For the 2026 AFC Championship game between the Broncos and Patriots in Denver on January 25, 2026, tickets are available from approximately $307 to over $1,000+ depending on seating. What they call VIVID seats are $30,000.
WHO has that kind of money to spend on a football game? Apparently 76,000 people do. Oh yeah, parking is about $50.00
I wonder if this counts as a emergency fund expenseđ
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My Friday old-man gathering is hosted by a fellow with $125 million in assets. He would go if he were interested in football, but he’s not. When he was younger and not as rich, he had very good subscription tickets to the Metropolitan Opera. If you are well-off, money is available for things you like, even if you’re cheap on everything else. I’d rather spend $10K on a painting than spend $10K on a bathroom renovation.
People make choices. I donât agree with some of their choices, but this is a relatively free society in which people can choose their lifestyle and indebtedness, with significant expenditures for âexperiencesâ including entertainment, education, transportation and travel. It does cost a lot to fly a family. American spent $1.036 Trillion on air travel in 2025. Average ticket prices were $543 in the first half of 2025. Our experience indicates that, excluding weather events, the airlines in the U.S. are generally booked.
The problem as I see it is fueling lifestyle with debt. âThe average American owed $63,300 in debt in Q3 2025â according to USA Facts. âOn average, auto loans and student loans currently make up 30.4% and 29.8% of non-mortgage debt, respectively. Educational debt more than tripled between 2003 and 2020, and it decreased 17.8% between 2020 and 2024.â
Auto loans are $19,243.20 for the average American. Student loans are $18,863.40 for the average American. Credit cars are $4,200.00 for the average American.
Paying the interest on these debts reduces available cash and potential savings. BTW, there are ongoing discussions at HD about the value, or lack thereof of budgeting and the role of credit scores. For example, student loan interests rates have APRs ranging from 2.7% to 14.8%. I’d prefer having a good credit score and lower APR on my loans, but that too is a personal choice.
I hear you and you a right about being free to make choices. However, those choices in the end should not lead to shifting any additional burden on others. Like bad debt, need for higher govt programs, etc.
The current price for âget inâ seats to the Super Bowl is $6,000-$8,000. Thatâs quite a price for an experience. Take your spouse and a child and the experience equals a down payment on a house. đ€
I could care less how wealthy one is but to pay these exorbitant fees does nothing to help your children as they think it’s the norm. Hopefully they will no better with time
I grew up in a tennis playing family. Last year we cruised the British Isles, ending up in London early July. I took a quick look at securing a couple tickets to Wimbledon. Wow! Instead, took a night cruise down the Thames.
The decision for me, a soccer fanatic, will be tickets to the World Cup this summer. I am looking out my deck window at the Seattle skyline, and if I had my binocs handy I could see the stadium where the games will be played. I know it’ll drive me nuts if the games are going on and I’m not there. But the prices are insane. $800 for the top corner of the stadium. $4500 for the good seats. Times 2 if I take my nephew. Crazy.
WHO has that kind of money to spend on a football game?
From what you have written here on HD, you obviously do. You just donât value spending money on a sporting event. Iâm sure that cruise you went on in 2020 (when you were trapped on the ship during COVID) was more than a couple of thousand, and at the time you booked it felt like it was worth it.
I have written several times about regretting spending many thousands of dollars going to what ended up being Tom Bradyâs last Super Bowl win with my son.
Is this different from the huge amounts folks paid to see Taylor Swift?
For her birthday, i bought my granddaughter 2 tickets to see Cardi B in Raleigh NCâ $24o each, For Christmas, I gave her parking to the eventâ $76!
No different at all. Why people enjoy making others a billionaire to be entertained is something I will never understand, but each to their own.
If a person is willing to to spend a $1,000 for an afternoon freezing in a crowded stadium have fun, just donât complain about the price of eggs and gasoline đ
Perhaps this makes no sense to most Humblers, but for some itâs a big deal. Your money, spend it how you want. Fantastic if you can impart a positive, possibly once-in-a -lifetime experience to your loved ones or others, in whatever form it may be.
We spend $1100 a month on our 11 grandchildren. We send it to their 529 college funds. Most donât know it, but now two in college understand. Hopefully the others will too someday.
