When I first visited Las Vegas many years ago, the Strip for our family was all about cheap buffets and inexpensive hotels. These were the "loss leaders" that supposedly enticed folks to gamble away the real money. There were even a handful of shows were both entertaining and reasonably priced.
Although places like Circus Circus and Treasure Island are still around, "family friendly" Vegas is relatively rare, as are the economical choices. Tix 4 Tonight offers some respite and to be fair, the quality of entertainment today is much better. However, when I stopped by the lowest price for a "prime" Cirque du Soleil show still started at slightly over $100. Yet, with a little research and compromise, budget-friendly options are plentiful. I ended up being thoroughly entertained at a Mystère performance and at a more than a 1/3 less than "O". I'm sure I missed an amazing aqua performance at the Bellagio, but do I have any regrets? No.