Many people have heard grandiose stories about great times and birthdays in Vegas.

But let’s be honest, the phrase “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” has to mean something else right?

One reason that it could’ve been coined for is that the people who come home tell everyone “I definitely don’t want to talk about it.”

They don’t want to talk about it because they’ve had a bad experience.

Vegas is not the place to go unless you’re not paying for anything, or you’ve got the equity to make up for the spending.

When I turned 21 in December 2014, I didn’t go to Vegas, and I didn’t go until October 2015 when my best friend turned 21.

We had it all planned out, we were going to leave Friday morning, go out to a club that night, go gamble a little bit and then get massively drunk.

Unfortunately things didn’t go as planned.

That weekend I had a bill to pay and wasn’t able to bring as much money as I wanted to that weekend and I also had to quit my job that weekend because of some terrible shifts.

I also had a women’s volleyball game to cover that day and I ended up taking a flight out to Vegas at 10 p.m. (Luckily for me, my mom had some travel points she wanted to spend on a ticket.)

I get out to Vegas spend $100 dollars immediately on a Fat Tuesday, some gambling and a $12 Stella Artois.

I mean, it’s been three hours and I’m already down a hundred bucks.

By the time that night was finished, I was questioning my entire decision to have even gone. But who wouldn’t go for their best friends’ birthday right?

At the end of the trip I was down about $500 and contemplating what to do with my life and it would have been worse if I had attempted to do more expensive things apart from drink, gamble and eat.

I’m only a 21 year-old college kid with a part-time job who works on the school paper, most people who are better off than me would spend even more.

Vegas is a trap, and whenever you hear stories of exceptional food and unholy amounts of alcohol, just remember that the person who lived that story probably spent a lot of money.

If you aren’t prepared for the trip, don’t make it happen.

Here’s some tips for anyone making the trek to Las Vegas:

• Do not buy drinks at your hotel bar, and don’t even think about touching your mini-fridge.
• Vegas never stops selling alcohol, so don’t drink a lot at once. You don’t want to be the friend that gets arrested for being drunk in public.
• Save money by bringing alcohol to your room.
• If you gamble, all alcohol is free. So go sit at the penny slots, get a drink when the waitress comes around and tip her a dollar or two. You’ll save around $15.
• If you’re a girl, you’re lucky. Guys are desperate to give you attention and buy your drinks, but of course, don’t just let any guy dance on you or give you a drink. Play it safe ladies and go with a group.

For reference, I went back this past weekend and after changing my tactics, I spent $200 dollars over two days.