I Love Las Vegas

Las Vegas gets a bad rap.  People call it "sin city."  Ads say: "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."  That statement leads to the thought that bad stuff is going on in Vegas.  If you go to Vegas you must be cheating on your spouse.  This attitude toward Vegas is not true.

I don't belong to the Las Vegas Chamber of Congress nor the Las Vegas Community.  I'm a transplanted Philly boy who lives and loves in California.  However, I've been going to Vegas for over twenty five years.  Since I've retired, I've been going to Vegas on average seven times a year.

Why Vegas?  separating the fact that I live only a hour away (by air) or four hours away (by car) from Vegas, there are many reasons I love Vegas.  When I was a business executive my life was meeting after meeting.  My ten to twelve hours a day was scheduled. I was run by the clock on the wall. 

There are no clocks in Vegas.  None of the hotels display a clock anywhere.  Even better, unless you go outside, you have no idea what time of day it is in Vegas.  The casinos make sure they tint the few windows so that the gaming, spa, lounges, bars, etc. areas look the same at eight AM and eight PM.

In Vegas I can eat dinner at Two in the afternoon or two in the morning.  I can get drunk at one in the afternoon or one in the morning.  I can just do what I want to do when I want to do it.  No scheduling - total control.  That makes me very happy.

Vegas is international. If you never have the chance to visit cities around the world or only have been to a few, Vegas has them all. Go to Paris and see the Eiffel Tower. Go to Italy and take a ride in a gondola. Go to Egypt and see the pyramids. Go to New York and enjoy the city. All of this is in walking distance or a short taxi ride around Vegas. I've had the great opportunity to have visited these cities, but seeing them again puts a big smile on my face.

Vegas can be inexpensive.  You can eat all day for $500 a day or  $19.95 a day.  You can see great shows for $300 or $25.  You can get a beautiful room for $500 a night or $19.95 a night.

The way to gamble and not lose your shirt is simple, but hard for some people.  Look at gambling as entertainment.  When you go on vacation you reserve enough money for airfare, hotel room, food and entertainment.  In New York you can't stay at a nice hotel for less than $200 - $300 a night.  Food is expensive.  Entertainment is expensive.  In Vegas, you get to decide.  You can stay at a nice hotel for little money and use the difference to gamble.  You can eat great for little money and use the difference for gambling.  You can spend less on entertainment or don't spend any money at all on entertainment and use that money on gambling.

I make those choices every time I'm in Vegas.  Do I want to see a show for $300 or play the penny machines for hours for $300.  Do I want to eat a $200 meal or play blackjack for $200.  The choice is yours - you are in control.  Control makes me happy.

The way I work this out is to reserve, per day, a certain amount of money for hotel, food, entertainment and gambling.  The trick is never spend more than that amount "per day."  If I lose that money on gambling on any given day, I go back to the room and watch TV or read or eat a hamburger instead of an expensive dinner. 

Never convince yourself you can spend more than your daily allotment because you will spend less the next day or worse yet, make it up on gambling the next day.  That attitude is how people lose more money than they can afford.  People that do that don't have fun in Vegas and think it's Vegas' fault - it must be because it's sin city. 

Remember, you are in control.  You decide your happiness.  Vegas is a way to enhance your happiness if YOU make it so.