When it comes to Las Vegas, certain things always come to mind: the iconic neon lights, the never-sleeping Strip, the world-famous clubs, and yes, those glittering casinos where trays of drinks seem to magically appear. But beyond the high-rolling headlines, Vegas is packed with unexpected activities that cater to every kind of trip you want to take, whether that’s a wellness weekend or a couple’s getaway or even your typical bachelorette party.
The city offers so much more than meets the eye, so we pinpointed different reasons to visit Vegas and then compiled a very comprehensive itinerary for each, from must-sees to not-so-known jaunts to budget-friendly finds. Between the omakase bars and art exhibits, there’s a version of Vegas you probably haven’t experienced yet.
Keep reading for under-the-radar activities that prove that Vegas is full of surprises — and not all of them involve a slot machine.
The Bachelorette Party
No one does parties quite like Vegas. And while it’s easy to get wrapped up in the must-dos of a bachelorette party (hello, Magic Mike), there are also ways to go off the grid (or save some money).
The Must-Sees: Brunch at one of the famous buffets is always a win, especially with a round of mimosas. Wicked Spoon at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas fit the bachelorette-meets-buffet bill, while Sadelle’s in Bellagio, Kassi Beach House inside Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and LAVO at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas give perfect bach vibes (sans buffet). For a more subdued mood, go for Sadelle’s, but if you want to start the party early, head to Kassi Beach House and LAVO. Don’t miss seeing a Magic Mike Live at SAHARA Las Vegas. But if you want something more chill, relax at the Awana Spa at Resorts World Las Vegas, which includes bookable treatments, vitality pools, and even a theater-inspired heated room with aromatherapy, specialized lighting, and choreographed towel routines. You can also go for a more intimate cocktail vibe with live music at The Laundry Room or Velveteen Rabbit downtown.
The Not-So-Known Jaunts:For a moment off the Strip and away from the crowds, head to The Neon Museum, where vintage Vegas signage makes for a quirky, artsy photo op — especially golden hour evening tours. You can also book a private mixology class, like one with Mixology Las Vegas, to get the perfect night going.
The Budget-Friendly Finds:Big fun doesn’t have to come with a big price tag. Start the night with happy hour cocktails at spots like Alexxa’s at Paris Las Vegas, where they have happy hour Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. or Toca Madera that serves up a great happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday to Friday. Try getting off the Strip to hit up Jammyland, located in the Arts District, for reggae vibes, strong drinks, and a colorful outdoor patio perfect for group hangs. Fergusons Downtown hosts rotating pop-ups, music, and food truck nights on weekends that feel like a hidden gem party. Then continue the party and head to Fremont Street for free live music, DJ sets, and the dazzling overhead light show — it’s retro Vegas energy at its finest.
The Couple’s Getaway
Vegas might be known as a wedding destination, but it’s also a wildly romantic place to sneak away with your significant other. Whether you’re after a little glamour, adventure, or a break from reality, there’s a version of Las Vegas for every couple.
The Must-Sees: Start with a stroll through Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, where the seasonal floral installations feel straight out of a storybook. While at Bellagio, grab a table at one of its many restaurants that overlook the fountains, or just book some bubbly before dinner on the champagne terrace. End the evening at the Mayfair Supper Club for live entertainment and golden-age Vegas glam, or take in an experience or concert at Sphere, one of the craziest ways to watch a concert or catch an immersive show. (Believe me.) Off the Strip, escape the crowds with a romantic dinner at Barry’s Downtown Prime at Circa Resort & Casino — an elegant, retro-modern steakhouse with moody lighting, plush booths, and a swanky, romantic vibe that channels old Vegas in all the right ways. Looking for something to liven up the night? Head to The Golden Tiki downtown for tropical cocktails and music.
The Not-So-Known Jaunts: For a totally different kind of date, head out to Seven Magic Mountains, a surreal, colorful art installation just 20 minutes south of the Strip. Or plan a sunset visit to Red Rock Canyon for hiking and unbeatable desert views — especially romantic if you bring a little picnic and time it right.
The Budget-Friendly Finds: Catch the Fountains of Bellagio (free, of course) or go for a casual cocktail at ReBAR, a kitschy cool spot in the arts district (don’t miss out on the $3 mystery shots). For something unique but affordable, grab tickets to a show at The Smith Center, a performing arts venue off-Strip that often features jazz, ballet, and Broadway shows without the Strip markup.
The Solo Trip
Whether you’re traveling for business or just because you can, Vegas is a surprisingly great city to explore alone. There’s no shortage of things to see, do, and eat, on your own terms.
