Looking to book a festival? Make the most out of your time there and save some money along the way with this handy tips…
Festivals are a fantastic way of soaking up sun, music and good vibes but without proper planning they can get chaotic. There’s nothing more inconvenient and incredibly expensive than having an emergency in the middle of a field! Here are some ways you can prepare and save pennies and still have the best festival experience. Shane Clifford, CEO of WonderBill, is an expert on how to make your money go further and he’s got some handy tips for Seen in the City.
Smart Saving
Tickets for festivals often go on sale months before the big weekend rolls around, so after you have parted with the entry fee use this extra time to stash away some extra spending money. Save where you can on everyday expenses, such as swapping your regular food shop for a cheaper store, or by managing your household bills better. Tools like WonderBill can help you keep on top of what you’re spending on bills like your mobile and broadband and offer switching recommendations for better value deals. Every little helps!
Be prepared
Putting together a solid festival kit is one of the most important steps to having an amazing time. The cheap and cheerful essential? Bin bags. You can use them for makeshift ponchos, clothes bags and rubbish, almost anything you need. Other bargain essential include a torch because getting lost at night is scary when there’s hundreds of tents around you. A good water bottle, a folding chair, wet wipes, earplugs, suncream and portable battery pack are also all very helpful. Mobile phone charging docks at festivals often charge a premium price!
Savvy supplies
Buying food at festivals can be incredibly expensive. A really easy was to save money is bringing your own supplies. Pack cheap travel-friendly essentials like cereal bars, apples and easy cook rice if you have a camp stove. Doing a round of the food stalls when at closing time can also net you some reduced bargains that would have been thrown away otherwise. Depending on the festival you might also be able to bring your own alcohol but it’s worth checking on the website so your pinot isn’t pinched at the gate.
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Leave the bling
Everyone knows a big part of festival life is the style! You might be tempted to bring along your best designer gear but it’s not worth the risk of losing it. Stay comfy in t shirts and shorts and a good pair of wellies. A simple trick is to layer your clothes so you’re equipped for any temperature, so raid charity shops for basics. It’s also a good idea to buy a cheap phone for festivals, something that’s got a long battery life and no frills. You’ll be thankful for not losing or smashing your expensive iPhone, or running out of juice when you need to find a friend.
Lend a hand
A lot of festivals will offer free tickets and food in exchange for volunteering! Some hours behind the bar or stewarding will give you the chance to see your favourite acts without the price tag. If you’re not willing to splash out for an expensive ticket, this can be a great way to earn your place and maybe even make some new friends!
Stay safe
There may be valuables you want to bring along like bank cards. You can keep your items on you in a bag, but anything larger you can hide in unusual places like the inner lining of your tent. However, If you’ve got insurance on items like cameras or phones, make sure keep them on you at all times, as your insurance company won’t cover you if they’re stolen from your tent. In terms of keeping yourself safe and healthy, it’s also a good idea to keep emergency money stored in your phone case or battery base in case of lost purses or wallets. Remember to arrange an emergency meeting spot with friends and keep topping up on SPF and water. Dehydration, sunburn or lost cash will really ruin your party mood.
Have you got festival money-saving tips you swear by? Or how to do a festival experience on a budget? Share your knowledge in the comments below!
This post is sponsored by WonderBill. Wonderbill is a new household bill management app, available to download from the App Store and Google Play. The app allows users to manage energy, water, multimedia (TV/Netflix etc), broadband and mobile bills, all in one place. A user provides their household bill information once, and then WonderBill does the hard work for them – users see a snapshot of household bill outgoings in an easy-to-use dashboard, plus the best deals tailored to their needs (based on household bill usage and offers available) helping them to save money.
