Ask the Readers: Do You Go to Sporting Events?
Editor's Note: Congratulations to Kelly, Jennifer, and Finance Advice for Young Professionals for winning this week's contest!
Most people are a fan of at least one sport or team. Whether it's your college football team or your favorite NBA team, chances are you watch your team play from time to time. You may even splurge and attend sporting events every once in awhile! However, the cost of attending games may deter you from buying tickets.
Do you go to sporting events? If so, how do you save on tickets? Do you use eBay? Craigslist? Ticketmaster? Or do you opt to stay in to watch the big game?
Tell us if you go to sporting events and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
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Yes, we take our family to an NHL game once a season. We love the atmosphere and the excitement of a live game supporting our home team. We can afford this by watching for the family 4-pack specials that are offered for some games. For $99, you get 4 tickets, 4 hotdogs and 4 drinks. The seats are up high but with the the jumbo trons you can see everything.
We do not go to any games or events for sports. Not big fans of most sports, but even so, if we were, the cost to attend a game is costly for a family of four and it just would not fit into our budget. For the Super Bowl we go to a friend's house and bring a dish for potluck. We like to watch that game with the group, but we go mostly for the social interaction with everyone there.
I enjoy watching and attending Cincinnati Reds games but live on disability so have to watch my budget. Select games are 50% off for seniors over 60. I found some other aficionados from church so we carpooled and shared expenses. I abstained from buying any $8 beer and bought myself a 6 pack of imported beer when I got home; for $8. We had great fun and got to know each other
I'll very rarely attend sporting events, and when I do, it's either because a group from work or group of friends has planned an outing or because someone has given us free tickets. On just a very few occasions we've bought tickets ourselves, but we always bring our own sandwiches and sit in the cheap seats.
I go to high school football games. Small town Texas, ya know. :)
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long-time Facebook fan
No, I don't go to sporting events.
I use craigslist to buy some tickets. Ticket packages are also a good way of getting tickets for the family.
Very rarely do we go to sporting events. My son and I went to a Nascar race last year, but the tickets were under $25 a person, so we figured the experience was worth that much. We haven't been to any major sporting events besides this, but one of our "to-do" things with our children is to someday see a Bears game at Soldier Field. That will be worth it! But it is definitely a "we have to save a bunch so we can do this" kind of outing. It's a 6 hour drive to Chicago, not something you can do in one day.
We do -- and we're lucky enough to have friends and family with tickets to spare! But we also enjoy hitting up college sporting events... Other than football, the tickets are really reasonably priced -- anywhere from $5 to $15 for baseball, volleyball, etc.
I am a season ticket member for the Oklahoma City Thunder. I am only allowed to spend my "blow" money on them, and I have the cheapest tickets available. For under $1,000 a year, I get 40+ games (in most years) and first option on playoff tickets. I save my money all year to pay for next years tickets, and it is always paid with cash. Well worth it. I would never be able to go if I had to rely on the secondary market for tickets.
I was very happy the Thunder beat the Mavs. I hope you got to go to a game! :)
Yes, I go to sporting events! I try to get tickets from work at a discount. When I can't do that I use seat geek to find the best tickets at the cheapest prices!!!
absolutely, In Milwaukee the Brewers offer great deals to go to games... I can usually get an alight ticket for $20, and if I really need a ticket cheap they offer $10 and $1 obstructed view tickets the day of the game... plus the brewers are always having some sort of promotion to get cheap tickets! I will usually stop down at the ticket window a few days before the game to get the tickets and save money on service fees and other bs, so the face value of the ticket is the cost (ticket master and stub hub are known for adding bs fees, but sometimes you can find a good deal on stub hub) If I'm going to the game only 1 friend, We will go to one of the bars near the field, drink and eat there, and get bussed to the game from the bar for free... (total cost of parking is sometimes only the cost of a beer) If its a group, we go for the general parking area rather then preferred (a $5- $10 difference), and tailgate before the game
I go to a lot of sporting events: Local junior high and high school football, basketball, wrestling and track meets. That's it! But I live in a very rural area - 50 miles to the closest university, 140 miles to the closest amateur events and a long 5 hr drive one way to the nearest pro sporting team headquarters. We've driven that 5 hrs once with the kids to attend a pro baseball game with free tickets from my dh's work.
I don't go to sporting events often but when I do I definitely use Ticketmaster. In my opinion, its much easier to get my money back than say from Craigslist and eBay :)
Baseball is our spectator sport of choice. It's the most affordable of the professional sports. The SF Giants are our team. We used to go to minor league games (San Jose Giants) three or four times a season and we'd sometimes get to see a major league player doing rehab. Then we would go to two major league games as a splurge. To save money we would bring in food and plastic bottles of water. (I don't know if that's still allowed.) The kids would have a set amount that they could spend on a snack treat. Now that the kids are grown, we enjoy settling in with beer and popcorn in front of the TV.
Sometimes if we can find a great promotional deal or a military discount. Not something that we can afford to do on a constant basisEB
Yes, I love going to watch the Memphis Grizzlies play!
