It’s Baseball Season! Best Ways to Save at the Ballpark

Parking at the ballpark can cost anywhere from $10 to $50. You can often avoid that expense by parking several blocks away and walking. Depending on where the ballpark is, you might even find a free place to park. 

If you’re seeing a game in a large city like New York or Chicago where it’s difficult to find affordable parking, consider using public transportation instead of driving. A bus ticket usually costs less than a parking spot in crowded cities.

Ballparks know that a lot of fans have difficulty attending games during the week. With work and family responsibilities, you can find dozens of reasons not to go from Monday to Thursday.

However, many ballparks use lower prices to make weekday games more attractive. Tickets to a weekend MLB game can cost anywhere from $25 to upwards of $200. By seeing a game during the week, you can potentially pay half as much, plus a day out of the office never hurt anyone.

Often times you can get better deals through third party vendors, especially if you can wait until the day of the game. Vendors want their tickets gone so they will lower prices closer to game time, and you can often score those seats behind home plate at a fraction of the price when buying last-minute. However, you won’t score a deal when buying at the box office, even day of. When buying third party make sure you so go through a reputable online retailer.

A club box or field box can easily cost $100 or more. Sitting in an upper section, however, can cost as little as $15. While you won’t get an up-close view of the game by sitting in the cheap section, you will save a lot of money. Or see if your team offers standing room only; this is a great way to get into a game without paying much at all, plus it gives you the freedom to move about and take in the game from multiple places. Even better, go through cheap sites such as, Ticket Liquidator or SeatGeek.com to find tickets even cheaper. 

Like movie theaters, baseball parks charge high prices for their concessions. You can expect to spend at least $6 for a hot dog, and a beer usually costs about $8-$12. It doesn’t take long before you’ve spent $50 or more on food and drinks.

Eating before the game is a good way to curb your appetite so you aren’t tempted to spend money on ballpark concessions. You can eat at home or go to a nearby restaurant. Either way, you’ll spend less money than you would at the ballpark.

Don’t let high prices prevent you from watching baseball this summer. Following these tips will make your excursion more affordable.