Giveaway | Travel

Stretch Your Summer Festival Budget FAB Style! ($250 Card Giveaway)

June 22, 2015

There have been so many outdoor events and concerts happening all over North America that I haven’t been able to sit still very long.

And instead of letting any of them all pass me by I recently took my ‘pocket change’, that has been building up over the past few years, and dropped it into TD’s (free for clients) Coin Counter.

The result? A new budget to travel with! (And a sore shoulder from toting it all to the branch)…

But I’m frugal and always looking for a way to save a buck so I can stretch out my finances. The more I save, the more I can travel.

So to help you too, I’m going to share 6 tips & tricks that’ll help make your money last the longest!

#1 UberPool

article-2510573-1989848B00000578-881_634x424

Not every city has Uber service, but for those that do, UberPool allows you to book a car service and split the cost with your random back seat mates who are heading in the same direction.

Skip pricy parking and the long walk; get dropped right outside the entrance!

2. Stubhub

IMG_9925-0.JPG

Connect to wifi and take your chances.

This past Saturday, I ended up standing outside of Radio City in NY watching the prices fall on last minute concert tickets to see Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga.

With a little patience and luck, I scored a $400 orchestra level ticket for $100! And I still had money to buy a drink.

3. HotelTonight

boutique hotel

Outdoor concerts and I’m NOT camping.

Thankfully a friend recently introduced me to an app called HotelTonight.

Create an account, log on the morning of your stay and set your ‘how fancy am I’ parameters.

Hotels who are looking to dump their cushy rooms they’ve been hoarding will massively discount thier price last minute.

You can only book one night at a time, but often, the same hotel will come up the following night should you need to stay longer.

The upside of switching hotels? You’ll get to discover a new area and you can be assured your sheets are crisp & fresh.

4. Save for it!

Model in falling market

This is simple advice; start a secondary savings account and make payments to it like a bill.

A TFSA is the way to go so you don’t pay taxes on the interest. (TD has a some great online budgeting tools that can help guide you)

$50 works out to be $1300 in a year if you’re paid bi-weekly.

5. Volunteer

multi-ethnic volunteer group hands together

No matter how much I save, the money-well dries up now and again, then it’s time to ‘sing for my supper’!

Large events and festivals are always in need of great volunteers. And if you’re willing to lend a helping hand, you might be rewarded with a free ticket.

Not wanting to volunteer the day of the event? Think of your skills that might benefit the planners in advance and make them an offer.

#6 Know FAB!

FAB video

I’m always giving away passes and tickets for exciting events. But because I don’t always know ALL that’s happening, this time I’m giving away cash!

That’s right! My friends at TD Canada Trust were so excited to hear what I was saving all my coins for that they told me they wanted to share the summer love!

Now with so many great events this summer, I want to make sure I don’t miss any… So comment below and tell me what you’re most looking forward to this summer and I’ll randomly pick 1 comment to award a $250 prepaid card to!

It’s that simple!

Hope some of these tips (and a possible windfall) will help ease your financial summer cost and allow you to stretch your dollar, Fab style!

See you out there!

Mr. Fab tips & tricks

Tweet
Share
Pin

  2. I’m looking forward to eating my weight in mini doughnuts AND paying off my credit card bill(thanks to my stampede employment)!

  4. My gosh this summer is filled with fun events! With a wedding coming up this fall I need to save all my pennies! This summer is filled with birthdays, camping trips, mountain getaways, girls weekend, local festivals and just enjoying the nice weather.

  5. I am most excited for Market Collective in July! You can’t beat browsing the works of awesome local artists while enjoying a Village brew, on the banks of the Bow River. It can’t come soon enough 🙂

  6. I’m looking forward to hitting up some awesoms summer concerts. When the travel budget is low it’s always a go to for a fun night out to remember.

  8. Being an old lady I am most looking forward to Silverwood and baseball games with my kids. Thanks for the tip on hotel tonight. Totally gonna check it out.

  9. I’m looking forward to playing a few rounds of golf! (and a few more if I win your contest!)

  11. I love festivals! Can’t wait for Chasing Summer here in calgary! Thanks for the $$$ saving tips!

  12. Looking forward to Diner en Blanc and Packwood Grand! Love a good theme party!

  13. I’m looking forward to Rock the Shoes here in Victoria BC!!! Thanks so much for the chance!

  15. Well Mr. Fab, $250’ll go a long way to help me enjoy my summer! Being cheap has nuthin’ to do with it; I just simply don’t have spare change/money so I’m chillin’ on my patio all summer long and drinking beers. Cocktails. Anything. And of course, you’re welcome anytime.

  18. These are great tips, I’ll definitely check out HotelTonight!

    Shakespeare by the Bow (formerly “in the Park”) is always a summer highlight for me! It runs all summer long in a beautiful outdoor location, and is pay what you will. Pair it with a blanket and a picnic basket for a perfect summer evening!

    Awesome contest, really hope I win!

  19. I’m most looking forward to taking local day trips and visiting with family who will be coming from across Canada.

  20. Thanks for all the fab tips and tricks! I didn’t know about HotelTonight but I’ll definitely be checking out that app!

    I’m most looking forward to GlobalFest this summer! I love fireworks! I’m also planning on going on a road trip to Vancouver and some extra cash would go a long way. Fingers crossed!

  21. I am looking forward to a week of holidays in early July. One of my best friends has time off as well and we are going to get up to an Okanagan wine tour. Hoping to maybe camp some more and explore some places I have never been to before this summer.

  22. I love everything about summer but I am most looking forward to our Mediterranean cruise at the end of August for my husband’s 30th Birthday! Neither one of us have been to Europe or on a cruise before and we can hardly contain our excitement!! Travel tips anyone!?

  23. I love everything about summer but I am mostly looking forward to our Mediterranean cruise at the end of August for my husband’s 30th Birthday! Neither one of us have ever been to Europe or on a cruise so we can hardly contain our excitement!! Travel tips anyone?!

  24. Happy Summertime Mr. Fab,
    I am looking forward to a camping trip with my amazing fashionable talented grandchildren. Playing old fashion games, like marbles & jacks, checkers and go fish cards! Extra money would be used to spoil the grandchildren! Have a great summer!!

  26. I am looking forward to spendin some quality time with a few friends to celebrate kicking cancer’s butt ( a dear friend is undergoing chemo). And one day of folk festing too. a little extra money would help create a little more fun this summer to be sure!

  27. I am most looking forward to some long weekends in the White Mountains of Arizona. The Tucson temps have been 110-degrees plus lately. I’m melllltttinnnggg.

  28. I’m extremely excited to go down this summer for a few days and camp/hike GNP. I’m a year round hiker out here in the Rockies , so it’ll be exciting to try new hiking trails with friends. It’s not that far from Calgary, cheap to camp and I’ll be with friends that share the same hiking passion as me.

  29. I’m most looking forward to the Calgary Folk Fest! I always discover new artists and it’s always a good time! A little extra money would make such a big difference! Thanks!

  30. I got laid off from my job last month and decided to take the summer off before looking for a job. I get to spend the whole summer with my son! I plan on taking him to the zoo, the museum, hanging out at the forks and I have never been to the local fringe festival, would love to check out a few events there. A $250.00 prepaid card would sure help out with all of that! Thanks for the chance

  33. Most excited for a trip to the Kootenays and then head to Whitefish for some biking/hiking/boating/ summer-ing. Thanks for the tips above!

Looking forward to reading your comments!