Luxury is all around you, and no matter what you came here for, you can find a place that offers it in a stylish, high-end manner designed for people with attractive bank accounts.

This doesn’t mean that you have to be loaded with money to have a good time in Vegas though! Quite on the contrary, if you’re smart about it, you can end up spending ridiculously little money and have the time of your life. All it takes is a little planning, and of course, enough willpower to restrain yourself from impulse purchases.

First, let’s look at the elephant in the room – casinos. These can be a big money sink if you’re not careful, so it’s best to limit your playing in them if you want to hold on to your money for longer. On the other hand, good casinos can be useful if you’re smart about it, as you can go and play one of the cheaper, more stable games (like the slot machines) and benefit from the casino’s free drinks. Considering how much the average Vegas bar charges, this can help you give your night out a great jump start for relatively little money.

Food is also something that can drain your wallet pretty fast in Vegas, as there are lots of tourist traps designed to prey on hungry, tired visitors who have been roaming around the Strip for hours. Especially in the evening, when most people have had a drink or two as well, which can further drive up your appetite – it can be pretty hard to avoid some of the more prominent places.

Thanks to the Internet though, you don’t have to make your eating out a gamble – just research the local restaurants, and find out which ones offer normal prices. You’ll usually have to get out of the Strip and walk a little to get to the really good places, and they won’t be that obvious either, but then again, that’s the whole point. Also, don’t ignore street food vendors – sometimes the most suspicious-looking street cart can actually turn out to have the best deals, giving you a meal of a lifetime for practically pocket change!

Speaking of walking, try to plan your stay in a way that minimizes your need for additional transportation. You can see and do a lot in Vegas by only going around on foot, so make use of that as much as possible if you’re on a tight budget. If you’re staying at one of the cheaper hotels, this might mean having to walk a bit longer from your room to the Strip, but you’re going to save quite a bit of money this way – money that can make your vacation more enjoyable in other ways.

And always, always remember that a lot of the businesses around the Strip practically rely on luring unsuspecting tourists into paying a lot more than they should for their merchandise. If you want some memorabilia, you don’t have to blow half of your vacation budget on it – after all, what kinds of memories will that leave you? Once again, go outside the Strip and explore the area a bit, you’ll easily find gift shops with much more reasonable prices.