As we begin to enter further into the new year, some of the United States’ biggest events are starting to draw closer. For most sports fans, the title of top event is currently held by the NFL and Super Bowl Sunday. Each February, sports fans are treated to the annual clash between the NFL’s top teams for league supremacy. For one group of fans, this marks the start of a year-long entitlement of bragging rights. Many fans would give anything to attend the game that puts their team in the record books, but with tickets known to fall within the two to three thousand dollar range, many are left watching from home because of an inability to access this lofty sum in a short amount of time. Don’t let this be you! Here are some tips on how to pad your savings year round so that you are ready once the time comes for your team to play in the big game.
Automate Your Goal
It is easy to say you are going to put away a little money each month. When it comes to putting that idea into practice, though, many people fall short for a variety of reasons. Unexpected medical expenses, an extra trip to the bar, or an impromptu weekend getaway with the family all can drain your finances without you even realizing it. This is why you need to take the decision away from yourself before you are even faced with it. Start a savings account that is specifically intended for your Super Bowl fund. It is a simple process and many banks let you name your accounts as a little extra reminder of what this money is for. Once this account is open, simply set up an automatic transfer at the end of each month for a preset amount into this account and before you know it, you’ll be heading down to the stadium in February.
Fund Your Tickets Outside Your Paycheck
If you are not comfortable with artificially lowering your paycheck using the previous tip, then you may need to look to bring in more money from a side hustle. Creating another stream of income is extremely beneficial and since this money is outside of your regular monthly budget, you can funnel it directly to your ticket fund. For a ticket that costs around $3000, you need an additional $250 per month from your side hustle. This translates to about $60 a week, which provides you with endless options for additional work on the side. You can sell spare items or things found at garage sales on eBay, become a virtual bookkeeper or freelance writer if you have a specific skill-set and online familiarity, or you could even grab a part-time job at a local store. The additional hours may not seem appealing at first, but with this little extra work you can easily fund your admission to the biggest game of the year.
Eliminate a Few Expenses
Little expenses add up quickly. Going out to the movies or grabbing a burger every now and then doesn’t seem like a lot, but these seemingly minor expenses add up big over time. Just eating out instead of making meals at home costs Americans $232 a month. That right there is almost the amount you need to save per month to afford your ticket. By eating more meals at home, having friends over for a night in instead of going out to the bar, and finally cancelling that monthly membership you never use, you are almost guaranteed to free up enough money per month to put away toward your Super Bowl dream.
Saving money is hard. There are so many things that need to be taken care of in your daily life that it can seem almost impossible to get ahead with your savings. However, developing a plan and having a goal are the first steps toward putting yourself on the path of achieving your dream to see one of the most popular sporting events on the planet. The tips above are simple ways to get you started down the right path and create a financial plan that can be used for years to come.
