My festy fam 🙂
Photo Taken By Bridgette Reynolds
My friends know me as the person who is always pinching pennies, yet wants to do everything and anything fun, especially attend music festivals. This doesn’t always coincide with my budget, so I have discovered ways to save money and still attend my favorite festivals.
Clothes
Photo Taken By Billy Lawrence
Before a festival, there is a lot of pre-planning and usually, my top priority is my wardrobe. From hair pieces to different styles of shirts to jewelry, I am committed to feeling and looking the best!
Trying on outfits is usually the best idea when you want the perfect fit, but I have found many great buys online.  If you are a planner, like I am, then ordering online way ahead of time could save you big bucks in the end. Stores like Romwe and SHEIN have cheap clothes, but they are also decent material. I’ve bought items off of both of these sites multiple times and have never been disappointed!
Accessories
Photo Taken By Don Idio
I’ve found that Amazon is the best for accessories like jewelry, flash tats, headbands, bags, etc. Amazon’s great for things like this because you don’t have to try on accessories. THRIFT SHOPS! I’m guilty of forgetting about them, but they usually have the BEST accessories and also, not many people will have the same thing on as you since they are usually old styles.
Transportation
Photo Taken By SaGe Thomas
If you are camping, transportation can be the most frustrating thing since there are rules onthe size of your campsite. Definitely carpool with whoever you can. There are also sometimes busses to and from different locations. They will pick you up from a spot in your city, take you to the festival and then bring you home after the festival. Try a quick Google search for the festival you want to go to, and you’d be surprised what you find.
Sometimes public transportation can help cut cost when traveling to a festival. Although, this may take a little bit longer than driving yourself or flying, it could save you money.
If you’re flying, and have looked up flights consistently, make sure you clear your cookies/browser so that you can refresh the flight prices. I’ve done this before and the prices dropped. Your browser will save your last search and keep upping the price. Also, try booking on a Tuesday and traveling on a Tuesday. These days are known to be the cheaper.
Lodging
Photo Taken By SaGe Thomas
CAMP! Camping is THE way to go. You can definitely save money by camping & re-use your gear for future festivals (and camping trips). If you don’t want to buy gear, ask coworkers, friends, or family members to borrow camping gear! The best thing about camping is you can share all the things you bring. Walmart and Amazon are great places to find cheap and good products.
If there isn’t camping, then you’ll want to browse for deals months in advance. The longer you wait, the more expensive it’s going to be. Most places will allow you to cancel your room within two weeks of the date you’re staying, so booking rooms ahead is always a good idea. You could also see if there are hostels near the festival location. Hostels can be dirt cheap (check out Hostel World for reviews before you book) and sometimes include breakfast!
BYOB and BYOF (Bring your own food)
Photo Taken By SageTee Photography
Food and beverages. The most crucial part of your festival weekend! You want to make sure you are getting nutritional items for food and beverages with electrolytes along with great mixers. If you’re camping, you’ll want to make sure the items you buy are things that won’t go bad in the heat and also, try to find a portable stove (game changer)! In the end, this can save you a LOT since the food and drinks at festivals are usually $10 plus for each item. Always amazing food, but the price isn’t always budget friendly. Think about the price you spend on items for the week:
Breakfast: $10: eggs and pancakes (or french toast)
Lunch: $20: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or lunch meat sandwiches
Dinner: $30: hamburgers and hotdogs
When did we forget about the Dollar Tree? Never neglect the “$1 or under” slogan. This will save you lots of money (trust me, I know from experience). I recommend buying items like paper towels, silverware, juice, snacks, etc. here. I don’t think you need name brand items for these kinds of things. It’s a festival and most things will get messy. For groceries like fruit, nuts, meat (if you have a stove), etc. look for discounted stores around your neighborhood. There are usually stores that have discounted food in local cities, so you just have to do a little research. BOOZE! I recommend shopping at Costco for booze. You’ll get the most bang for your buck there. Sometimes Walmart has some good prices too. The liquor stores themselves, I’ve found to be a little more expensive, but sometimes they have deals if you check their ads out.
Group shopping! Splitting the cost is always smart when festing together. & if there are items left over, divvy them up or drop things off at a homeless shelter. There are always ways to help and save.
Festival Ticket
Photo Taken By Henry Africano
Festival tickets are expensive as we know, but there are definitely ways you can save money on them.
Volunteer! Most festivals will have the option to have people volunteer for a day or a certain amount of hours and then have the other day free to watch the show. When looking at your next festival, email the support team or browse their website to see if they offer this option.
While it may not be the best option, waiting until last minute and buying them through a third party (via Craig’s List or a friend that can’t go last minute) can sometimes be cheaper than getting them first-hand when they go on sale.
If the festival you are attending does payment plans, sign up for it when it becomes available. You’ll want to keep a look out for this because there are sometimes only certain times you can sign up for this.
Overall, festivals are expensive.
This is something we, as festival goers, have to accept, but I hope these penny-pinching ideas help you at your next event.
And with the money saved, you’ll have more money to buy your next festival ticket…