A typical festival ticket costs £200 – then there’s the camping gear, food, drink and travel on top. Before you know it, a summer of love can turn into an autumn of debt that takes a year to pay off.
But there are ways to keep the impact on your pocket as light as the vibes, and these ones come courtesy of www.Promotionalcodes.org.uk.
- Set a budget
Set a daily budget for the festival and make sure you stick to it. Only take cash with you and avoid taking your bankcard, as it costs to withdraw money at festivals. Also, remember to set aside an emergency fund and hide it in a safe place in case your money gets stolen or you lose your bag.
- Wear a bum bag
Although you may find them questionable, they are the best things to take with you to festivals. They are great for keeping all your valuables in, and you can even sleep with it in your sleeping bag, to ensure nothing gets stolen.
- Don’t buy a programme
It can be tempting to pay for a festival programme, but they are usually majorly overpriced. By doing a bit of forward planning, you can save yourself a few pennies. Simply print off a copy of the line up and a map from the festival website before you leave.
Alternatively, if you’re taking your smartphone, download the festivals own app, as this will let you know what bands are on and when.
- Organise travel in advance
The earlier you book your travel, the cheaper it will be. After getting your festival ticket, book your coach or train ASAP.
If you’re driving, another great option is to car share with other people. Split the cost of petrol to cut your fuel cost, which gives you more money to spend at the festival.
- Research the rules on alcohol
Most festivals have restrictions on how much alcohol you can in with you. This is so they can make money on selling you drinks once you’re in.
It’s important to do your research before you go to the festival. Always make sure you know how much you’re allowed to take in with you, to avoid having all of your expensive booze confiscated on entering the site.
- Try volunteering
If you want to avoid paying for the festival ticket, why not try volunteering? Festivals are always on the lookout for volunteers to help with things like dishing out wristbands at the entrance, cleaning litter, selling programmes and watching the campsites.
In return you can get a ticket for free, and at some festivals they even give out free travel, accommodation and food.
- Recycle for freebies
Festivals are now striving to become greener, and nowadays a lot of them are giving out money or drinks in exchange for cup collecting.
At some festivals, take back your drinks cup and earn around 10p. If you go around collecting them, you can earn yourself the equivalent of a couple of free drinks. Perfect if you’re running low on money and booze.
- Bring your own food
One of the biggest costs at festivals is food. By preparing in advance you can save an absolute fortune. Take along some breakfast bars, sandwiches and lots of snacks, and dedicate just a bit of money to buying one big meal a day.
- Dig out your old phone
Smartphones at festivals are not a good idea. They cost a lot to replace and they will need to be constantly charged. Your portable charger probably won’t survive for the whole festival either, which means that you’ll end up paying for charging services whilst you’re there.
Dig out your old brick phone and use that for the weekend. It won’t matter if you lose it and the batteries in them will last all weekend.
- Don’t waste money on anything expensive
Festivals aren’t about luxury; so don’t spend hundreds of pounds on outfits or camping gear.
