Take Me Out to the Budget-Friendly Ballgame

If you want to root for the home team but don't want to strike out on staying in budget, check out these ways to make attending your favorite sporting event a budget-friendly outing.

• Bring your own water. It's becoming increasingly common for event venues to allow attendees to bring in their own water, especially for those activities held during the hot summer months. Some require plastic water bottles to be sealed so they know there's only water inside, while others will allow empty refillable water bottles and provide bottle-filling stations. Either way, you can save a few bucks by not buying water inside the venue. Multiply that by the number of people in your party and you could have substantial savings.
  
  
• Research parking options in advance. Don't assume that you have to park onsite for a sports event, or that you need to drive at all. Often there are several opportunities to save on parking. For example:

• • Take public transportation, if available.
    
    
  • You may get a discount if you pay for parking in advance online.
    
    
  • If you know someone with season passes who's not attending the same game as you, you may be able to buy one-game parking passes from them for a lower cost.

• • Using a ride share service from your home, or hotel if traveling, could be cheaper than onsite parking (though expect prices to surge around gametime).
    
    
  • Restaurants or other places close to the stadium may allow you to park for free on premises if you enjoy a meal there before or after the game.
    
    
  • A nearby parking garage may offer an event rate that's less expensive than the stadium's price.

• Choose a game that's not over a mealtime. Full meals at sporting events tend to be pricey. By only purchasing snacks, you may save a good amount of money. If you're going to attend a game during lunch or dinner, look online to see if there are any meal bundles available to purchase at a discounted cost.
  
  
• Skip the souvenir shop. Expect prices on sports gear to be higher in the stadium's store than prices on similar items you may be able to find online. Avoid shopping there the day of the game as the excitement could convince you to make an unplanned purchase.
• Buy tickets in person. When you buy tickets online, you may often pay a hefty processing fee. Some venues allow you to buy tickets over the phone or in person at their ticket booths with no or low additional costs. If you have to buy tickets online, keep an eye out for discount codes or special offers from the team on days they're offering discounted ticket prices.
• Carefully consider "after the game" deals. Some venues will partner with restaurants or other nearby retailers to offer you a discount when you eat or shop there on the same day as the game (showing your ticket stub as proof). This can be tempting, but only take advantage of the offer if this was something you had already budgeted to do. In the end, saving 20% on a meal you didn't budget for is still costing you more than going home to eat.

Hit a Homerun with our Founder's Rewards Card

For the expenses you can't avoid, use a cash rewards credit card, like our Founder's Rewards Card. You can earn 2%* or 1.5% in cash rewards on purchases, leaving you with extra money in your pocket.

*You can earn 1.5% cash rewards on purchases. You can earn 2% cash rewards on purchases if you maintain a PSECU checking account and qualifying monthly direct deposit(s) of at least $500. See the Visa^® Founder's Card and Visa^® Alumni Rewards Card Rewards Program Terms and Conditions for full details.