“Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks…”
Take you to the game AND buy you peanuts and Cracker Jacks?! Who can afford that? Attending a sporting event can be an exciting and positive experience, but it can be terribly expensive! Are your family members sports nuts? Check out these frugal methods to feed your fan-family’s appetite, while staying within your budget.
It’s difficult to find a ticket to a professional game without spending $50. While it’s possible to find some discounts on sites like StubHub.com, tickets for a whole family will be more difficult to find and will end up costing a hefty total, regardless. To get the full experience, you’ll need to get some food, right? A family of four, buying four hot dogs, two beers and two sodas, can probably tack on close to another $50.
Consider bringing the game to you with a fun (and far less expensive) home tailgate party. Barbeque some cheap hot dogs for a tiny fraction of the price, and enjoy refreshments without feeling your wallet become lighter. You may want to invite sports-minded friends over as well. Include pregame yard contests, such as horseshoes, bocce ball, croquet, Wiffle ball or a game of two-hand-touch football.
Once game time approaches, bring the crowd inside and pile onto the couches for the world’s original “reality TV”. When the game is well under way, the crowd may demand some snacks. A veggie plate or some easy nachos are great ideas (depending on your diet), and are an inexpensive purchase.
Get into the game with your friends and family. Feel free to wear jerseys, high five and yell at the refs (although they probably won’t hear you). Enjoy all of the game’s excitement from the comfort and safety of your home. If other friends are joining, consider switching hosts every week or so to continue the savings.
While your game day at home is sure to be a success, there is still something about the experience of live sports. Some of the sights, sounds and smells of the games can’t be recreated on a television screen. That’s okay! Make it a treat for your family to go watch a local minor league or semi-pro game, and still save money. If you start to follow the team, you’ll begin to get to know some of the players and are sure to become a fan. Another cheap, fun option is to follow your local high school sports. Friday night football games provide an exciting, energetic (and very inexpensive) atmosphere for a night out for your sports-loving family.
Are you and your family members big sports fans? What do you do for game day? Share your stories and tips here!
