Big Game Alternatives: Affordable Ways to Experience the Championship

If you’ve ever entertained the idea of attending Sunday’s Big Game, you’d better be ready to spend a pretty penny. Chances are you’ll end up forking over thousands of dollars on tickets, even if you’re willing to settle for the cheapest upper-deck seats. Not surprising, really. Over 150 million people worldwide watch the championship football game. Many dream of going to see it in person — especially if their team is playing.

 

But these special game-day tickets come at a hefty price; for two prime seats, you could pay over $13,000. And that’s without even considering airfare and a place to stay. That’s a lot for a three-hour game. Suppose instead, like most of us, that you watch the action from your couch. What else could you buy instead of those 50-yard line seats?

1. How many months of rent/mortgage could you pay?

 

The average monthly mortgage payment for a 30-year loan at 4% is $1,061. Instead of buying tickets to the Big Game, you could pay more than an entire year of your mortgage.

2. How many date nights could you plan?

 

Suppose you budget $150 for a night out with your significant other. Whether it’s dinner and a movie, a concert or a show, that’s just over 86 nights of fun. Would you be willing to give up this precious time with your significant other for a trip to the game?

3. How many Starbucks lattes could you buy?

 

The price of a Starbucks Grande Caffe Latte is $3.65. That’s over 3,561 lattes. If you gave up your morning caffeine fix every day for nine years and nine months, you’d save enough for two prime seats at Big Game.

4. Apple Watches?

 

Do you have your eye on the new Apple Watch? You could buy 23 of them.

5. Movies for your DVD/Blu-ray collection?

 

Let’s say the average DVD or Blu-ray costs around $10. That means you could add 1,300 movies to your collection. Good luck finding a place to store all that entertainment.

6. Packs of gum?

 

At $1.49 per pack, you could buy 8,724 packs of gum. That’s fresh breath for decades.

And that’s not all. Think of the TVs, computers, cars, or vacations this money could buy. $13,000 is a lot for just one night of fun. Put your money in perspective and you might be glad to enjoy the game from the comfort of your own home.