So let's say there's someone that has run into a bit of a financial wall but refuses to miss Fest. He/she has enough money to travel, buy a ticket, and rent a hotel room and literally no extra spending money. Will he/she have a good time? No booze, no merch, no food.

GO! And show your work.

shave your hair off, sell it to a wig maker. hit the sperm bank. and maybe sell a kidney on the black market? or just eat bread and butter and scavenge for pizza crusts, drink something cheap out of the bad beer thread, and forget the merch, order it later online off no idea

Sounds like food would be your biggest issue. You're far more likely to find someone who's willing to house your for a few days than to feed you for the same amount of time.

Fest 2 my friends and I were all damn-near broke. We had enough money for gas and a lot of ramen noodles. It was still an awesome time though.

yeah, try to skimp on the lodging, booze, and merch. if you're coming to the Fest just to drink, that's probably a sign of bigger problems, and i would suggest scrapping your Fest plans altogether and seeking treatment.

i noticed some dude who had a thread, and was nice enough to offer up his yard for camping...that would save you some cash. otherwise, just eat cheap...a loaf of bread, and some cheap deli meat.

yeah, if you are really poor, don't get a hotel room, and use that money to eat instead. Just ask around and offer someone $10 to let you sleep on thier floor.

Last year I barely drank, and I think the only merch I bought was at the No Idea tent sale.

last resort: soup kitchens and dumpsters.

hang outside 5 star and ask someone for a slice of pizza.


merch is kinda weird at Fest. i would not want to lug around anything all day and still try to enjoy myself.


sell some blood and fluid. work some odd jobs.


skip out on the hotel or find people to pool money together to share a room.

yeah, what Chewy said.

Ilya and Mambo from San Fran came the past couple years and for Fest V I know they spent nearly nothing. We got them from the airport, gave them a place to stay and they volunteered for their passes. They were eating leftovers. However, I think Ilya dropped $400 at the No Idea Yard Sale...so, spend your money where you want to...the rest will figure it self out.

I actually went into a good amount of debt going to Fest last year, and only went down with $100... $50 of which was towards helping pay the room I was staying in.


I don't know how I did it, but I survived for the weekend on $50 spent on food only, didn't buy a single bit of merch. And I still had a blast. In regards to merch, I think this year if I buy any at all it would be at the No Idea yard sale only. I don't really buy band merch at fests, sucks to have to lug it around all weekend.

Also, I don't drink so that saved a lot on my end, and it wasn't torture.


It's possible to do.

i think the past Fests i've gone to (4-6) i've had maybe $400 tops each year and that covered the room, dinner (5 star, random places and bbq for lunch), a little bit of merch, and lots of booze. and gas. and the Fest pass.


i'm heavily considering making up koozies and trading them for beer and stuff. i figure i'll at least break even.

this year, i'm actually going to go to the no idea yard sale buy some stuff. i'm stoked.

yeah, the coozies would be cool, you could do like personalized fester screenname coozies. i'd drop a few bucks on one.

Ryan is taking reservations for camping on his lawn so there's always that. That'll free up some food money at least, or beer money.

Top idea.

I'd be down for one of those bad boys.

my budget looks sort of likes this-

Fest pass- $55
gas- $30
food- $60
beer- $30
merch- probably not more than $40, tops. porbably much less.

live cheap.

He would have to make a new printing screen for every single screen name. That's just not practical guys.

But maybe a Fest board coozie is in order.

koozies. ohhhhhhhhhhh. say it again.