How to stick to a budget when enjoying summer concerts and sporting events

It’s a summer of fun for concert-goers and sports fans, as major festivals get under way, global music sensations wow UK crowds and football fever ramps up.

It’s also a time when people will be splashing the cash – analysis by Experian Economics estimates that the football European Championships in Germany and the Paris Olympics will see UK fans spend an additional £233 million over the next three months.

And that’s not to mention the “Swift lift” on spending, as Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour continues to excite fans.

Or perhaps Glastonbury 2024 has inspired you to get out and about for a summer of entertainment. Whatever music or sports event floats your boat, it pays to plan your budget and avoid being ripped off. Here are some tips:

1. Save on transport

Car sharing may be one way to save, if a group of you are attending the same event.

If you’re taking a flight, there may also be ways to reduce costs. Recent research from comparison service Skyscanner indicated that some football fans wanting to travel to Germany may be better off financially by flying to a destination close by and then using cheap car hire to drive there, rather than travelling direct.

When travelling by train, using railcards and splitting tickets for a journey rather than buying a ticket directly to a destination can pay off. Cashback websites may also help squeeze costs down further, for example, TopCashback and Quidco offer cashback on bookings using the Trainline website.

2. Don’t blow your budget

So that you don’t start eating into money for essentials, you could keep your entertainment budget in a separate “pot” or savings account in your banking app.

Even if you’re not physically at an event, you could still be at risk of draining your bank balance, such as if you’re buying rounds of drinks in a pub while watching a football match.

Social pressures can make it hard to budget. You could try the TikTok trend of “loud budgeting”, which is simply being vocal about your financial priorities.

You could consider inviting friends round to watch the match at home and asking everyone to bring drinks and snacks. Friends may appreciate it if they’re trying to be cost-conscious too.

3. Avoid ‘too good to be true’ ticket offers

Stick to official outlets to buy tickets. If someone is selling tickets for an event which has long been sold out, or the price is cheaper than expected, it could be a scam.

Paying by card or PayPal could give you added protection if something goes wrong, and if you pay by bank transfer it could be harder to get your money back.

Also if you’re staying over somewhere, be wary of fake ads for accommodation and pay close attention to reviews.

4. Protect your tech

Gadgets such as phones can be easily pick-pocketed in crowded areas or could become lost, so make sure devices are properly insured.

Hannah Davidson, senior underwriting manager at Aviva says many home policies offer a personal belongings add-on, covering items when they’re outside the home.

She explains: “Policies often have a ‘single item limit’ for personal belongings which means if a gadget or other valuable item such as your jewellery or watch, has a value above this limit, it should be listed separately on the policy to ensure it’s adequately covered.

“As a general rule, however, think about what counts as ‘essential’ and limit what you carry on you throughout the day. Thieves operate at anytime, anywhere and with Aviva data showing that the average summer holiday theft claim was £463 in 2023, it pays to be careful.”