How much cash does it take to have a really good festival?

[Hacky]

So, once the ticket is paid for, the clothing and camping gear bought and the transport organised. How much cold hard cash does everyone take to ensure they have a good festival? I'm normally Mr Economy Drive, but thinking of relaxing a bit more this year. Looking for a wide variety of opinions to see how much people feel delivers a good 5 days without breaking the bank but not being too greedy either.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I can't put a figure on it, but festivals, for me, tend to be quite expensive. The reason is that I have always bought shed loads of drugs, drink and fags for a festival. I think that I'd like a festival without those things, but not nearly as much as with them. Maybe if I restrained on that front I'd explore the food opportunities more at a festival. I know that I do miss out on some lovely food by carrying on the way that I do. Whatever way I look at it I think I'd have problems trying to do a festival on a shoe string.

[musky]

I think I shelled out around £250-300 last time round. That was with me taking 3 boxes of wine between 2 of us. Could easily have spent less by taking more of my own booze, maybe a bit of food for breakfast and something to brew a cuppa. I could of spent more as well, but as it was I didn't feel I was missing out or scrimping.

Worth visiting the Hare Krishna tent if you fancy saving the cost of a meal at any point.

[phil the shrew]

Don't really drink much now so save loads on buying booze in advance and at the bars, so tend to focus most of my spending on food

Love the variety there and allow £10 per meal and 3 meals a day, and try to eat at a different place each meal. Add an extra £15 or so for coffees and snacks during the day and few extras like a t shirt and festival costs about £200 for the 5 days

Edited March 21, 2017 by phil the shrew

[mandolin]

Every time I went before last year (from 2010 on with one miss and not counting the fallow year obviously) I went home with change from £200 having bought all food, a few cheapish souvenirs and the odd cocktail.  Last year I brought £200 with me but needed to get extra cash by Sunday evening.  I think that was ultimately down to the mud.  The thought of trekking back to fill the back pack up with my own booze often felt like too much of a pain so I bought far more from the bars (normally pints) than I would normally do and I ate a big meal pretty much every time I found somewhere to sit because I didn't know when I'd get the next opportunity - normally I snack while wandering but found that didn't work while having to watch every step.

[Sweet_pea]

Last year I spent around £190 during the time I was there. Certain 'supplies' were purchased in advance and I had enough vodka and cider to see me through. I ate once a day.

I had a whale of a time.

Sure. I could have spent a lot more buying stuff I didn't really need, or cocktails, or a years supply of mushroom truffles....

I wanted for nothing over the weekend. Apart from a bit of dry earth. OR better leg muscles...

[mjsell]

I tend to always take too much to festivals. I think I took 300 last time, worked out beforehand at around 60 pound a day for the main 4 days, with another 60 for the Wednesday and Monday combined. I normally come back with a bit though and never feel like I have to worry about not buying something I want. I am not someone who drinks really heavily throughout the day though, I'll have a fair amount of drink I bring with me and probably only buy a couple of cold pints during each day, and a few other drinks in the evenings. However, if I get a ticket for this year I wont be taking drugs for the nights like usual so that need for more drinks in the evenings will probably increase - and it will probably mean I'll eat more so might even take a bit more this time, just in case

[eFestivals]

14 hours ago, Hacky said:

How much cold hard cash does everyone take to ensure they have a good festival? 

about twenty quid's worth of MDMA, isn't it?

[dreadwing]

well I set aside £1500 for the whole shebang. That includes treats and a new tent

I plan on taking about £500, so a £100 a day. I like to eat (in general) at Glastonbury, so only take snacks, and I only take 1 or 2 crates and buy a few onsite.

This being my 4th year, i have usually taken this amount, and treat it like a little holiday.

However it really is personal preference, I know people that have gone with £20 for the whole 5 days and one of my mates took £800 but that was for him and his mrs.

Edited March 22, 2017 by dreadwing

[Smeble]

10 minutes ago, dreadwing said:

well I set aside £1500 for the whole shebang. That includes treats and a new tent

I plan on taking about £500, so a £100 a day. I like to eat (in general) at Glastonbury, so only take snacks, and I only take 1 or 2 crates and buy a few onsite.

This being my 4th year, i have usually taken this amount, and treat it like a little holiday.

However it really is personal preference, I know people that have gone with £20 for the whole 5 days and one of my mates took £800 but that was for him and his mrs.

Wowzers! Even with tickets, cv tickets, travel, food, booze, for 2 people I'm not sure I'd get even close to £1500

Edited March 22, 2017 by Smeble

[dreadwing]

4 minutes ago, Smeble said:

Wowzers! Even with tickets, cv tickets, travel, food, booze, for 2 people I'm not sure I'd get even close to £1500

I've set aside £1500, if I spend less then happy days. Street prices these days though....

[Tartan_Glasto]

Say £5 for a roll at breakfast Thurs-Mon. Two other meals at about £7 each day Weds-Sun Say about 8 pints at £4.50 (can't remember exactly how much they are) each day Weds-Sun. That's about £240.

Take some extra to drunkenly buy band t-shirts at the merch stalls.

About £300-350 should be plenty. 

I tend to take £300 and always come back with spare cause I tend to mostly just drink my own drink and lucky if I have one meal a meal a day while there!

