I love concerts and live music. If you didn’t know, now you know. I post often on Instagram at different shows and I get a few reactions often:
- OMG I love (insert artist name here)!
- Waittt. Where is (insert artist name) performing at?
- Where are you seated?
- How do you go to so many shows?
I can’t answer many of those questions, but I can tell you what tips and tricks I use to save and prepare for concert and festival season.
Who Do You Love?
I start concert planning by making a list of artists that I want to see or festivals that I want to attend. Put a number to it so that you can have an idea of where you want to be. When certain albums come out that I like, I assume that the artist will go on tour or join someone else’s tour within the next month of the album release. Some artists wait two to three weeks before releasing information on a tour but typically the information is quick so that they can capitalize on the hype of the newly released music.
For example, I knew that in 2018 Janelle Monae had a new album out and that I would want to see her perform. The visual album was amazing and I knew that I had to see her live.
I also have a ranked list of artists that I want to see perform live categorized by Must See, Would Like To See, Could See, and Have Seen. Try doing the same so that you can plan your dollars accordingly.

Start Saving Now for the Fun Later
Okay so now you know who you want to see or have an idea. The next thing is to put money aside for it. So how do you do that?
- Automate your savings, if you have it.
- Get a piggy bank.
- Limit your spending.
- Add a Friend or two or three.
Automate Your Savings. Create an account to automatically save a certain amount of money from each check that you get, even if it’s only $5-$20. There are apps that you can use to help save money such as Digit, Qapital, and Chime. I use Qapital to automate my savings and set rules for how I save money. I round up each dollar that I spend and save $5 each week. (Here’s my referral link so we can both get paid).
Get a Piggy Bank. Perhaps you don’t want to create another account? A Piggy Bank will work fine. It can be a cup, mason jar, or whatever object you prefer. The point of it is to physically save money, be it coins or bills. It might come in handy later. I try to take $5- $10 from each pay check and leave it in a jar so that when it’s time for me to grab my tickets, I have the money.
Limit Your Spending. If you know that you want to attend concerts, then you’ve got to curb your spending to free up cash. This means cooking at home more, getting rid of subscriptions that you aren’t using, and finding ways to stop spending money (even if it’s temporary).
Add a Friend or Two… or Three. If you’re going to a festival or concert that requires travel and lodging, save money by adding people. You can cut down on costs by using third party apps such as Hopper (to time your flights), Expedia (to book your flights and hotel), Air Bnb or Stay Alfred (to find a cheaper place to stay).
Leave a Reply