The Must-Sees: Dive into interactive art at AREA15, a massive indoor space filled with immersive exhibits, installations, and experiences like Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart. (This is the second permanent exhibition, which opened in 2021.) Check out the Colors of Mexico, an immersive art experience that will blow you away (and the $15 entry fee goes straight towards anything you want at the restaurant or bar), or settle in for a solo dinner at Komodo or Mother Wolf — both in the newly opened Fontainebleau Las Vegas, where you’ll find beautiful settings that’ll have you feeling welcomed. You can also check out Cirque du Soleil, with shows at five venues across the Strip, including the longest-running Vegas show, Mystère at Treasure Island – TI Hotel & Casino, all of which will leave you speechless (and give you respite from the Vegas heat).
The Not-So-Known Jaunts: Explore the city’s more offbeat side at the Atomic Museum or Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum — ideal for a quirky solo experience that lets you explore your interests at your own pace. If you’re up for it, book a solo spa day at the Palms Casino Resort — the 17,000-square-foot spa has everything you could want, and you can use it all day with any $100 service.
The Budget-Friendly Finds: Wander Downtown Container Park, an open-air shopping and dining spot filled with boutique vendors, art, and live music — and no ticket required. Then, grab a bite at Evel Pie (for a cheese slice and a beer under $10) or treat yourself to a daytime show or matinee comedy set, which often come with discounted solo seating options.
The Foodie-Focused Visit
For the traveler who plans their day around reservations and hidden gems, Vegas is a world-class culinary playground. From celebrity-chef hotspots to secret eats tucked behind unmarked doors, there’s no shortage of bites worth booking.
The Must-Sees: Make time for a meal at é by José Andrés – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, a high-concept chef’s counter hidden inside Jaleo. Or grab sushi at Kame Omakase, a luxurious omakase experience with only a handful of seats per night located in Chinatown. The Fontainebleau Las Vegas also has another great omakase option, ITO, which offers two seating options a night with just 12 seats. Other top hits: RPM Italian inside The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, the newly opened Gjelina – The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, and the unforgettable Hell’s Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay – Caesars Palace, where the Beef Wellington lives up to the hype. Head to Main St. Provisions in the Arts District or La Mona Rosa in Fremont East for delicious eats that are beloved by locals.
The Not-So-Known Jaunts: Sneak over to Secret Pizza (no sign, third floor of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas) for a late-night slice, or book a food tour with Lip Smacking Foodie Tours, which offers guided tastings at multiple top restaurants without the wait. For off-Strip eats, Vegas’ Chinatown is a goldmine — try Raku (Japanese), Chubby Cattle (hot pot), or Pho Kim Long (a Vietnamese staple that’s open very early and very late).
The Budget-Friendly Finds: Tacos are king at Tacos El Gordo, where a loaded plate and horchata won’t break the bank. For happy hour hits, Esther’s Kitchen in the Arts District is a fave of many, serving handmade pastas and house cocktails for a fraction of the usual price. And don’t sleep on the city’s many all-you-can-eat sushi spots, where quality rolls often come in under $30 a person.
The Wellness Retreat
Yes, Vegas can absolutely be a reset destination. Beyond the casinos and cocktail carts, the city has carved out a space for travelers looking to relax, recharge, and get a little headspace.
The Must-Sees: Spend a day at Canyon Ranch Spa inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, where day passes get you access to hydrotherapy circuits, fitness classes, and relaxation lounges. Another favorite: the spa at Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, with sweeping Strip views and deeply restorative treatments. Start the morning with a smoothie or acai bowl from everbowlor Tropical Smoothie Cafe, before heading into a spa day or yoga session.
The Not-So-Known Jaunts: Venture beyond the Strip for a hike at Mount Charleston or book a sound bath at the spa at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, which offers sound healing and mindfulness treatments in a serene, offbeat setting. For something unique, try halotherapy (salt therapy) at Salt Room LV, which is great for skin, respiratory health, and relaxation.
The Budget-Friendly Finds: Take advantage of free yoga in Downtown Container Park. (And check with your hotel concierge to find other yoga offerings throughout the Strip and beyond.) Visit Springs Preserve, a low-cost oasis only five miles from the Strip with walking trails, botanical gardens, a butterfly habitat, and sustainability exhibits.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Welcome toMoney Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.
Today: a customer experience senior manager who makes $143,524 per year and who spends some of her money this week on a theatre donation.
If you’d like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we’re not able to reply to every email.
