I fell in love with Las Vegas as a tourist, finding a stage for unimaginable antics and fun unavailable elsewhere.

I fell out of love with Vegas by making the same mistake that has destroyed relationships throughout time: I moved in.

Las Vegas is the metropolitan equivalent of what Tyler Durden of “Fight Club” called “single-serving friends” — visitors have no need for deep connections, just quick fun and no memories. The residents, most of whom deal with people all day long on strange shifts, are willing to float along with something cool but not looking for anything permanent.

Basically, all the factors that made Las Vegas a great place to visit made it a hard place to live. So, Las Vegas and I broke up, and I floated back to the Bay Area, certain in one area: Vegas held no memories and I held no grudges.

My Vegas Year did teach me a very important lesson, however: Las Vegas doesn’t have to be expensive. People couldn’t live there if they spent like drunk tourists, but they all moved to Las Vegas partly because they enjoyed the scene and still want to experience it.

So, after studying the methods of the locals, I created some rules to return to Vegas as cheaply as possible.

Now, almost two years after I left Vegas for good, I have my chance to test them: Friends are visiting Las Vegas for Super Bowl XLVI, and despite still suffering from the post-holiday bank-account blues, I want to join them.

Last year for the Super Bowl, I was on the field as a New York Times photographer’s assistant, the most amazing possible Super Bowl experience, which I finished off by making confetti angels on the 50-yard line at Cowboys Stadium.

With attendance at this year’s Super Bowl out of the question, however, Las Vegas is the next best thing, if not for one tricky problem: money.

So, using the rules I developed, I have set a tough budget goal for Sin City, counting airfare, lodging, food, transit and all other non-gambling expenses: $150.

Some disclaimers

There will be a lot of advice here for those who want to visit Las Vegas cheaply. However, if you have never been to Las Vegas before, don’t follow them — blow two grand on a suite at the Venetian, hit the hottest restaurant and show and throw money around on a table game you don’t even understand. This advice is for Vegas veterans: Those who know what they want to do in Vegas — clubbing, gambling, golfing, eating, seeing shows, etc. — and just want to get there, and be there, as cheaply as possible.

As a gambler, I keep my gambling funds separate from anything else I do in Vegas: You can’t gamble cheaply, but you can live cheaply. And nongamblers will likely do the same — spend freely on their clubs, meals, or other main interest, while using these tips to cut back elsewhere.

As those veterans know, everyone should get off the plane in Vegas with at least $100 to $200 in cash, in different denominations. You have to tip in Vegas, especially when you’re getting stuff for free. Just make sure to keep an eye on how much you’re tipping and spending.

I will have four friends in town from the East Coast, with a rental car, helping to cut expenses. Many things can be cheaper in Vegas with a group.

I will not preclude myself from having fun in the interest of completing this challenge; the goal — as it always is on a Vegas trip — is to have as much fun as possible. To see if I can manage to fully enjoy myself while still coming in below my spending cap, and to see what a Super Bowl in Las Vegas is like, follow me as I live-tweet my adventure at www.twitter.com/mercbizbreak with the hashtag #SBinVegas.

Rule 1 — Fly cheap

Going for a set time, like Super Bowl weekend, can pin you in on cost of airfare; you’re much better off thinking “I’d like to go to Vegas one weekend this month” and continually checking all possible flight combinations to find the cheapest trip.

With my limited search availability, however, I found no flights cheaper than Spirit Airlines.

Spirit’s cheap for a reason, of course — they make their money everywhere but the fare. The airline charges you for any carry-on you can’t fit under the seat in front of you, and don’t expect any amenity without a fee attached. They’re also the most vocal opponent of the U.S. government’s attempt to force all fees and taxes to appear in the fares airlines initially offer their customers: Fares advertised as low as $9 typically cost more like $50 one everything is added in.

Even with the hidden markups, they still managed to beat other airlines that are still rather cheap from the Bay Area (and Southern California), such as Virgin America and Southwest. On Christmas Eve, they sent out a code in an email for a discount, and I managed to land a round-trip ticket for $83, which could have been $73 if I was willing to fly in very early in the morning or late at night.

