Celebrate Your Favorite Sport for Less Than $100
For most of us, sports are a big deal, especially in the summer. But how do we participate in or kick back and enjoy summer sports without emptying our pockets? For families, a single sporting event can cost hundreds of dollars.
And that high price tag makes it difficult to justify doing more than one sporting event per season. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to get the price down so that you and your family can add summer sporting events to your routine without it becoming a financial drain. And we can help.
4 Ways to Celebrate Your Favorite Sport Without Breaking the Bank
1. Think Local
Most cities host local sports that are free to watch at community parks. And when they’re not free, they rarely cost more than a few dollars per ticket. If you bring chairs or blankets and food or snacks from home, hours of entertainment at a local sporting event might cost $20 for the whole family.
This is much better than the average cost of $34.04 per ticket to attend a Major League Baseball game. For a family of five, that’s $170.20 on just the tickets. And MLB stadiums don’t allow you to bring in outside food or drinks.
When you add in food and drinks, gas, and everything else that goes into a professional sporting event, it’s easy to see how your wallet can take a hit. It’s also easy to see why professional sports are a special occasion rather than a regular occurrence for most.
But chances are good that the family will have just as much fun watching a local sports team, enjoy the nice weather, and snacking in the grass. And that surely won’t break the bank, so it’s easy, affordable, and fun enough to turn into a family tradition.
2. Wondering how to save money on sports tickets? Buy sports tickets in bulk
If you don’t have local sports teams in your area or you prefer to go big when the occasion calls for it, you can still attend professional games without going broke. Professional sports stadiums want to sell out, so they often provide discounts for buying in bulk.
When you purchase group or organization tickets and bundles, the tickets get cheaper as their quantity goes up. Try organizing a group outing at work or with extended friends or family. In many places, tickets bought in groups of ten or more will be discounted.
3. Go Casual
Prefer a smaller group? Buying in bulk isn’t the only way to save on your next major sporting event. If you’re planning an outing with a spouse, older kids, or a few friends, just plan a slightly more casual day.
Rather than spending hundreds on tickets, food, and drinks, take advantage of the screens in the stadium lot. Pack some food and drinks into your cooler, grab some games, and head on over to tailgate and watch the game in the stadium lot.
If you’re dying to get inside, spring for a weekday ticket. Stadiums see the most action on the weekends and weeknights. Since there’s less demand during the day and the week, you can score a significant discount as the stadium scrambles to fill those empty seats.
Train tickets and other travel expenses are often more affordable during the week, too. Weekday sporting events can be harder to pull off if you work during regular business hours, but if you can put a vacation day to good use, the savings are worth the extra effort.
4. Host Your Favorite Sports at Home
When all else fails, hosting your favorite sports at home is a fun and affordable way to celebrate.
One of our favorite sports party ideas is to host a barbecue instead of traveling to a stadium. And we’ve got plenty of tips for hosting an affordable backyard barbecue!
From getting creative with your yard games to calling in a few favors, you can host an affordable and unforgettable sporting event from the comfort of your living room or backyard. DIY some games, ask attendees to bring a dish, borrow equipment, and grab your decorations at the dollar store. This is a recipe for an affordable celebration and long-lasting memories!