Occupation: Customer experience, senior manager Industry: SAAS technology Age: 38 Location: San Diego, CA Salary: $143,524 Household Income/Finances Setup: $143,524 — my husband V. and I share a single income. He used to own a business and supported me while I built my career, then he sold his business so we could pursue my career opportunities. He is now retired. We put almost all our monthly expenses on a points credit card, which we pay off in full each month. He does errands, laundry, and maintains the home and sticks to the budget we set together. Assets: About $8,000 in liquid/emergency savings in a HYSA; $224,000 in retirement investment accounts; $18,000 in brokerage accounts (split into a dividend-focused portfolio and a long-term growth portfolio). We also have 10-year-old Honda, Blue Book is approximately $14,000 on it. Debt: $0 Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $4,382.81 Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing Costs: We rent a loft in the downtown area for $2,900 and pay an additional $175 for a dedicated parking space in a garage. Loan Payments: $0 Internet: $65 SDG&E Electric & Gas: $125-350 (this varies. It’s low in the winter, then up to $350 in the summer — and that’s not just a/c, the prices go way up in summer). ClassPass: $99 Entertainment Subscriptions: $165 (streaming services, AI, games, LinkedIn Pro). Coffee Bean Subscription: $45 Money To Family: $350 Life Insurance: $86 ($38 for me and $48 for V.). Savings “Expenses”: $307.81 auto-deposit from paycheck (after net) to retirement; $500 transferred to brokerage.
Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Oh, yes. It was absolutely understood that everyone in our family must go to college or university and absolutely must pay for it themselves, just like my parents did, because (to my parents) that’s the only path to upward mobility. They were enormously disappointed when I chose to go to trade school instead of university, but I chose one that still offered a bachelor’s to mitigate the impact. Even so, I’m the youngest of five kids and was still the first to get a college degree (some of my siblings later got undergrad and graduate degrees). To pay for school I took out student loans (going into tens of thousands of dollars into debt as a teenager) and worked full time. When I graduated with my degree, my parents paid off one year’s worth of tuition of my loans as a graduation gift. I’m lucky to have paid off the last of my student loans last year.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? My parents tried very hard to teach us about money and finances. They encouraged savings and budgeting and would fill in an accounting ledger of household expenses with us, and were transparent about resource constraints. If we wanted something we had to present a “business case” for the purchase explaining our reasoning, the budget for it, and where we expected the money to come from. At any time we could do work around the house or property for an hourly wage to “earn” enough to “pay” for our item and they would show us how it was budgeted. My dad would also talk around the dinner table and with his friends about investments/stocks/the economy which we sometimes paid attention to and often didn’t.
What was your first job and why did you get it? Aside from working around the house, I would babysit, do odd jobs, and sell things around the neighborhood. Around Christmastime my sisters and I would gather mistletoe from the trees and tie it up with ribbon and sell them outside the grocery store for extra spending money. My sisters were in FFA and raised and sold livestock, but I never really involved myself with that. I would deliver eggs across the neighborhood for money. We were very entrepreneurial. I got a job at a local ice cream and smoothie shop in town as soon as I turned 16 to start earning “real money” at minimum wage.
Did you worry about money growing up? I thought about money constantly growing up. I hated being stuck out in the country and really wanted to live in a city, and I thought money was the only way to gain independence and accomplish that. I started saving money as early as I could and was always looking for opportunities to grow my little nest egg so I could move out on my own. I dreamed every night about a house with no siblings in it!
Do you worry about money now? I try not to, but honestly, I do. I make a good salary that feels like it should be “enough”, but I worry about having enough money for retirement. I have some savings but not much and I know my parents will leave me an inheritance, but I still worry about the future and our long-term finances. Day to day and month to month, I’m not too concerned, although there are some luxuries I go without because I feel guilty buying them and some luxuries I’m totally capricious about (usually food). Our biggest expenses are entertainment (concerts, shows), travel (when we can), gifts (big families), and food (high grocery expense and dining out), so it is easy to pull back if we start to feel overextended.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I moved out of my parents’ house when I graduated high school at 18 and was completely financially independent from that time on. During college they would give cash gifts for my birthday and Christmas to help me out, but no regular support. I understand the enormous privilege of knowing that if I were ever hard-pressed or insolvent my parents would be able to, and likely willing to, bail me out.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. Yes — my parents paid off about $12,000 worth of student loans when I graduated college with my degree. When my grandmother passed she left each of us $10,000 and my dad’s brother left all the nieces and nephews $20,000 when he passed away (he had no children). My sister gave me her car when she moved away and my husband’s family gave us a car when a grandparent passed away. I currently receive about $900 a year in dividends from my investment accounts and those are all reinvested back into the portfolio. My parents intend to leave money and property to us kids, evenly divided, when they eventually pass.
Day One: Wednesday
4:15 a.m. — UGH, a neighbor’s poor dog has been barking for hours and disturbing our sleep. It’s just been a generally noisy night so sleep has been interrupted a lot. Such is urban living! It’s one of the trade-offs at times. We try to go back to sleep and drift in and out. Around 5:20 a.m. we just commit to being awake. I do my usual morning routine: check the news, play my word games, send Wordle to Dad, and check in on the schedule and work before my team starts at 6 a.m.
6:45 a.m. — Realize we forgot to buy milk (again), so I have a double espresso instead of my usual cappuccino. An avid tea drinker, I brew a pot of Thunder Dragon green tea — smells amazing, but a little too delicate, I note on the bag to try mixing it.