However, to make it at that price — already more than half my budget — I have to fly with nothing but a backpack that is not overly full. The way to save money on Rule 2 allows for that, however.

Rule 2 — Stay cheap (or free)

The longer you stay in Vegas, the tougher it is to keep that stack of cash in your pocket, and the more hotels will burn your credit card up.

Hence, the short trip. I will be on the ground in Las Vegas for precisely 32.5 hours, and spend absolutely nothing on lodging. My friends will have two hotel rooms, and I’m likely to crash out for a little while in one of them, while offering a beer or cheap food as a payback.

For those not ready for the marathon I’ll experience for a likely free lodging situation, try something like this — get a hotel for a night, then fly in on the redeye the night before. Talk the hotel into storing your bags for you when you get there (a $10 tip will usually make it happen, depending on the hotel), then hit the town till the pool opens, and go take a nap in the sunshine until your room is ready. Fly out the next day, and you just got a solid 36 hours of Vegas for one night’s hotel stay.

For a big group, this can be even better. Yes, cramming a bunch of people in one room in Vegas can lead to some very unhappy drunken floor sleepers, so its better if people sleep in shifts — the clubbers taking off as the gamblers come back, etc.

Rule 3 — Avoid the strip

For locals, this is the No. 1 rule — The Las Vegas Strip is a huge ripoff. Residents hang out on the strip only if there’s an event they want to get to, if friends are in town, or if they just got off work there.

Areas in which off-strip savings are greatest includes food: Even the McDonalds on the Strip is expensive. Of course, if you’re a foodie and part of the reason (or the entire reason) you visit Las Vegas is for the amazing restaurants, most of which are on the strip, don’t scrimp.

Otherwise, venture out to find the preponderance of awesome, cheap taco joints throughout Vegas; my favorite is Pepe’s, which has several locations with some of the best buche I’ve ever tasted. Even good restaurants off the strip won’t kill your budget: Try Bonito Michoacan on Decatur and Twain, with filling, $10 entrees and some of the best margaritas in town.

Hotel savings are also cheaper off the strip, though you will be away from the action. A key: Look for free shuttles from nearby hotels. For instance, the Rio offers a free shuttle to the Strip that runs often; right next door to the Rio is Gold Coast, where everything is cheap, from the hotel rooms to the blackjack minimums. And the Palms is right across the street, offering you two premium hotel/casinos within easy walking distance in addition to a free, easy ride to the Strip.

As for entertainment, you will find few shows worth the trip off the Strip, especially since the Rio swiped “The Rat Pack is Back” from the Plaza last year. Gambling and drinking are much cheaper in Downtown Vegas, however, and there are some fun options both at the Fremont Street Experience and near it. Beauty Bar and other watering holes popular with locals sit just beyond the Experience on Fremont Street, along with cheap eats like slices at Uncle Joe’s Pizza. You can even get a wonderful dining experience for much less than you would on the Strip: Popular former Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman took over the the premier spot at the Plaza, the giant fishbowl restaurant space you can see from anywhere in the Experience, for Oscar’s Beef*Booze*Broads, with an awesome view and an only-in-Vgeas experience for less than a meal on the Strip.

The gambling is always cheaper on Fremont Street, as they have lower minimums for table games and more cheap (such as $2-$4 limit and $1-$2 no-limit) poker tables. And bars all around downtown offer the kind of deals you have to search for on the Strip, such as $1 bottles of beer and beer-and-shot specials. (FYI for those committed to the Strip: O’Shea’s and Casino Royale, on either side of Harrah’s, offer the best to-go beer deals, so buy two and drink one while walking and the other when you get to where you’re going).

Other off-strip possibilities besides downtown include The Orleans, with a movie theater, bowling alley and cheap everything; Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa, which has a much better bowling alley and a great sports book; and, a couple miles beyond the casino, Red Rock Canyon, a beautiful spot to drive through or take a hike.

