With the summer solstice here, it’s official – festival season is upon us.
And with more than 200,000 people heading to Glastonbury next week, it’s about time we start planning ahead for the slew of festivals that will be taking place this summer.
But although it’s warmer, brighter and more vibe-y, we’re still in the middle of a huge cost of living crisis.
Budgets are tight, purse strings are tightened and our bank balances seem emptier than ever before, but now a savings expert at hotukdeals has lifted the lid on how we can enjoy festival season without breaking the bank.
‘Thinking about money saving for festivals some of us have been waiting literal years to go to might feel a little like taking the fun out of it,’ says Vix Leyton from hotukdeals.
‘But it’s less about scrimping and more about making the most of your budget so the money you have is spent on having the best time.’
Vix adds: ‘While hefting cans to another town might feel like a faff, you’ll be happy you did it when you have that extra £20 for the T-shirt you want to commemorate it forever, or that last round of drinks at sunset on the last day.
‘There are loads of small things you can do to make sure you have the most money to play with to invest in the best memories.’
So, how can you save the pennies while still having a good time? We’ve got three of the very best tips for this summer’s festival season below…
How to save money while enjoying festival season
Book travel in advance
Festivals are known for being expensive.
Train fares, tents, spending money, outfits, emergency money and the tickets themselves – well, it all adds up.
Travelling is known for being by far the most costly part, aside from the event tickets, which is why being savvy when it comes to transport is a must.
‘Try booking train or coach tickets in advance so you can work out the cheapest times to travel and use railcards to save even more including getting a third off prices with either the 16-25 or 26-30 year old railcards,’ advises Vix.
‘You can also look at car sharing with friends or use festival forums and social media to find people travelling from the same area to try and cut costs.
‘Website BlaBlaCar also let’s you find empty seats with other people driving the same journey which can be a great way to save.’
Bring your own food and drink
Food stalls and trucks dominate any music festival – but these can be very expensive indeed.
A great way to save money is to take your own food for breakfast and lunch.
‘Think about what is the easiest to carry to the campsite and snacks that are ready to go such as breakfast bars, rolls, crisps, nuts and fruit,’ says Vix.
‘If you have a camp stove, warm food can also be an option including noodles and ready made pasta pots, which just need hot water.’
Vix also urges to make sure to check your allowances on food and drink before you go so you don’t have to leave any behind before entering and use the free water on offer with a refillable bottle rather than buying at the bars.
Get the best deals on the essentials
Making sure you get the best deals for all of those essentials is paramount, and can really help you save a big chunk of money.
‘If it’s been a few years since you last camped at a festival it’s a good idea to do a quick test run in the garden and check you have everything you need before you face any issues in the campsite and end up paying increased prices,’ suggests Vix.
‘For anything that might need a refresh, find the best deals out there by using price comparison sites and deal sharing communities such as hotukdeals where you can see exactly what is on offer.’
They also recommend chatting to friends you’re heading to the festival with about what you might be taking – so that you can split the costs and utilise things you might already have.
If you want more tips and tricks on saving money, as well as chat about cash and alerts on deals and discounts, join our Facebook Group, Money Pot.
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