Another week, another post.

I’m going to dedicate this post to saving money in Vegas, getting around and other tips.

Water. Bottled water is a rare commodity in the desert, more so than gasoline, which retails for $3 USD a gallon. How about $3.50 USD for a half-liter of bottled water? That wasn’t a typo. So, where to go? There’s a Walgreens conveniently located on the Strip, albeit closer to the southern end near the MGM Grand. Walgreens sells bottled water for about $1.50 USD a liter, plus plenty of other merchandise (including food) at a discounted price. Hey, it’s even open 24 hours.

Food. If you love food, there’s plenty of buffets to choose from at nearly every hotel. Expect to pay upwards of $18 USD per person. That said, you get nearly unlimited portions. Have some pasta, a salad, chow mein, some more pasta and follow-up with some dessert. We found that Treasure Island and the Monte Carlo had fairly decent buffets for the prices we paid. We weren’t impressed with the buffet at the MGM Grand, which was lacking in variety and was overpriced (nearly $32 USD per person) as well. There are plenty of fast food restaurants on the Strip as well, including McDonald’s and Subway. Our favorite restaurant for dinner was Tamba (Indian food).

Commuting. As indicated in my previous post, expect to do a lot of walking. A Vegas block is not the same as a typical city block. One way to save time and commute to other hotels quickly is to use the Las Vegas Monorail. We paid $8 USD for a day pass. It’s one of the best alternatives to a taxi — no extra surcharges and no traffic congestion. Hey, there’s no gratuity fee/tip either! Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Shows. All of the Cirque Du Soleil shows are really good. Definitely check them out. We saw Mystere and O. I love how they entertain the audience before the show starts. Remember to wear a cap if you’re bald! Otherwise, someone might decide to come up and wax your bald spot. Watch out for flying popcorn, too. The Variety show at the V Theatre in the Miracle Mile Shops (Planet Hollywood) was entertaining as well. It’s got a bit of everything — comedy, talented performers and more. The theatre itself is a bit small compared to the other venues. If you purchase the Expedia Entertainment pack ($30) with your trip, there’s a buy-one-get-one-free coupon that will pay for one V ticket ($75).

Shopping. There are plenty of places to shop in Vegas: the Forum Shops in Caesar’s Palace, the Miracle Mile Shops (Planet Hollywood), the Fashion Show Mall, exclusive shops inside various hotels and a couple of Premium Outlets. The Forum Shops in Caesar’s Palace and the Las Vegas Premium Outlets were our favorite shopping experiences. At the Premium Outlets, designer fashions (eg. Armani Exchange, Banana Republic, etc) can be had for nearly 50% of their retail prices.