9:30 a.m. — V. (my husband, retired) does a grocery run (eggs, milk, and cereal) and makes me a cappuccino when he gets back. Morning meetings done. One of my team is out on parental leave, so I give the other departments a sweet update about the new baby. I check in with HR about a gift. $31.46
12 p.m. — Pulled into a call and work through lunch. I snack on wasabi peas and a peanut mix while trying to figure out when I’ll squeeze in yoga today…
2:45 p.m. — Sign off early. It’s gray and rainy and I’m ready to be done. I confirm plans with my friend S. for tonight (we’re watching Succession together) and decide we’ll start at 5 p.m. I was thinking about a bath but V. is using the tub for hand-wash laundry. I realize I’m so hungry, so I eat half the Caprese salad we made yesterday and finish the wasabi peas. V. puts on music (The Smiths, Kraftwerk, Blondie) while I prep dinner, then he cleans the tub and draws me a bath. He takes over dishes and cleanup. I open a bottle of Rioja from my dad’s cellar (his favorite gift to give) — perfect rainy-day pairing.
6 p.m. — Our friends S. and P. come over for our weekly viewing night. I bake chicken and veggies on a sheet pan, make a big salad, and bake madeleines as a treat.
9 p.m. — We do our nighttime routine: wash face and follow with glycolic acid, The Ordinary serums, moisturizer, and lip balm. Brush and floss teeth. Body and foot lotion and a sleep mask on my eyes!
Daily Total: $31.46
Day Two: Thursday
5:30 a.m. — Awake but groggy from a restless night. I check work to make sure nothing needs immediate attention before my team starts at 6 a.m., then lounge reading the news and playing my morning games. V. is still snoozing, and I didn’t get out of bed for yoga today. I drag myself up, wash my face, put on my beloved Coola Sun Silk Drops (I’m obsessed!), and make a cappuccino. I sip and scroll Reddit for a bit while the sun rises and the fog burns off outside our windows.
7 a.m. — Sit down to work and dig into the new analytics framework we’re building to support the revenue team. I brew a big pot of genmaicha and go heads-down until lunch.
10:15 a.m. — Skipped yoga again this morning, so V. and I tackle 40 minutes of Rodney Yee Power Yoga. Quick shower and hair wash afterward, then back to my desk with a snack: cottage cheese topped with black pepper, plus a fresh pot of Thunder green tea.
11:30 a.m. — V. reminds me that his dad’s birthday party is this weekend and he needs to grab a gift. He orders high-end socks his dad mentioned over the holidays. Shift gears for a team training session. We’re adding a new discipline to the team, and it leaves me feeling really excited for the future. $70
2 p.m. — Virtual happy hour with a former colleague. She’s recently married and in a new role she loves! I share that I’m preparing for a pivot to a larger company and reflect on how much I’ve developed over the past year.
3 p.m. — Done with work and head over to my dad’s house to help him hang some pictures, so he thanks me with lemons from my mom’s garden and a box of wine bottles from his cellar (score!). I rush home to hand off the car so V. can go to a friend’s game night.
5 p.m. — Solo night in! I steam a couple of eggs, reheat some leftovers V.’s sister sent us home with on Friday, and heat up a pot of ramen broth. Open one of the gifted white wines to chill. Quick sweep while dinner heats. Sparkling water in a giant glass and ready to watch a movie remotely with my brother (Edge of Tomorrow). We text live reactions throughout. He lives far away so this is our monthly routine to stay in touch, I do a remote-view movie night with each of my siblings on occasion (two brothers and two sisters, all live far from me). It’s a nice way to keep in touch without the pressure of a full conversation — we all live very different lives and my brothers especially are of few words.
8 p.m. — I take a quick shower, wash my face and do a hydration mask (Paula’s Choice Repair+) and start watching things I like that V. doesn’t (specifically, a Jane Austen mini series called Lost in Austen. I love it but five hours of Jane Austen is too much for him). I end up falling asleep on the couch.
11 p.m. — V. wakes me up when he gets home. We chat, brush teeth, and head to bed by 11:30 p.m. So glad I have tomorrow off!
Daily Total: $70
Day Three: Friday
5 a.m. — V. and I are wide awake! On a Friday! We snuggle and lounge and read in bed until 7 a.m., then he makes us cappuccinos and puts on a jazz mix this morning — Domi and JD Beck, Khruangbin, Miles Davis. We read and play games for a bit; I have today off from work (I sprinkle in PTO days on weekdays to run errands and spend some time together — we haven’t been traveling lately so I don’t need to save up vacation days).
