My wife and I, along with a group of our friends, went to the Minnesota State Fair this past weekend. For those who don’t know the Minnesota State Fair is the largest state fair in the United States in terms of average daily attendance. Daily attendance can average anywhere from 100,000 people all the way up to 225,000 people or so. In other words there are a LOT of people at the fair.
If you’re a Minnesotan, or grew up in the area, going to the state fair is an annual tradition that really can’t be compared to anything. There is so much to do. There are the sideshow attractions (bearded lady anyone?), the amazing food around every corner, the rides, and thousands of vendors hawking their wares. There is so much to do that if you’re not careful, you can end up spending a lot of money.
Our Fair Costs – Broken Down
What can you spend money on? Let’s look at the things my wife and I bought and paid for while we were at the fair.
- Parking. $10
- 2 tickets. $20
- 2 orders of cheese curds at “The Mouth Trap” cheese curd stand. $8
- 2 large pop. $6
- Sweet Martha’s Bucket Of Cookies. $14
- 3 Beers. $15
- Cheeseburger $3
- Butterfly Building. $3
- Scrambler ride ticket. $5
- Tower of Terror ride ticket. $5
- Egg Rolls. $5
So our day at the fair cost in the neighborhood of $110-$120 because I’m sure I’m forgetting a pop here or a corn dog there. Unbelievable how quickly the money slips through your fingers. Oh well, it only comes once a year, and we budget for it – so it’s worth it!
Post Roundup
Here’s a few posts that I enjoyed this week. I hope you enjoy them as well!
- Learn Personal Finance from The Bible, not the Federal Government
- Self-Employment Tax And IRS Estimated Tax Payment
- Seven Blessings From Economic Weakness
- How Much Thought Do You Give To Giving?
- Stop Making Excuses for Financial Failures
- Should You Buy Disability Insurance?
- On The Road To Financial Independence
- Government Redistribution Of Wealth: Is It Right?
Have a great labor day weekend!
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
You could have saved $10 by using the free bus and parking provided around the metro – not to mention the stress of driving and parking at the fair. We had a great time. Did you try the Summit on a Stick?
crossn81´s last blog ..Book Review: Notes From the Tilt-a-Whirl
we checked a couple of the free parking lots, but they were packed full, and we didn’t want to wait around for spots to open up. I didn’t try the summit on a stick – was that a real thing?
Just think about going to the fair with kids and all the extra expenses! Then it can really add up fast. My head is swimming with all the future implications.
You need to have septuplets and get a TV show. Then everything will be free!
Pete, thanks for the mention – oh and can you send me some of those Cheese curds – they look good!
ChristianPF´s last blog ..Espresso Machines: A way for Starbucks addicts to save money!
I think the cheese curds might get a little soggy and unappetizing in the mail!
Hey man, like you said… as long as you’re budgeting for it and it’s something you enjoy doing together – then money is no object!
Great pics too!
Matt Jabs´s last blog ..Learn Personal Finance from The Bible, not the Federal Government
That’s what I figure, as long as we budget for it, and pay cash, we’re golden!
Thanks, all the pictures were taken at the fair, you can really see the crowds in the first one!
Yes, we have budgeted for our trip to the fair – and our four are under six years old. I don’t want to think about when they’re older and won’t be content to share the bag of cotton candy!
I’m sure the $15 of beer wasn’t strictly necessary…
nope, it wasn’t. strictly, i’m sure none of it was necessary.