I know, I know; enough of the 'economic downturn' talk. But guess what? We have some good news for you. You can go out drinking without mindlessly dumping the continents of your wallet down the pipe. Here's our kid-tested, mother-approved watering holes for your 'economic downturn.'

Casino Royale
3411 Las Vegas Blvd.

Easily passed over, Casino Royale is squeezed between Harrah’s and the towering Venetian. Casino Royale might be the best location to get hammered for half the price. They have drink specials that include 12 oz. Michelobs and small frozen margaritas for $1 and most other drafts for only $1.50. You could buy mixed drinks for $3 to $5, or you could grow a pair and order straight whiskey for $2.50.

O'Shea's Casino
3555 Las Vegas Blvd.

A little further down the strip, O’Shea’s is the Las Vegas equivalent to an Irish Pub, I guess. Not terribly expensive to begin with, but for the late night drinker, you can’t beat O’Shea’s $1 drafts from 2AM-8PM, what is known at O’Shea’s as the “18-Hour Happy Hour.” That’s just fun to say. Go ahead say it again, “18-Hour Happy Hour.” Doesn’t it just make you feel warm and fuzzy all over?

Beauty Bar
517 Fremont St.

Beauty Bar is a great downtown joint where the drinks are reasonable and the live acts are worth checking out. It’s literally a converted beauty salon with blow-drying chairs still in tact, an interesting crowd for sure. Happy Hours on Wed & Fri run from 5pm-9pm, with 2-for-1 drinks, $2 domestic and $3 imported beers, and a dollar off all other cocktails. Not too shabby.

Slots-A-Fun Casino
2890 Las Vegas Blvd.

Located next to Circus Circus, Slots-A-Fun Casino sounds like its name. This isn’t where you go to play high-stakes Black Jack, this is where you go to have Slots-A-Fun. And what better way to do so by getting Sloshed-A-Ton for next to nothing? Slot’s is well known for its drink deals; $1.25 Miller Lite and $2 Heinekens should keep you in the good graces of the drinking gods. If you’re trying to get real serious, you can get a YARD of margarita for only $8—a drink that goes for double most anywhere else.

Imperial Palace
3535 Las Vegas Blvd.

Cheap drinks, cheap gambling, and between the people watching and free entertainment, not a bad place to tie a load on. Happy Hours from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. daily with 2-for-1 drinks served at any of the 10 bars in the casino. I suggest going upstairs to watch some high quality karaoke any night of the week.

Crown & Anchor
1350 E Tropicana Ave.

An English and Irish themed pub, this is a great place to watch the football (soccer) game at 5 am, or whenever they start. I’m not much of a soccer fan, but I do like the reasonably priced floggings of ale and relaxed atmosphere of this joint, soccer or no soccer.

Double Down Saloon
4640 Paradise Rd.

We’ve gone over this before. The legendary dive bar, The Double Down is open 24/7 and has cheap drinks galore. Try a shot of Ass Juice for only $3, a bacon martini for $5, or drink Pap’s all night for a buck. They have many other drinks, all reasonably priced, but why get a Heiney when you could just go straight for the Ass Juice? That’s something we all have to ask ourselves at some point.

The best deal in Vegas is still sitting at the penny slots at any casino and receiving free drinks from a cocktail waitress. But those machines will suck the soul right out of drinking.

If I were you I’d just stick to one of the fine establishments I’ve recommended. Interact with people. Get away from the crumbling economy for a few hours without emptying your pockets. Sorry, didn’t mean to bring it up again.

Drinking: A Stimulus We Can All Agree On. Drink Responsibly.

Check out The Vegas Recession Guide: Nightlife for entertaining things to do when the sun goes down.