Of course, all this traveling around Vegas can add up. Unless, that is, you follow Rule 4.

Rule 4 — Take public transit

This is where I diverge from the path most will be willing to take to save money in Las Vegas, but also where being a former resident helps the most: Taking public transit.

Las Vegas buses are air-conditioned but don’t have many other creature comforts visitors expect when visiting Sin City. However, they are everywhere: Some residents are even surprised to find that Citizens Area Transit, or CAT, buses service McCarron International Airport in Las Vegas.

If you’re willing to take the bus, it can be a huge money-saver, allowing you to get off the strip with ease to accomplish all the money-saving ideas highlighted in Rule 3. CAT sells 24-hour and 3-day passes for $7 and $20 apiece, which include rides on The Deuce (a double-decker bus that shuttles riders between the Strip and Fremont Street 24 hours a day). You can even buy these passes before you show up and have them mailed to you, activating it as soon as you step on a bus in Vegas.

I would not suggest this money-saving idea if not for one thing: Smartphones. You no longer have to be a local to understand and use a city’s public transit system. If you have a smartphone, you can map the CAT routes, find cheap, decent restaurants and attractions to visit, and even find the approximate time the bus will pick you up.

If you’re willing, this is a huge money saver — no cabs, easy access to off-strip cheapness (even if you’re staying on the strip), and even rides down the strip instead of long, congested walks, if you please. All for $7 or less a day.

Rule 5 — Take advantage of rewards cards and other deals

This rule seems self-explanatory, but it’s the one every resident follows while most tourists ignore it. There are deals to be had in Vegas, but it takes more searching, haggling and concentration than most visitors want to exert on a vacation.

The easiest way to get discounts is The Card. Every casino in Las Vegas offers a discount card that rewards spending at their different properties, which most tourists either don’t sign up for or forget after one visit. However, if you go to Vegas every couple years or more, use these cards, rack up points and then cash them in.

The best deals can be had at the two biggest chains in Sin City: Caesars and MGM. Both offer rewards cards for all their sites. MGM’s M Life covers the MGM Grand, CityCenter, the Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, the Mirage, the Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor, the Excalibur and Circus Circus; Caesars’ Total Rewards program services Bally’s, Bill’s, Caesar’s Palace, Flamingo’s, Harrah’s, Imperial Palace, O’Shea’s, Paris, Planet Hollywood and the Rio. Both companies also have casino resorts in other cities, including Lake Tahoe, where the cards will work as well.

Once you gamble/eat/tear da club up at these resorts using the rewards cards, you can cash in your points toward more of the same. If you’ve ever wondered what the long lines of people in the customer service lines are at Vegas casinos, here is the answer: They are haggling over what they can get for the points on their card. Free or discounted food, hotel stays, gambling credits and more can be had with rewards points on these cards.

When I was living in Vegas, my most common activity was playing tight on a $2-$4 limit Texas Hold’ Em table at Binion’s while watching baseball or basketball games on their series of HDTVs (they’ll put on any game you want, just ask the floor guy). Binion’s offers cash rewards for every hour you spend playing poker, which got me a free cheeseburger and fries every couple trips at the in-house grill (suggested for cheap grub, by the way).

There are plenty of other deals to be had in Sin City, and they’re easier than haggling with a cabdriver or concierge — though that can get you some deals, especially on strip clubs (cabdrivers) and shows or limo rides (concierge).

The best way to save depends on your specific interest and can best be done through extensive research before you leave home. While these rules will save you cash in every other regard, saving and spending money on your chief pursuit in Vegas is up to you and involves more specific plans. For me, it’s low-limit Pai Gow and big poker tournaments with small buy-ins, which helps to preserve my gambling funds, but clubbers, golfers, foodies and all the rest will need to figure out their own path.

Jeremy C. Owens covers breaking business and technology news for the Mercury News. To follow his cheap Las Vegas Super Bowl adventure or for help figuring out your own path to the cheapest possible Sin City vacation, follow and contact him at Twitter.com/mercbizbreak.