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VEGAS Wins/Losses! With a 4 yr old and 8month old..

Wins vs Losses

 Vegas with a 4yo and 8mo old.  On spring break... a WIN! 

Disclaimer- I have a very active 4 year old.  8momth old can just sit and "be" anywhere. -Win.  So...this whole post will be mainly about the 4 year old I call Minion.  

Let's start with the Mandalay Shark Reef-  skip it. Yup -$20 per adult- Minion is free- and not worth it. We were out in 20 minutes. -Loss   He would have been just as happy on the escalators and trams- FREE! 
We did hit up House of Blues for drinks and dessert after. Minion had ice cream, baby slept, and we had an adult beverage. -Win

Town Square-  a big big YES!   This is South of the strip a few lights.  Go early- pay the $5 for valet (-WIN)  Shop and eat an early dinner- then head to the middle of the "square".   There lies a  cute contained play area (toddler friendly). With a splash pad- so bring the swim trunks.    There are also a few play structures with slides and a cool maze.  WIN!    We went 2x during our week there- just changed up the dinner place each time.  Arrive by 5pm to make it easy; eat, then play.     It was a very pleasant evening!   -WIN  Note- the 2nd night we self-parked to save the $5- we didn't realize the parking structure was so close to the play area.   

The Strip with the kids-  We parked at the Valet shops of Mandalay Bay and Monte Carlo Valet- then just walked.    Minion liked the Eiffel Tower (4yo is free)- but that also can be an expensive event--I doubt the Minion will remember it in the future.     I'll call this one a  -Loss (because again-  escalators are free)
Speaking of escalators- tons of them!  Minion loved pushing all the elevator buttons, riding the free trams, up/down the escalators.   


Can you get away for Date Night (you brought a sitter..?)   You like Guiness-  Blacksmith drink-  Smithwicks and Guiness- wow. Mind blown.   The Irish Pub inside New York New York is a big WIN. 
Ghostbar for the best view in town.  






As always I explain our my family spends 25K a year on vacations while still have a $630 a month daycare bill. 

1) Working REWARDS! 
     a) Disney Chase Credit card.  2% back.  Use if for EVERYTHING except 3 things.  We have one of us cruise for free on Disney every other year.   AND Disney Vacations are 6 months 0 % interest. 
    
     b) Costco Citi card!  We make over $1500 a year back from 2 cards and the Executive Membership.   That cash (sent as checks you cash at Costco registers) is used to pay for our entire Carnival Cruise this spring break!  
     
     c) Alaskan Airlines Credit Card-  companion fares, free baggage, miles. 
    
     d) EBATES!  In 8 days I have made $63 in cash and $30 is pending travel.    You start at the EBATES website and simply shop like normal online.  The referral link within Ebates makes you money.  
ex:  Amazon says "hey EBATES send me people to shop"  Ebates loads up the % back and posts it.  You start on Ebates and click the Amazon link, it sends you to Amazon KNOWING you will earn cash back.  You shop on Amazon like normal (be sure to stay in that referral link) and BAM % back in your EBATE account the next day.   It is THAT easy!   
Cash is sent to your Paypal account (or paper check) every quarter.   This alone pays for our spending money for our Thanksgiving Cancun Trip.    Here is my snip-it proving what I have earned and (promise, legit)!  And the link to sign up.  
Below in the photo #1) All money made on Ebates to date (8 days people)!   #2) My last PayPal deposit. #3) how I earned cash back on shopping.  

 LINK to sign up: https://www.ebates.com/r/OOGIEN3?eeid=28187



2) We do not have car payments.     Hubby drives a 2003 Accord, me a 2010 Swag Van we paid off in  2 years (hence, didn't travel much those years).

3) Our mortgage is lower. We are both full time educators and could have afforded over 2K a month on a mortgage, instead we opted for a cheaper home for a cheaper mortgage. 
     
4)  Shop travel deals online during good sales.  Our entire April spring break Carnival cruise is $1400 for all of us.       Our Alaskan Cruise we got the alcohol package for FREE when we upgraded to a Balcony (which I had always wanted).   In Mexico always Kids Stay FREE deals.  

5) YNAB!  You Need a Budget is an online cloud budget tool.  It is budgeting on steroids!  You have to account for EVERY penny!   I have been using YNAB for 5 years and I am able to FULLY fund my vacations thru budgeting each month.  I set aside 2k a month for travel, this tool allows me to budget monthly and set goals.    It tells me what we spend the most money on (ahem, food and shopping) and allows us to have discussions about habits we NEED to change to reach our goals.      They have amazing training videos,  and a FREE 30 day trial.   Try it, no obligation (it is better than MINT which I used for 2 years and EveryDollar).   Try it here: https://ynab.com/referral/?ref=G6Kp8nTV4XKAQNSX&utm_source=customer_referral


Travel on Everyone!  
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