9 a.m. — V. hops in the shower and I do some mobility training and a dumbbell circuit. While he’s shaving, I clean up and we both get ready for our hair appointment at 11 a.m. I realize I’m hungry, so I make a peanut butter and banana sandwich and weigh out the peanut butter — which comes with the realization I have forgotten to track ANY of my meals for the entire week! I’m tracking to drop a few pounds and ensure I keep my protein intake up (I know protein is a contentious topic in Money Diaries, but I do struggle to eat enough of it). I try not to beat myself up about it and log *this* snack. It’s almost exactly half of my daily calories — so I guess that’s a meal, not a snack! I log it in my nutrition tracker for the first time this week.
11 a.m. — We drive to our hair appointment with my friend, who runs her own salon studio. V. grabs coffees for all of us from the cart outside ($32.45). Haircuts for both of us are $150. She’s the only one who touches my hair — we also do keratin treatments two or three times a year. Today it’s just a trim each for me and V. $182.45
12:45 p.m. — Back home and chill out for a bit, playing games and reading. I start a new book, Automated Alice. V. suggests going down the block for a snack so we grab Palomas, guac, and sopes at our usual happy hour spot. $80.82
2 p.m. — Back home again, we lounge and watch an episode of Reacher and do our nails — cut, file, buff, and cuticle cream.
5 p.m. — I make a salad and we open one of the wines from Dad’s cellar. We settle in for a lazy night and talk about the day.
9 p.m. — Nighttime routine: wash face, hyaluronic, peptides, moisturizer. Brush and floss and into bed.
Daily Total: $263.27
Day Four: Saturday
7:22 a.m. — It’s Saturday! Sleep in a bit, then I putz around on my phone while V. makes coffee and puts on a great mix — Black Pumas, The Kills, Anderson .Paak. I do yoga while we listen to music. After, we chat about meals for the week and make a grocery list. I text with my dad about watching a movie together tonight — he’s headed to the farmers’ market and can grab veggies. We wash up and head to the store around 10 a.m.
11:30 a.m. — We drive to the good grocery store since we need heavier pantry items, which makes it a pricier trip. We restock on some spendy items: giant bottle of olive oil, a few spices, hot sauce, canned beans and peppers, two bottles of wine. We also pick up groceries for the week (salmon, chicken, pie dough, frozen and fresh veggies, eggs, whole and non-fat milk, and a pack of beer) plus some treats: freeze-dried strawberries for a new recipe to try, chocolate covered almonds. $235.46
12 p.m. — Back home, we unpack groceries. V. cracks a beer and puts on more music — Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Phoenix, Hot Chip — while I prep dinner. I cold-brew green tea with rose, then chop veggies and chicken for a pot pie. I try the new cookie recipe using ground freeze-dried strawberries. The dough smells amazing, but they come out underbaked despite following the instructions and leaving them in an extra couple of minutes. I always try a recipe as-written first before making any updates — I will definitely want to tweak this one.
3 p.m. — I spend the next couple of hours working on my passion project — I’m building a small app in my free time. After that, V. and I chill with some TV before heading out to see our friend in a play tonight. I’ve been avoiding it, but I finally check my investment account to see how it’s doing after the tariff announcements. Most of my holdings are long-term or dividend-focused, but I’m down 12%. Woof. Trying not to stress.
6 p.m. — Despite having older sisters, I never learned to do hair or makeup — they always did it for me. I went to culinary school and worked in kitchens, so there was never much need. Now, anytime I try to “glam up” for an event or date night, I feel totally lost. This year I’m trying to teach myself using YouTube. I practice curling my hair with a curling iron my mom gave me. It turns out bouncy and cute! The makeup doesn’t work, so I wash it off and stick with my usual tinted sunscreen and mascara. Still, I feel good and head out to the play with V. It’s a long drive up to North County to the playhouse. We jam out to some music, find easy street parking, and pick up our tickets at the box office before the show. $37.50
8 p.m. — At intermission, V. grabs us each a drink and drops a donation to the theater. $39
10:20 p.m. — We finally get home. We eat some Triscuits and watch a little Schitt’s Creek to wind down before bed.
Daily Total: $311.96
Day Five: Sunday
7 a.m. — We’re up and lounging with cappuccinos. There’s a lot of noise outside as a block party is being set up downtown. We hang on the couch reading and chatting with the windows open, listening to the city wake up.
9:30 a.m. — We roll out our mats and do an hour of yoga. Both of us had plans to do workouts later, but neither of us is feeling it, so we call this our movement for the day. After yoga, we make a big pot of tea and sit down to read with music on.
11 a.m. — V. finishes off the leftover chicken pot pie and I eat some cottage cheese with a big glass of milk. Then we head out for a long walk in the sunshine along the waterfront, people-watching and boat-gazing until the heat drives us back home. V. and I are watching the Spartacus show he got me into and we make it to the finale! So surprising! I’m so excited to continue but sad to see that season 2 goes back in time as a prequel so I will have to wait until season 3 for the events to continue!!