Why consider event tickets and 529 contributions to be mutually exclusive? In addition to the concert tickets and parking, we put a match to the earnings from her very part time job in her Roth account. Her 529 is fully funded.
i think weâre very responsible spendersâ even if weâre willing to spend on fun occasionally.
Honestly canât say I know of anyone that gets excited about forking over more money for what seems like an uncontrolled yearly increase in healthcare premiums. On the flip side, if I never hit the deductible, Iâd call it a damn fine year.
I’ve recently shelled out over a $1000 for tickets to take my grandson to a soccer match later this year. I still have to buy flights and hotel accommodation… I’m notching it up as a one of memory he’ll have long after I’ve shuffled of this mortal coil.
I think the most important lens for viewing a one-off purchase is what percentage it represents of your total wealth. For example, if it’s 0.1% of your net worth, it’s barely worth the mental energy to deliberate over. If it’s 1%, you should probably think more delebritly before pulling the trigger. Everything’s relative to your level of wealth.
I wouldnât say Mark is rationalizing. I read a post from Nick Maggiuli some time back that made a similar argument but with more math đ Iâve tried to find it to share a link but gave up; maybe someone else is more persistent.
Why people enjoy making others a billionaire to be entertained is something I will never understand, but each to their own.
I think Kathy was referring to the same billionaires that you were, not the people buying the tickets.
Otherwise I agree with you, Dick. No way I’m paying that kind of money to attend a game, when I can watch it from the comfort of my vinyl resting place, (there’s a big TV up there as well). Not to mention, the beers are way cheaper at my house!
My Friday old-man gathering is hosted by a fellow with $125 million in assets. He would go if he were interested in football, but he’s not. When he was younger and not as rich, he had very good subscription tickets to the Metropolitan Opera.
If you are well-off, money is available for things you like, even if you’re cheap on everything else. I’d rather spend $10K on a painting than spend $10K on a bathroom renovation.
People make choices. I donât agree with some of their choices, but this is a relatively free society in which people can choose their lifestyle and indebtedness, with significant expenditures for âexperiencesâ including entertainment, education, transportation and travel. It does cost a lot to fly a family. American spent $1.036 Trillion on air travel in 2025. Average ticket prices were $543 in the first half of 2025. Our experience indicates that, excluding weather events, the airlines in the U.S. are generally booked.
The problem as I see it is fueling lifestyle with debt. âThe average American owed $63,300 in debt in Q3 2025â according to USA Facts. âOn average, auto loans and student loans currently make up 30.4% and 29.8% of non-mortgage debt, respectively. Educational debt more than tripled between 2003 and 2020, and it decreased 17.8% between 2020 and 2024.â
Auto loans are $19,243.20 for the average American.
Student loans are $18,863.40 for the average American.
Credit cars are $4,200.00 for the average American.
Paying the interest on these debts reduces available cash and potential savings. BTW, there are ongoing discussions at HD about the value, or lack thereof of budgeting and the role of credit scores. For example, student loan interests rates have APRs ranging from 2.7% to 14.8%. I’d prefer having a good credit score and lower APR on my loans, but that too is a personal choice.
I hear you and you a right about being free to make choices. However, those choices in the end should not lead to shifting any additional burden on others. Like bad debt, need for higher govt programs, etc.
The current price for âget inâ seats to the Super Bowl is $6,000-$8,000. Thatâs quite a price for an experience. Take your spouse and a child and the experience equals a down payment on a house. đ€
In some instances, these are bucket list items and create memories. Nothing wrong with that.
However, I think pro sports are getting so expensive the average fans has difficulty affording games.
But they donât seem to have trouble filling seats.
I could care less how wealthy one is but to pay these exorbitant fees does nothing to help your children as they think it’s the norm. Hopefully they will no better with time
I grew up in a tennis playing family. Last year we cruised the British Isles, ending up in London early July. I took a quick look at securing a couple tickets to Wimbledon. Wow! Instead, took a night cruise down the Thames.
The decision for me, a soccer fanatic, will be tickets to the World Cup this summer. I am looking out my deck window at the Seattle skyline, and if I had my binocs handy I could see the stadium where the games will be played. I know it’ll drive me nuts if the games are going on and I’m not there. But the prices are insane. $800 for the top corner of the stadium. $4500 for the good seats. Times 2 if I take my nephew. Crazy.
