Gameday food is one of the most expensive parts of the sports viewing experience.
Sports are one of the great sources of passion for people around the world, as people from all walks of life can band together to support their favorite teams and players. But being a fan of sports can also be expensive, depending on what your interests are and how they align with the prices of tickets and other sports-related items. Fortunately, there are some smart ways that sports fans can save some cash without making any sacrifices to their sports fandom.
Save on gameday food
Food isn’t something that many fans think of as one of the more expensive parts of the gameday experience, but the fact that it adds up so quickly can certainly turn it into something that puts a hole into any fan’s wallet. For just the Super Bowl alone, which is one week out of the season in just one sport, fans spend millions of dollars on their food selections alone. But saving on food throughout the season is a goal that is more than attainable.
A huge tip for those looking to save on their gameday menu is to understand who is going to be around on gameday. If a large group of people will be present, spending on food may be inevitable. But if you are sitting alone on the couch watching a day’s worth of games, it is unlikely that an expensive order is necessary, even if it sounds incredible. And, more often than not, cooking at home is likely to result in a lower food bill than going out or ordering in.
When buying food to cook a gameday meal, fans should take the advice of the coaches that they pay so much attention to and keep their eyes on the prize. It is no secret that grocery stores have their tricks to get people to spend more money and buy more food. Avoiding those temptations can not only lead to a healthier gameday spread, but can help save some cash as well.
Don’t go to as many games
It has never been more expensive to go to a sporting event than it is now, with the cost of attendance continuing to rise as teams come up with new ways to get fans to spend money in their venues. And while it is fun to get the best seats that you can and order whatever novelty food creation that the local teams are offering to their customers, doing so too often can put a real dent in anyone’s finances. As a result, cutting down on the number of games you go to could be the smartest possible decision.
Between the cost of tickets, souvenirs, snacks, beverages, parking, and getting to and from the park, limiting the number of times that you rack up those expenses can be a big boost to the overall financial health of a sports fan. Instead, spending very little money to eat at home and watch a game on television is the more prudent financial move. And while it may not feel like the best choice after just one game, making this change several times per year would eventually lead someone to feel the beneficial financial impact.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should be antisocial or completely cut this form of live entertainment out of your life. Instead, moderation is the key for those who want to get the most out of their sports fandom in person while saving some extra money that could go toward things that are much more important than sports.
Watching sports from home can save tons of money compared to going to a game
CAPTION: Watching sports from home can save tons of money compared to going to a game
Find alternative options to watch
Even when watching sports at home, things can get expensive. With all of the different television broadcast deals that different sports leagues have with different networks, just being able to keep up with the things that you care about the most can require a complex cable package. And with some of those cable packages can come hefty bills. But, through the evolution of various streaming services, it is now possible to get all of the sports viewing options that a fan wants without having to pay a ton.
By getting rid of a traditional cable package for a slimmer streaming service, sports fans can save by not having to pay for the channels that they don’t want to watch. Instead they can keep up with their college football game results forecasts and their favorite teams in other sports through more economical means. This is because fans don’t have to pay the same fees that are passed onto subscribers for other channels when these services are utilized.
Also, having fewer channels to wade through makes it easier to find the sporting events that you want to watch. While reality television and other options might be appealing to some, having to scroll through pages of that type of programming just to get to the game you want to watch is another annoying facet of cable subscriptions that would go away by streaming.
Save on gear when possible
Wearing your favorite team’s gear and representing them is something that many sports fans enjoy. But purchasing just a little less gear each year represents a significant savings that could make another noticeable difference in a fan’s account as time passes. With teams in sports like soccer releasing new jerseys every year, it can be tempting to want to purchase the updated looks that will be sported on the field. But resisting that temptation, even for just certain seasons, could put hundreds of dollars back into your coffers for other uses.
Another idea for those who do not want to go without their gear is to wait for items to go on clearance. Purchasing jerseys from previous seasons allows fans to continue to represent their favorite teams without having to worry about spending full price on those items. This may take a bit of bargain hunting, but the results are totally worth it when you find a great deal and can save the rest of the money that you would have otherwise spent.