Yes! Love going to FC Dallas games, Texas Rangers baseball and more! I have been fortunate to find great deals on FC Dallas games on Groupon. Other tickets, I search the internet for discount codes.
I do NOT go to sporting events - never have. Just no interested in especially football which s so prevalent in the Southeast!
Madelyn Magruder
I used to go to sporting events before I had real bills. In my area, it is very expensive. On top of outragously priced tickets, it's expensive to even park your car.
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best seats in the house are free. I stay home where I get good food, a clean bathroom and instant replay.
peg Mooers michaud
Very rarely do I go to sporting events. When I do, it's either for college basketball or the local minor league baseball team.
https://twitter.com/#!/hardyryanj/status/199904769857429504
I love minor league baseball and our local team runs plenty of ticket/event specials that I take advantage of!
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Occasionally--i use tiqiq.
Commented and liked on Facbook! :)
Only if my son is playing in the event.
yes I do, but we usually buy them from friends, go to minor league games, or go to college games. cheaper and much more fun. i don't support the NFL at all though. they have become too ridiculous with their prices.
Not really -- I like sports enough, but if I go to a game, it's never my idea.
No. Too expensive and Texas summers are way too hot for outdoor events.
I haven't attended a sporting event in a while though I used to all the time.
No, I don't go to sporting events. Too crowded, too expensive, too much drinking, too much of a hassle to park.
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I watch sports on TV
I go to sporting events, when someone buys my ticket!
That's the best way to go!
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https://twitter.com/#!/missluckybreaks/status/199946271371440128
I am a homer, I love all of my home teams and I go to lots of sporting events. I live in Milwaukee so naturally I go to Milwaukee Brewer games. I bought a 10 +1 ticket pack this year and there is nothing like going to the ball park, having a hot dog and taking in a game. When I say nothing, that is until Green Bay Packers season. I have season tickets for the Packers. I try to make it to every home game and usually go to one away game. This year planning to go to Indianapolis. I still get chills going into Lambeau Field. If you hate the Packers but enjoy football, go there, you can smell and taste the history of the NFL as soon as you walk in the door.
I don't go to sporting events often.
I sometimes attend local sporting events and have attended college games and sporting events out of the area on occasion.
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We rarely go to professional sporting events, due to the cost. When my sons were younger, we'd go with Scouts or their sports teams when cheap group packages were available. When they were in high school, we attended the high school events, including the Championship games. Sometimes the boys are invited to go with friends when their families have extra tickets, but otherwise we just don't do this.
I love going to baseball games. Instead of going to major league games we often go to minor league games. Great fun for kids and the tickets are only $8. You'd be suprised at how nice some of the ball parks are. We love the Toledo MudHens!!
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In general, no. Our household is not into sports. Our area does not even have a football team or anything other than a minor league baseball team . I guess we could watch automotive racing but other than that college football is as good as it gets here.
WE usually do not attend sporting events
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My husband and I often go to sporting events. I enjoy watching them in person much more than on the television.
It's definitely more fun to be at the game with all the other fans!
As a HUGE baseball fan, I am fortunate enough to live a little over an hour from Pittsburgh...yet only 45 minutes from Altoona.
The difference? Big money...I can head to Altoona and catch a minor league (AA) baseball game for a fraction of the price! It is great that they happen to be a minor league affiliate for the Pirates, but it is professional baseball...and a great environment.
We do not attend sporting events because we are not sports fans.
Once a year, local minor league ballbark 9 bucks a ticket.
As St. Louis locals who live a few blocks from Busch Stadium, my girlfriend and I frequently go to Cardinals games. The tickets can be a little pricey at times--even for what would usually be considered cheap seats--but we usually keep an eye on StubHub and buy only when we can find a good deal. By doing that we can save money with out sacrificing quality.
I tweeted my answer: https://twitter.com/#!/kroshey/status/200047547375554561
once in a long while but only when tickets are cheap.
tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/oshkoshbgosh123/status/200083065295470592
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I only go to sporting events when my friends offer their "extra" tickets--they're usually bigger fans and season ticket-holders, which means a free ticket is up for grabs sometimes.
I use to go often. I started with college football and pro baseball, eventually added pro hockey. Then I took a good look at how much money my (state) university spent on football compared to what the state (where primary and secondary education ranks very low nationally) spent on education overall and became disgusted with college sports in particular, and all paid sports in general. Now I see it as a big waste of money.
I don't go to games as tickets are expensive. But I watch on tv.
I'd rather watch paint dry. Or grass grow. Or go scrub my toilet. Or pretty much anything else, for that matter, than watch organised sport - especially the overpaid "professionals" who spend more time beating each other up than playing whatever sport they're supposed to be playing.
But each to their own.
Not really a big enough sports fan to go in person, which adds up to really big savings on tickets for us!
Neither my husband nor I are sports enthusiasts (of any sport) so we tend not to attend events. However, that has made us popular with friends who have kids because we will play with/watch the kids while our friends go to or watch the game :)
I tend to watch most games on TV but I do go to a few games throughout the season for the local Hockey team. I buy my ticket through ticketmaster exchange and buy resell tickets.
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The only sporting events that we go to are the ones that involved someone we know so that's not many, not often, and not expensive.