1:45 p.m. — I’m feeling snackish so I quickly mix together one of our favorite snacks — yogurt cake. Unfortunately after mixing the cake batter I realize I loaned our cake pans to a friend! I make do with two mini casserole dishes but the cake will bake weird in glass — it will still be a tasty snack but not the intended texture. I top one with almonds and one with the leftover fresh strawberries from yesterday. They indeed turn out weird but fine.
3:30 p.m. — V. opens a bottle of white wine while we settle in to watch the Spartacus prequel and munch on yogurt cake. We purchase the season, which is $9.99, using credit card points. It’s a pretty good story and I like how it fits into the season 1 we just finished, but I’m still really eager to move on to the events following the dramatic season 1 finale. Lucy Lawless is flawless in this show!
5 p.m. — I prep dinner: roasted salmon covered in gochujang and blood orange slices, plus a giant Caesar salad with roasted red peppers, tiny mozzarellas, parmesan and Caesar dressing with lots of lemon juice added to thin the dressing. V. checks if The White Lotus finale is out yet — almost!
6:30 p.m. — After The White Lotus, we clean up and discuss the episode — and the whole season. We, like anybody, do plenty of multi-episode watches, but I really like the current series that we watch along the way because the forced week of reflection gives us lots of chances to talk through the story and discuss our impressions. These conversations are the most fun part of experiencing the content for me, like discussing a good book one is reading.
8 p.m. — The block party is still going strong, so instead of getting ready for bed, we hang out in the living room with a sitcom on in the background and play some games. The party cranks the volume for the final songs — lots of Journey singalongs — and we wait it out — they have a pretty strict curfew of 10 p.m. for these block parties so it shouldn’t be loud too much longer.
9:30 p.m. — Nighttime routine and into bed. Music cuts off at 10 p.m. sharp and it’s quiet again. We fall asleep immediately.
Daily Total: $0
Day Six: Monday
5:30 a.m. — I do my usual news scroll, word games, and send Wordle to dad. Get up to clean my face and do a yoga session before work. My boss is already Slacking me with some things to look into first thing on this Monday morning! Here we go!
6:45 a.m. — At my desk with a cappuccino and ready to start the day. Today’s tea is roasty-toasty hojicha, which feels cozy. I dive into email and prep work for a report due today. I also fill in my planner every Monday morning and, it’s silly, but I give myself a little gold sticker for any days in the previous week that were “$0 Days” or a day where we didn’t spend any money. It’s a little pat on the back for myself.
10 a.m. — I use my lunch break for a full-body workout and snack on some cottage cheese. Back to the grind after.
1 p.m. — My afternoon analytics meeting ends up being a no-show, which is a bit of karmic balance — I totally ghosted someone earlier last week by missing a meeting. I rescheduled it, of course, but still feel bad. I get the time back and keep working on refining our analytics.
3 p.m. — Done with work for the day! I spend some time brainstorming and journaling ahead of dinner with my dad tonight. We like to meet a few times a year to talk through family stuff, end-of-life planning, and creative projects we’re working on. He’s mentoring me on a short story idea, and I want to bring some thoughts to share.
5 p.m. — Try curling my hair again — I’m getting better at it! V. walks me to dinner and I check in for our reservation.
9 p.m. — Dinner was great! Dad gave me updates on his and mom’s end-of-life plans and we talked about the rest of the family. Most of the time we just brainstormed ideas for a short story we want to co-write. I’ve never been much of a writer, but he wrote a few novels (unpublished), and I love the idea of collaborating. Last time we tried, I totally froze up. This time I have a solid idea, and he’s excited to help me get it started. V. meets us at the restaurant for a nightcap and then walks me home to hear all about it. Dad treats dinner. V. picked up Thai takeout while I was out. $45.06
10 p.m. — Nighttime routine. I forget to wash my face (oops). Bed.
Daily Total: $45.06
Day Seven: Tuesday
5 a.m. — I’m awake but just laying with my eyes closed and letting my mind wander. V. and I will often wake up but stay in a half rest and snuggle in the morning for a little bit. I grab my phone for my usual news and games and then get up at 6 to wash my face.
6:30 a.m. — Make my cap and send Wordle off to my dad. I have a call in the personal development realm at 7 a.m. so instead of a video I just stretch and do yoga while reading the instructions for that call. Still feeling Monday’s workout in my hamstrings so they get a lot of attention. At 6:45 a.m. I log into work and get prepped. I’m solid with meetings straight through until lunch so I brew a big pot of tea and get out my notepad!