Maybe if you consider the game as costing less than a wedding, youâll feel better about buying the tickets.
Maybe spend $1000 on a good telescope đ
WHO has that kind of money to spend on a football game?
From what you have written here on HD, you obviously do. You just donât value spending money on a sporting event. Iâm sure that cruise you went on in 2020 (when you were trapped on the ship during COVID) was more than a couple of thousand, and at the time you booked it felt like it was worth it.
I have written several times about regretting spending many thousands of dollars going to what ended up being Tom Bradyâs last Super Bowl win with my son.
This economy is holding up rather well for a portion of the population.
I donât see this as much different than going to Disney World these daysâŠ. Chris
Anything is worth what the market will pay. Yep, it seems like a lot to me, but people choose to spend their hard earned on what they value.
Each to their own.
Is this different from the huge amounts folks paid to see Taylor Swift?
For her birthday, i bought my granddaughter 2 tickets to see Cardi B in Raleigh NCâ $24o each, For Christmas, I gave her parking to the eventâ $76!
You got a bargain
No different at all. Why people enjoy making others a billionaire to be entertained is something I will never understand, but each to their own.
If a person is willing to to spend a $1,000 for an afternoon freezing in a crowded stadium have fun, just donât complain about the price of eggs and gasoline đ
Perhaps this makes no sense to most Humblers, but for some itâs a big deal. Your money, spend it how you want. Fantastic if you can impart a positive, possibly once-in-a -lifetime experience to your loved ones or others, in whatever form it may be.
We spend $1100 a month on our 11 grandchildren. We send it to their 529 college funds. Most donât know it, but now two in college understand. Hopefully the others will too someday.
Why consider event tickets and 529 contributions to be mutually exclusive? In addition to the concert tickets and parking, we put a match to the earnings from her very part time job in her Roth account. Her 529 is fully funded.
i think weâre very responsible spendersâ even if weâre willing to spend on fun occasionally.
And probably not average income and net worth. For most people they are mutually exclusive I suspect.
Anybody is free to spend what they like. I add, what they can truly afford, but that is just me.
Truly afford means all retirement funding is maximized and no credit card debt at all as a minimum.
As I have said before, save first and sufficiently, no credit card balance at month end then spend as you like.
I bet many of these big spenders would complain loudly over a $1,000 deductible on the health insurance though. đđ€
Yes, doctors are boring, but the Super Bowl is the great!
Honestly canât say I know of anyone that gets excited about forking over more money for what seems like an uncontrolled yearly increase in healthcare premiums. On the flip side, if I never hit the deductible, Iâd call it a damn fine year.
You actually went a few days without criticizing others but I knew it wouldn’t last.
Glad I didnât disappoint. Wait until you read the next post.
I’ve recently shelled out over a $1000 for tickets to take my grandson to a soccer match later this year. I still have to buy flights and hotel accommodation… I’m notching it up as a one of memory he’ll have long after I’ve shuffled of this mortal coil.
You are going to be the coolest grandpa ever!
Totally agree with the spend. Some things are just worth it!
What happened to the frugal, live modestly HD retirees? đđ±
I think the most important lens for viewing a one-off purchase is what percentage it represents of your total wealth. For example, if it’s 0.1% of your net worth, it’s barely worth the mental energy to deliberate over. If it’s 1%, you should probably think more delebritly before pulling the trigger. Everything’s relative to your level of wealth.
Rationalizing always worksđ
I wouldnât say Mark is rationalizing. I read a post from Nick Maggiuli some time back that made a similar argument but with more math đ Iâve tried to find it to share a link but gave up; maybe someone else is more persistent.
Itâs pretty much intactâ but an occasional splurge is good.
And you wonder why people want to tax billionaires?
Iâm pretty sure the stadium is not filled with billionaires or even millionaires.
They are probably watching the game on a 85â tv snug and warm in one of their homes.
Why people enjoy making others a billionaire to be entertained is something I will never understand, but each to their own.
I think Kathy was referring to the same billionaires that you were, not the people buying the tickets.
Otherwise I agree with you, Dick. No way I’m paying that kind of money to attend a game, when I can watch it from the comfort of my vinyl resting place, (there’s a big TV up there as well). Not to mention, the beers are way cheaper at my house!
Spot on. Unless youâre in the, âI have to be seenâ, lifestyles, perhaps.