My husband's sport interests are golf and auto racing so most sports spectating is done on the TV.
I love the picture on this post because I am a UT alum. I don't go to many sporting events anymore but when I was a student at UT I used to go to the football games and a few basketball games.
My husband and I usually just watch basketball, football, and soccer games on TV because tickets and concessions are so expensive, but we've gotten lucky and have been gifted tickets to a Clippers game and two Dodgers games before. When we do get to go, we really enjoy it! We'd definitely go more often if we had more spending money.
My husband and I love going to Washington Capitals games in DC. We're lucky enough to be able to use the military discount (he is in the Air Force) so we can save money. We also make sure to eat before we go to avoid the pricey food options at the stadium.
I occasionally go to sporting events, but not very often. Sometimes we get free tickets from my husband's work, and that is usually when we go.
We are a sports loving fmaily and have found numerous ways to save on tickets and the whole experience. We do look on Stubhub for cheap tickets and the very best tip I have for food is this-
We will take a package of all beef hot dogs and grill them at home. I would then place them in a thermos to keep them warm. I threw those hot dogs and a package of buns into a bag and carried them into Coors Field. Once inside we would use the condiment stand and load up the hot dogs for a real ballpark experience. For the cost of one hot dog bought inside the park, I could feed the whole family.
I've discovered minor league baseball! The stadiums are much smaller, so you're close to the action. The tickets are much cheaper; $10 for the best seats in the house. And since it's a AAA team, the action is still pretty good.
No, I don't go to sporting events. The only sport I watch is NFL, and I watch those games on TV.
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Yes, we especially like to go hockey games and baseball games when our favorite teams play our local teams. To save money we typically only go a couple times each year. We would love to go more often.
I'm almost completely uninterested in watching sports. If I watch anything, I watch it on TV.
I go to sporting events, but I am required to for my job! captainliss40(at)gmail(dot)com
Very rarely. I have no taste for crowds, tickets are expensive, concessions are outrageous. and the best view is infron of the TV. The exception is golf - I volunteer as a marshal once a season, and there are no crowds inside the ropes. There's nothing like hearing the swoosh of a pro-speed swing, and I've picked up some good lessons just watching the players and their caddies.
Nope. There aren't many sports venues barring Nascar in our area(we don't have a pro football or baseball team either just minor league), so we really don't watch sports.
Watch basketball at home. It helps saves a whole lot of money!
https://twitter.com/#!/achau77/status/200694062188208128
I like to purchase discounted tickets from scorebig.com which includes free shipping. I only go to a few games a year. It is usually cheaper to go to weeknight games. Sometimes teams have discounted tickets by offering some kind of promotion. Last year the Mets allowed you to buy discounted tickets for certain games if you were willing to donate at least $1 to McDonalds charity. Buying tickets in person is sometimes cheaper since you can avoid paying fees. Late in the season if the team is bad people are more willing to unload their tickets below face value. You can use seatgeek.com to compare ticket prices.
I don't feel the need to go to sporting events anymore! Too damn expensive. I have a nice tv in my living room, a comfortable couch, and good food. Why would I leave? haha
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No, I don't go to sporting events. My husband has, though, as a guest with other people who have bought tickets to sports games.
Mostly, I go to my son's games -- that's enough for me! My husband has a once-a-year bus trip to see the Philles, though. Once of his co-worker friends gets the tickets, and they go and have fun -- food included! :)
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Yes we go to games that are local, school related, and/or minor league related to save money. Going on family nights and nights when they have deals like Thursday saves money as well.
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You can tell that those who read personal finance blogs don't seem to be very representative of the country at large haha. I love sports in each and every way possible and will travel across the country to see my teams. In my personal opinion, going to see a Michigan Wolverines football game is the most fun you can have on earth, and I will go to a good game whenever possible. I live int he DC area and Nationals games are also pretty fun, and I will go to any other sporting event that I receive free tickets for of course haha.
Tweeted my answer. https://twitter.com/#!/GoodEnuf4Oats/status/201059498180349955
I've gotten free tickets from work to baseball and football games and been given gifts to games for birthdays or Christmas, but if it's my own money, I only go to minor league baseball games. I'm not the biggest baseball fan, but it's fun to sit so close to the game, to take my daughters who usually get a free baseball, free goodies at the gate and generally enjoy the outdoors. I can get great seats for $10 each, with no extravagant service charge like Ticketmaster.
These days I probably go to 1 or 2 baseball games a year, and I rarely buy any stadium food. I never buy souvernirs there. So it isn't TOO expensive.
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Tweeted response:
https://twitter.com/#!/KelRo1/status/201064703756214272
I've been to a few sporting events. I particularly enjoy high school or college basketball games. Very seldom have I been to professional sporting events because the ticket costs are too high. Once, as a kid, I went to Fenway Park and saw Ted Williams bat, then years later I attended another game at Fenway. I sat in the cheapest bleachers. It was fun.
In rural Wyoming, high school sports are the big thing to attend. I try to make it down to Denver once every summer to take in a Colorado Rockies game, but it's a ten hour drive one way!