Posted on October - 07 - 2010

Five frugal team spirit tips for football season

Guest Post: MonroeOnaBudget.com

Football fans who watch their entertainment budgets know about money-saving tricks for their favorite sport. They’ll wait for a favorite out-of-state team to play a nearby team to keep travel costs down, check out the options at all-you-can-eat seats, attend pre-season games at the National Football League level, and look for food and beverage specials at the sports bars.

And for those who just enjoy the game, regardless of the age level, it’s certainly cheaper to get tickets to the youth and high school games than to the college and pro ball games.

But the expenses that are really easy to go crazy on involve the fan attire and accessories.

Consider this tip from a frugal playbook: A football fan can be part of a frugal team and still be decked out for the occasion. Here are five frugal fashion and school spirit tips for football fans on a budget:

1. Beg for team shirts and sweatshirts. And I don’t think you will have to “beg” very hard. Let family and friends who buy gifts for you for birthdays and other occasions that you’d like some new team spirit wear, and what size shirt you wear. If the stores they shop at stock items for your favorite team, your suggestions might quickly be followed up on. After all, how many times have you wondered what to buy someone for a gift, and whether they’d like it, or wear it, or watch it?

2. Spend your money on fashion accessories rather than shirts. Fan gear that can last for several seasons is an excellent choice when you spend money at the team shop or concession stand. Look for items such as ball caps, winter hats, mittens, men’s ties, girls’ hair bands, earrings, party beads, pom-poms, coffee mugs, beer steins, camping chairs, stadium chairs and yard signs.

3. Stock up on the solid color shirts. You can find solid color T-shirts and sweatshirts at the discount stores, and sometimes at craft stores, for much cheaper than you will find the team licensed shirts. Be sure to get two or three solid tees in your favorite team colors. While you might be tempted to fabric paint or appliqué the team logo on such a shirt, you don’t have to. A solid shirt works very well as the foundation for other fashion accessories. This attire also is very flexible for the rest of the year. You can wear, for example, a green shirt to honor your favorite football team in the fall and the same green shirt on St. Patrick’s Day.

4. Shop at the fabric store. You can find college and pro team fabric designs at the craft and fabric stores during the fall. If you can’t find a sale price, you might still be able to use a craft store coupon on the fabric piece. You or a crafty friend can then create couch pillows, stadium sit-upons, a tote bag, a poncho, tablecloth for the tailgate table, hot pads and other fun things for the TV room or tailgate gear. If you want to show school spirit for a high school team that doesn’t have licensed fabric, or your team is on a regional basis, then pick out fleece or cotton in the appropriate solid color.

5. Look for school spirit in the makeup aisles. You will find that makeup sales, rebates and coupon offers are designed in such a way that you’ll get more makeup for your money rather than spend less money on the basics. So get creative with the 2-for-1 deals and the bundle purchases. Your “freebie” can be a school color makeup item to wear to the game or football party. Nail polish in particular is easy to find in a range of colors – including yellow, orange, green, purple, blue and even black.

Paula Wethington writes a frugal living blog aimed at a southeast Michigan audience at Monroe on a Budget http://www.monroeonabudget.com/, and is a reporter at The Monroe Evening News in Monroe, Mich. She will give sympathies to the Detroit Lions during football season except when the Cleveland Browns are involved.

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