20 Frugal Things About Living in Las Vegas

While I am so ready to move out of this city (I'm not a city person, the population has increased by 50,000 over the past few years, and crime...so much crime), there are a lot of frugal things about living here that makes this--and many other cities--a great place to live...

1. Our library system is great!  It provides so much free stuff including free books, movies, e-books, entertainment options, classes, etc.
2. We have a comprehensive public transit system.  For $60 a month for a bus pass it can really save a lot of money over having a car.
3. We can pick up more than 50 over-the-air TV stations so we really don't even need cable TV.
4. There are A LOT of free entertainment options from one-off things (free tickets to watch the American Ninja Warrior finals) to daily free things (free concerts on Fremont every evening), to free outdoor movies, free entry to rodeo events, etc.
5. There are SO MANY shopping options.  Our Goodwill stores carry the best stuff, there are 99 Cent stores everywhere, there are ethnic stores which provide super low prices on food and other staples...
6. The gig economy is alive and well here.  Whether you drive for Uber or work a temp or seasonal job or just sign up to work at annual concerts/conferences/events in the city, finding work here is pretty easy.
7. Airline tickets to and from our airport are really low.  I can fly to nearly anywhere in the country for under $100 each way.
8. The city is also served by Megabus and Bolt Bus which provide super cheap bus service to LA and other places.
9. There are off-the-wall opportunities everywhere.  We regularly have auditions for American Idol and other talent shows, buskers can make money doing everything from dressing up like Elvis to break dancing for tourists, and casinos randomly give away free bottles of wine, free movie tickets, free buffets tickets, etc.
10. Taxes are low here.  There is no state income tax and tax on alcohol and gas are really low compared to other states.
11. Since this is a popular retirement area, there are so many senior discounts--from restaurants to casinos to $4 movies to cheap bowling...the list is endless.
12. This is also a popular military area (we have a big base here) so military members and vets get all kinds of discounts and freebies around the city.
13. Since this is such a transient city, you can find all kinds of super cheap things on Craigslist/at garage sales/etc.  We have bought things like a perfectly good treadmill for $50, a $100 newish side-by-side fridge/freezer, etc.
14. Since Las Vegas is a major tourist destination, doing a stay-cation can save you a lot of money over vacationing elsewhere and you won't be bored!
15. We have some cheap and interesting medical things here like deeply discounted dentistry services at the local university's dental school, the opportunity to participate in clinical trials at local brain injury center, and an overall lower cost for medical services compared to New England, for example.
16. Many of the most popular tourist attractions offer discounts for locals, some casinos which otherwise charge for parking offer locals free parking, and subscription entertainment services like House Seats and Fill A Seat are only offered to those with local ID.
17. Property taxes here are much lower than other states, there is a tax cap (a very good thing, especially when the cost of real estate is skyrocketing), and there are property tax rebates available to seniors, vets, and others.
18. Even though Las Vegas is known as an international destination city, there are a lot of free things to do outdoors here, from hiking and swimming to bicycling, playing at the many parks that dot the city, and even searching out natural hot springs.
19. There is a meet-up group, a club for your hobby, and/or people with similar interests that gather together for nearly every reason in Vegas (a benefit of having 2 million+ locals).  I like genealogy and not only do we have several genealogy clubs here, we also have one of the very best genealogy libraries in the country as well as national genealogy conventions which are held here on occasion.
20. Information on nearly anything Vegas-related--from great last minute deals to requests for local service provider recommendations--are shared through a variety of resources from the local reddit page to Facebook groups to local blogs and websites.