11:17 a.m. — Back to back meetings all morning — barely even time to pee! I’m hungry and seem to have a crick in my neck that I need to stretch out. I’m a little late getting to lunch and have to hurry back for another meeting so I’ll have an abbreviated lunch. I grab a quick snack of a peanut butter and banana sandwich and a big glass of milk. I munch on this while I scroll LinkedIn and make some updates to my personal webpage for the job hunt, then brainstorm some ideas for personal development to feed the process. Then it is back to the grind.
3 p.m. — Done! V. stepped out for a massage (booked using ClassPass, so he only pays the gratuity) so I have the house to myself so I ditch the headphones and put on some music for my usual post-work dance break with light tidying — today it’s Tame Impala, Thudercat, and Toro y Moi (we are seeing him in concert in May, can’t wait!). $30
3:30 p.m. — V. is back and we will be heading over to his sister’s house for dinner and TV tonight. She makes dinner but it usually isn’t quite enough food and protein for V.’s macros so we cook up a ground turkey taco bowl to give him a boost and I pick at it a little and eat some cottage cheese. We head to his sister’s.
9 p.m. — We stop for gas on the way home from V.’s sister’s. She, as usual, sent us home with a bunch of leftovers and oranges from her tree. I want to clean up the kitchen before heading to bed (I like to wake up to a blank slate and not have yesterday’s mess around). I do some cleanup — this kind of irks V… He doesn’t work so he considers maintaining the home “his” responsibility and sometimes when I clean he takes it as a comment on something he missed, so he apologizes or tells me that he was going to do that — but I think that we both live here and contribute to the making of the mess, so cleaning is everyone’s responsibility. It can be tricky to manage the emotional aspect but luckily we are both kind and generous people so we just talk it out. I try to tell him that I don’t *mind* cleaning, I like to tidy! My skin feels a little grimy after kitchen work so I grab a quick shower and a good scrub before my nighttime routine and into bed. $68.42
Daily Total: $98.42
The Breakdown
Conclusion
“This week felt like it included a lot of ‘extras’, like getting our hair cut (every few months), dining out a little more, and a big grocery restock of things we don’t buy often. I’m constantly trying to rein in our grocery budget, which always seems so high for just two people, so I try to keep trips to the store to about $100 and make sure nothing goes bad or gets wasted. With the political uncertainty around recent policy changes (announcing tariffs, then pausing them, etc) the volatility makes me a bit nervous. I’ll try to buy the dip in my brokerage, but I’m very risk averse, so it makes me extra anxious. Actually writing everything down, including what V. was spending, was really eye-opening for me about how things add up over the week and afterwards we sat down and redid our budget. I think the little kitschy elements like my gold sticker for $0 days help me have a positive approach to managing my money without delving into stress and worry while introducing and maintaining good habits.”
Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual’s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.
The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more Money Diaries, click here.
Do you have a Money Diary you’d like to share? Submit it with us here.
Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here or email us here.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
For those who aren’t already sold on their myriad benefits, skin tints occupy a cosy space between a light-coverage foundation and your most hydrating skincare product. The feel? Featherlight. The finish? Super natural. Unlike heavier base products such as concealer or foundation, tints allow skin to look like skin while very subtly tucking away any gripes you might have, like redness, scarring, or breakouts.
It’s why countless brands, including Saie, Fenty Beauty, and Lisa Eldridge, are on board. But with so much choice out there, weeding out the products that deserve recognition from the ones that fall flat is no mean feat.
Ahead, I tried seven trending skin tints so you don’t have to, and for me, there’s one clear winner.
It took me a little while to find the right shade in makeup artist Lisa Eldridge’s first-ever skin tint (T4, in case you were wondering; T5 and T6 were far too yellow for my light olive skin). This appeared matte at first and took a few minutes to “settle” into my skin, but once it meshed with my natural oils, it was virtually indiscernible — and looked so natural. Usually by the end of the da,y my T-zone feels like a slip ‘n’ slide, but I noticed that my face was much less oily, so I delved into the ingredients. It’s hardly sexy, but this tint boasts modified corn starch, which reduces the oily feel of products. I can only assume that it also helped mop up additional face grease throughout the day. Though it’s featherlight, this lasted the longest on my skin. At $49, it’s dearer than most of the tints on this list, but one squeeze was enough to cover my entire face and neck.
This skin tint feels virtually weightless, and just a pea-sized amount is enough to blur redness and dark marks. It blends effortlessly in seconds with a fluffy brush, so I tend to reach for it when I need to look put together quickly! As you can see here, the finish sits nicely between matte and dewy, giving skin a soft, healthy glow. Blush and bronzer layer smoothly on top, and best of all, it doesn’t aggravate my acne. However, the packaging could use some work. The nozzle tends to leak, so be sure the cap is tightly closed to avoid spills in your makeup bag. While the formula blends well across tones, the range is limited to just 15 shades. I’d love to see more options for deeper skin tones.
