The Paris Resort in Las Vegas lights up the night sky

Some people who've been there too many times may advise that the best way to save money on a Las Vegas vacation is to stay home. After all, the primary reason Sin City exists is to induce people to come and lose money on the gambling tables and slot machines in the casinos. However, that said, and if you keep it in mind when you visit, there are a great many ways to have a very enjoyable, inexpensive vacation in Las Vegas. Here are some tips:

1. Las Vegas hotels, including the most luxurious ones on the famous Strip, are considerably lower-priced than those in almost any other similar-quality resort or major city in the world. While a luxurious suite at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas charges $100 a night, a suite in any upper-level New York, London, Paris or Tokyo hotel costs at least $400. At almost any time of the year, if you check internet ads and with a travel agency, many of the less posh, but just as comfortable, Las Vegas hotels have specials offering rooms for $50 or less a night.

2. Eating in Las Vegas is a money-saving adventure. Sin City is famous for its buffets, and in many hotels, you can indulge in one that charges $5 for a full breakfast, including all the seconds and thirds you want. Lunch and dinner buffets range from $7 to $25, and also include excellent choices. If you want to save money on dining during your Las Vegas visit, make your breakfast and lunch modest meals at an inexpensive cafe, then eat a belt-expanding dinner buffet. Incidentally, if you check with your hotel desk or the in-room magazines, you'll still find restaurants that offer full morning and midnight breakfasts for 99 cents.

3. There are many absolutely free entertainment sites in Las Vegas. Every night on downtown Fremont Street, there's an enormous screen overhead that covers the street and shows animated and video designs while music fills the air. At night in front of the Mirage Hotel on the Strip, there's a continuous volcano eruption, complete with shooting flames and water spouts. Next to it at the Treasure Island Hotel, there's a nightly battle of full-sized 18th Century warships between English sailors and Vegas beauties dressed as pirates. There's a large lake in front of the Bellagio Resort where 150-foot fountains rise and fall to the music of Elvis, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra and other stars. These are only a few of the many free entertainment sites in Las Vegas. Your hotel staff and in-room magazine lists them all.

4. If you go to Las Vegas to gamble, here's where the money-saving hints must end. How you spend it in the casino is your choice. If you really want to save money, confine your bets to the low-priced slot and video poker machines. Although there are some penny machines, most require nickels and quarters. You can have hours of fun for a modest investment of just $25. The odds are that you will steadily lose your nickels and quarters. However, if you're lucky, you may go home from your money-saving Las Vegas vacation with more cash in your pocket than you brought. If you're extremely lucky, you may drive home a brand-new luxury car.