Lucky 7 Vegas Tips

I recently came across this list of free things to do in Las Vegas. While it's a good primer for a first-timer, I found it to be full of the obvious: the lions at MGM, the dancing waters at the Bellagio, the Sirens show at Treasure Island. Ho hum. I can only stare at a couple of bored felines for so long and don't get me started on those fountains-- am I the only one in the world who hates those things?

You Savings.com readers deserve more imaginative lists. With that in mind, I present Heather's Lucky 7 List of the Best Cheap/Free Things in Vegas!

1. Big Elvis: The name says it all. This is a big, big man. And he sings just like Elvis. A reasonable person would pay for the privilege of seeing this. But you can enjoy this rotund rocker for free from 3-5 pm and again at 6:30 pm at Bill's Gamblin' Hall (the erstwhile Barbary Coast) every single day.

2. Pinball Hall of Fame: No, it's not on the Strip. But grab the 201 bus at the MGM and it's a straight shot down Tropicana to this 4,500 square foot pinball playground. I would call it a museum, except you can actually play the hundreds of games here! Admission is free, and games are 25 cents a pop for the oldies but goodies, and 50 cents per play for newer machines.

3. Casino Royale: Not to be confused with the James Bond movie. Or any place that James Bond would be caught dead in. Crammed in between the much more expensive properties of Harrah's and the Venetian lies Casino Royale, home of the $1 margarita, $1 Michelob in a bottle and free slots. I skip the free slots, as I've heard a rumor you get a timeshare pitch once you try to walk away. I plead the fifth on the $1 margaritas. If the raucous crowd makes this not your type of place, you may still want to pop in to withdraw some cash here--the ATM fees at Casino Royale are also $1, the cheapest I've seen on the Strip. VegasTripping.com has got a very humorous page on the Battle Royale between Casino Royale and its equally cheap neighbor O'Shea's.

4. Graveyard Specials: A $1.99 egg breakfast? $4.99 for steak and eggs? Absolutely, if you are willing to wait until after midnight to get your grub on. You won't find graveyard specials at the poshest casinos in Vegas, but if you hang at the poshest casinos in Vegas, you probably stopped reading this post long ago. Check out this great list of post-witching hour specials on Las Vegas Advisor. My personal fave is Marilyn's at the Tuscany, which has a whole menu of graveyard goodies--not just one special or two.

5. Mr. Lucky's Surf & Turf: How fun is it to order off menu? Mr. Lucky's at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has had an off-menu special for years now, and it's as popular as ever. For $7.77, you get steak cooked your way, three jumbo grilled shrimp, salad and potato. I've heard that you have to phrase your order in a certain way: "May I have the steak and shrimp special, please?" But I think that rumor is spread to discourage outsiders and the uncool. I've watched the people I'm with mangle the order in any number of ways, all while trying to look extra smooth and in-the-know, and they still get their steak and shrimp.

6. The Fontana Lounge: If all these dirt-cheap specials are making you feel a little gritty, clean yourself up and get to the Fontana Lounge at the Bellagio. Feel like a high roller as you sink into a cushy booth, order up a reasonably priced cocktail, enjoy the live band and gaze upon those darn fountains through the gigantic picture windows. No cover charge.

7. Twitter: I realize that Twitter is more a tip and less a thing to actually do in Vegas. But be sure to check out everyone's favorite "140 character or less" community of bloviators for special deals on the strip. Caesars Palace and the Luxor are just two of the many casinos that tweet out specials and info to their followers. And there are many, many Twitterers eager to give you savings tips. My favorite is "vegastaxidriver." Is it really written by a former Las Vegas taxi driver? I don't know and I don't care--as long as he/she keeps telling me where free Champagne receptions are and how to get on the list at Pure nightclub.

Have you got a favorite off-the-beaten-path bargain in Vegas? Tell us all about it below! And when I say "tell us," I mean "tell me."

I've got a hankering for a road trip and some serious Vegas withdrawal!