I’ve been reaching for this skin tint non-stop since I discovered it a few weeks ago — it’s that good. The bonus? It comes with SPF 50, making it a no-brainer for summer. One squeeze is enough to cover my face and neck, and while the coverage is sheer and feels more like wearing skincare, it still does a great job of camouflaging breakouts and dark spots. Some days I skip concealer entirely; other days, I just dab a little under my eyes. I’ve even had a few compliments on my skin lately — including at the end of the day, when I’d usually expect my base to have worn off. It lasts better than most tints I’ve tried, which earns it the winning position. That said, I wouldn’t rely on it as my sole SPF and always layer a dedicated sunscreen underneath.
The most expensive tint on the list suitably boasts the smoothest application. It virtually glides on, blends quickly, minimizes the appearance of pores, tucks away redness, and makes skin glow in all the right places. Even better, it feels like wearing nothing, but it sticks around: I put it through its paces during a 30-minute high-intensity workout, and it didn’t budge an inch. My only gripe is that it becomes ever so slightly darker after a few hours of wear. If you like to look bronzed, this shouldn’t be an issue, but you could always opt for a shade lighter. That said, the color range — 18 in total — isn’t as extensive as others like Fenty, for instance.
This tint was the wettest. That is by no means a bad thing; it blended into my skin quickly, felt cooling and hydrating, and made my face gleam. No, really: MAC isn’t messing around with the word “dewy” here. After an hour or so, I noticed that the intensity had worn off a little and the finish appeared more natural. In fact, it’s this product which Terry Barber, MAC’s director of makeup artistry, used to create a “dim lighting” effect on models’ skin at London Fashion Week last year — essentially providing a warm, muted glow. The coverage is great for a tint — so fluid, and one squeeze is ample.
I’m including this as a tint because it’s so sheer — and such a joy to use. The first time I applied it, I was in a rush and was genuinely surprised by how quickly and effortlessly it melted into my skin with my trusty fluffy brush. One pump was enough to cover my face and neck, and I didn’t have to work it in at all. It subtly softened the post-acne pigmentation on my cheeks and took the edge off my dark circles. I also love that it’s packed with skin-loving ingredients, and I’m hopeful the added vitamin C will help brighten things up even more, which makes me excited to keep using it. I used the handy QR code on the website to find my perfect match: Light Medium Cool 1. There are another 25 shades to choose from.
This review wouldn’t be complete without an OG tint to compare the much newer launches to. The first time I tried this, I was an unwavering full coverage foundation person, but I’ve come to appreciate it massively since. It’s a little bit more pigmented than the rest of the tints here, so I can happily skip concealer. The finish occupies a space between matte and dewy, providing a soft-focus effect. Then there’s the shade range — 25 to be exact — which is much more extensive than others. It blends into the skin without any effort, and makeup sits beautifully on top of it.
The compliments I received while wearing this tinted gel cream affords it the winning position. The consistency is slightly thicker than the others, which lends a soft-matte effect. One pump evened out my skin beautifully. I needed a dab of concealer to effectively mask an angry red spot on my cheek, but the way it blurred the skin staining I have left behind by previous breakouts was impressive. It lasted all day, including a trip to the hairdresser (a very wet backwash and a hot blowdry) plus a dinner event that creeped into the early hours. It’s the only tint I’ve found myself reaching for since, particularly because bronzer and blush apply so well over the top.
For the price, this is so impressive. At first squeeze it’s bright white — a common feature of most CC (color corrector) creams and tints — but as I blended it into my skin, the tiny encapsulated pigments popped to reveal the tint. I opted for shade Medium, which was a little too dark for my liking, but the product itself was similar to some of the luxury tints on this list: it blended in moments (I used a brush) and masked redness and skin staining left behind by spots. The coverage is substantial (I didn’t use any concealer on my under eyes), and the finish sits comfortably between matte and dewy. It held up so well that it felt a shame to remove my makeup at the end of the day. The obvious downside is the shade range of which there are only four: Light, Medium, Ta,n and Dark. The website suggests that they correspond with four shades of the brand’s foundation, which indicates that they are somewhat flexible, but I’d recommend scoping them out in store.
Give this a good shake before you use it! The first few squeezes deposited a puddle of oil onto the back of my hand. Seeing as I have reactive, acne-prone skin, I was reluctant to go any further, but it lent the most skin-like finish out of all of the tints on this list. While the coverage isn’t as substantial as others (you can see a few spots and scars peeking through), my skin appeared quenched and plump. I do have a few gripes, though. Firstly, it has a paint-like smell that takes a good while to dissipate. Secondly, it felt a little sticky, and my curtain bangs kept getting caught on my cheeks throughout the day. That’s nothing a good, lightweight powder, like Saie Airset Radiant Loose Setting Powder — won’t fix. It’ll provide a little extra coverage, too.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
