Las Vegas isn't the first place you think of when you think of budget travel. Spendy hotels, celebrity chef restaurants, and a couple of hours of gambling can set you over your budget quickly. Here are a handful of ways to make your money last while still living it up.

This article assumes you’ve already found a cheap way to get to Las Vegas. If not, check out name your own price sites like Priceline (and you can even compound your savings with additional Priceline Coupons), or if you’re driving, consider getting a group of friends together to save on gas.

Finding a Room

Vegas has some of the fanciest hotels you'll find. Big budget buildings, cushy condos, and fancy pools and spas means you're going to pay a lot, right? Wrong. Because Las Vegas has so many rooms, there's never a huge demand (unless you're brought to Vegas for a crowded holiday, like New Year's Eve). What this means for you is that hotels are willing to give deep discounts on nice rooms as long as you look in the right places. I never go to Vegas (or any big city, really) without booking a room on Hotwire, who can offer super low prices by not revealing the name of the hotel until you book it. Although this sounds risky, they also provide star ratings and general location so you can get an idea of where you might be staying by comparing ratings on other sites. Rooms will also be cheaper the closer you book your room to your arrival date, because hotels are more desperate to fill up empty rooms. For example, last year I booked a room at the Aria (pictured) the morning I was planning on leaving for Las Vegas, and got the room for half price. Sure, it's a bit of a gamble reserving a room so late, but Vegas is all about risk taking, right? :)

A word of warning though, many fancier hotels have "resort fees" that aren't included in the price you'll find on Hotwire. However, this is noted on Hotwire before you reserve a room, so you have an idea of what you're getting into.

Getting a room on The Strip is essential for having a cheap trip, assuming it's the part of Vegas you're there to see. You might be tempted to pay less for a hotel off of The Strip, but if you're without a car that means you'll have to find a way there, and that can get expensive if you're dealing with cabs. I wouldn't recommend walking to and from The Strip if you're planning on being out late; there are less people around off-Strip and somehow those bright lights don't extend very far down side streets. If you do have a car, consider that you'll likely be drinking, which makes getting back to your off-Strip room is even more dangerous.

So it's worth a little extra to pay to stay on The Strip, but pack your walking shoes! The Strip is about 4.2 miles long which means there's plenty of opportunity for you to work off all that damage you did at the buffet.

Dining

Speaking of the buffet, you want to eat on your trip. Las Vegas is home to a lot of fine dining run by celebrity chefs like Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse. If you want to indulge in a truly memorable dinner but can't afford three or four star prices, consider splitting a meal or just sampling from the appetizer menu.

If you're more interested in quantity over quality, many casinos are offering truly all-you-can-eat buffets. For around $50, you can get a 24 hour pass to a selection of buffets and you can go in and out as many times as you want. While $50 might sound steep, consider that if you time it right, you could get at least breakfast, lunch and dinner and maybe a couple of midnight munchies out of your pass. Most casinos also have regular old food courts, so you can still get fast food favorites and spend your money elsewhere.

Drinking

If it's potent potables that bring you to Vegas, beware high drink prices. Don't get stuck drinking in a bar and take advantage of Las Vegas' open container laws, or lack thereof. You're free to roam The Strip with drink in hand, so make your order and take it to go. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, avoid blended, fruity drinks. The La Salsa Cantina just north of the MGM Grand offers margaritas by the yard. Order yours on the rocks; it's less money than it's blended counterpart and includes several shots. It's around $17, but can last you the night if you pace yourself.

Gambling

It wouldn't be Vegas without a little bit of gambling, right? You can make your money last the longest if you play games like penny slots, but payouts won't be as high. If you're interested in rolling some dice, just decide beforehand a set amount of money you're willing to spend (see: lose), and understand when it's time to get out.

How do you save money while you're in Las Vegas? And what other cheap vacation rendezvous would you like to see?