[Mattty]

40 quid per day. BYOB

[Curlygirl]

I take my own spirits and take 350. Buy a few drinks each day and 2 meals, a couple of tshirts and I always bring back around 100. 

[BlueDaze]

We stay in the CV fields and drink our own Tues-weds...

go down to Bread and Roses for a few on Thursday.

2 meals a day, several cold ciders, take my own flavoured vodka for after dark so probably £60 per day..

 with a t-shirt and bits probably £250 over the week

[not worthy]

2 hours ago, Curlygirl said:

I take my own spirits and take 350. Buy a few drinks each day and 2 meals, a couple of tshirts and I always bring back around 100. 

this seems about spot on to me, that's a about my normal...gets much more expensive if you don't take any drinks with you though

[Curlygirl]

2 minutes ago, not worthy said:

this seems about spot on to me, that's a about my normal...gets much more expensive if you don't take any drinks with you though

Yes it does. I take 3 litre of cherry bakewell but I share it amongst new friends. I don't really get drunk these days as I prefer to enjoy the festival without stumbling around hungover! 

[simian_mobile_mushrooms]

22 hours ago, Hacky said:

So, once the ticket is paid for, the clothing and camping gear bought and the transport organised. How much cold hard cash does everyone take to ensure they have a good festival? I'm normally Mr Economy Drive, but thinking of relaxing a bit more this year. Looking for a wide variety of opinions to see how much people feel delivers a good 5 days without breaking the bank but not being too greedy either.

Normally I buy 5 bottles of middling strength liquor like lidl's cocobay rum or whatever it's called. Think it's 21% so it's not too strong - then buy a coke from the bar and drink half and top up half of it with the rum. From a 70 cl bottle, it saves me about 40-50 quid a bottle cos I'm only buying cokes which are about 2.50. I guess I drink about 8 of those a day, then add a few crisp ciders as a little treat. Food a day is max 20 quid as I don't eat three times, just two large-ish meals around noon and then again at about 8 with a few cereal bars inbetween. Reckon in total I spend about 50 on a normal day. Could go up to 80 on a hectic night out though, depending if my mates and I start smashing shots in the SE Corner. A few bowls of the Hare Krishna veg curry stuff keeps costs down for a small donation.
My general advice would be not to worry about it too much as it can put a bit of a dampner on things. Just try and enjoy it. If you end up spending an extra 50 or 70 quid over the entire fest, is it really that much to worry about?

[guypjfreak]

We've got a mate that we've paid his ticket so he'll give us that back plus bottle of vodka.. Then me and a mate save up all year and he gives me my split at festival as well.. Then as we tend to  take our groups tents and have camp sorted that's another 2 bottles of vodka and stuff. Then we will take about £200..

If we come home with dollars out of that we've done good but if anyone needs any dollar they'll have it and that goes for each in the group.. 

Its definitely good that we save up during the year makes it a lot easier and as I personally don't handle the dollar we know well def have it at the festival.. 

 

That was a very long winded way of saying that I save up and we spend about £600..lol

[LSF]

Took everything except food in with me last year so only spent about 30/40 each day, thats all you really need. You're never really going to spend more than that on food so I do think it's just about how much alcohol etc you take in with you. 

That being said if someone gave me £500 to spend over the course of the 5 days I could do that quite easily!

Edited March 23, 2017 by LSF

[grumpyhack]

If you take a fair bit of food and all your booze, smokes etc I reckon you can still do it on £200 and eat fairly well.  The expensive bits are buying ciggies on the site and if you get tempted to buy a bit of lovely craft work or clothing to take home.

[warriormonk]

Yeah you can easily spend under 200 cash spend per person on site and have a fab time, if you bring your own booze and snacks etc.  I always take a decentish rum (good enough to drink neat if necessary) and buy chilled bottles of coke as mixer on site.  Then I'll buy a few pints of hot mulled cider from the cider bus every day.  I'll have one big main meal in the evening and have snacks, cereal bars, waffles/donuts or the like throughout the day.  I rarely buy clothing/souvenirs/faux-hippy shit from the market place.   

But this year is going to be heavier on the wallet though as I am taking my 18 year-old son again who (on the experience of 2015) will require feeding approximately every hour!  We have a stove so I bring large numbers of those noodles from the Tesco international aisle for morning and night, loads of cereal bars and porridge that you just add water to.  Anything that weighs bugger all.  Hopefully I'll have enough cash left over before pay day at the end of the month...!

[Ollie9917]

I had a good time last year and only spent about £50?? 

Didn't buy any alcohol on site, bought it in or other means of having fun

Bought all food with me but still managed to buy food as eating sainsburys own brand noodles gets boring 3 days in..

 

Only did it this was as I was constrained by finance but it's definitely doable

[pie_and_a_pint]

I usually reckon on £200; I'm on the train this year so I'll add an extra £50 to make up for the fact that I won't be able to carry as much snacky food and drinks and I would if we were in the car.

[MetaKate]

Last year beforehand I purchased some vodka & snacks (£60) and other "treats" (£50) . Once I was there I only spent about £20 a day  on food...a couple drinks a day at £10... grand total of around £150 plus a shirt. Honestly couldn't have eaten more food if I wanted to. Brought £250 for saftey and brought just under £100 home with me. This year I will do around the same.  There's atms if you figure you need more.