5 Tips For Saving Money On Entertainment This Summer

With summer fast approaching, you might be wondering what fun things you or your family can do within your budget. 

If you know the right places to look, there are plenty of ways to gain access to fun things you like to do for less money. Here are five tips for saving money on entertainment this summer.

Have A Staycation

If going on a longer vacation, either out of the country or on a cross-country road trip, is something you'd rather not spend your money on, then consider a staycation. 

There are likely some very fun and interesting places to discover within easy driving distance of your home. Many museums and amusement parks have discount days that you can take advantage of as well.

Visit The Library

If you love to read, going to the library can save you a lot of money instead of buying the hottest new beach read of the summer. 

Most libraries have summer reading programs for both adults and kids, which can be a lot of fun. Your local library doesn't only have books - they have movies and music as well for you to borrow.

Migrate To A Streaming Service

Why pay a massive amount for a cable package that you barely use? Most of your favorite TV shows are available for online streaming as soon as the next day on Hulu, and Amazon Prime and Netflix always have a large back catalog of movies and TV shows to watch. 

Streaming services cost a fraction of the price of a cable package: both Hulu and Netflix's cheapest options are $7.99 per month while Prime Video is $8.99 per month.

Shop For Deals

You can get used books, for example, very cheap online, from local used bookstores and from book sales at libraries. 

Many sites such as Pristine Sales sell deeply discounted DVD box sets so you can own your favorite shows at a fraction of the cost.

Be On The Lookout For Free Concerts

Many cities host occasional free concerts, and you can usually find a bar or restaurant that offers live musical entertainment if you're a music aficionado. 

This is a great way to discover new music acts you might come to truly love, and it's made very easy by various smartphone apps that find nearby concerts for you.

You don't have to give up doing the things you enjoy to save money on entertainment. Whether you're into movies, TV, books or music, there are ways to continue to enjoy the things you like to do for cheap or for free.

Save Money By Buying Your Tickets Online

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today the easiest and most convenient way to buy concert or sport tickets is to shop online. Shopping online for special event tickets saves you time and money because it allows you to compare prices. Almost two-thirds of all ticket buyers use the Internet to get their tickets. The convenience of buying online and having your tickets delivered by mail or having them printed on your home printer has become the norm.

Finding your tickets from online vendors still has its problem. Events can be sold out quickly. The secondary market buys up huge quantities looking to charge a premium. Still, bargains can be had with a little luck and strategy. But be prepared to do some aggressive shopping and to be astounded by the difference in prices so compare tickets for the same event.


To find a  good deal, wait until the week before the event. Ticket prices may drop daily and could fall below face value. However, selection decreases at the same time, so you might not be able to get the seat you want. If unsold VIP packages are released at the last minute, you might pick up a front-row seat a day or two before the event.

Be wary of sites that claim to offer discounts. Those generally exist only for less-popular events or for last-minute purchases. Rare bargains usually come from people who cannot use their tickets or brokers stuck with tickets they haven’t sold.

Here are two types of markets where tickets are sold: 

Primary Ticket Market - The primary market includes initial sale tickets sold from box offices, team or venue websites, and primary authorized resellers.


Pros

• First access to tickets
• Ability to get tickets at face value

Cons

• Tickets--especially for popular events--often sell out quickly
• High “convenience” and service fees
• Can't get a bargain (no tickets below face value)

Secondary Ticket Market - The secondary ticket market includes resale tickets in a variety of forms such as P2P selling, scalping, secondary ticket websites, and ticket search engines/aggregators.

Pros

• Vast inventories almost guarantee you can find the tickets you are looking for--even when they are sold out on the primary market
• The ability to find ticket deals well below face value

Cons

• Tickets are available first on the primary market
• There is price uncertainty because ticket prices fluctuate significantly on the secondary market; but savvy consumers can use price fluctuations to their advantage by buying when tickets prices are at their lowest

In the secondary market who are you dealing with? Most of the time it's the ticket owner acting as the broker or a ticket wholesaler that imported its inventory onto the site. That’s why you can find the same tickets advertised on several different Web sites. There are sites where fans buy and sell, they offer thousands of tickets that are owned by wholesalers as well as fans who are trying to unload their tickets.

Watch for fees when shopping for tickets. Some sites have a service charge along with the shipping or delivery fee. Some sites don't give you the fee total till it's time to use your credit card so read the fine print before spending your money. Tickets are nonrefundable so make sure you know the total price before you buy.