Set and save your music festival budget | Smart Change: Personal Finance

Summer music festivals can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but the costs can easily cause a hole in any budget. If you decide to take the plunge this summer, here are a few ways to keep your festival spending in check.

One of the best ways to make the most of your money at a music festival is to take advantage of credit card rewards for purchasing entertainment. The right card can get you cash back on tickets, access to low-cost pre-sale tickets or free add-ons like food and lounge access. Some even have access to exclusive art performances and activities such as riding a Ferris wheel.

Travel credit cards can help you save on flights and hotels if you’re attending an out-of-town festival, and many offer rewards for car rentals and Uber rides, too.

If you’re not prepared for full days of walking and dancing – and strict rules about what’s allowed inside the festival gates – you may find yourself paying for unexpected necessities including food, water, and transportation.

Caitlin Gomez is a nursing student and festival enthusiast based in Irvine, California, and attends a multi-day music event nearly every month. Thanks to her dedication to these experiences, she learned to prepare in advance so as not to overspend within the festival. She recommends eating beforehand (and drinking, if that’s your cup of tea), and signing up for cars if possible. Pro tip: Many festivals have limited free parking if you arrive early enough to score a spot.

Her biggest cost saver, though, was buying “investment items that last for years and comply with festival rules,” like a backpack with a built-in hydration pack, sturdy shoes, and a portable charger. Events can charge an extra cost for on-site food ($17 to order Coachella chicken tenders), bottles of water and even phone charging access, so being ready to show keeps costs in check.

And a note about lodging: While some festivals, like Coachella, offer the option of camping for a price, others don’t. So if you need a hotel, shop and book early. Airbnbs often charge an additional fee of $100 or more on top of the booking price, so a shared hotel room may be the most cost-effective option.

Most festivals offer a few options to pay for your ticket. The first is to pay the full ticket price, which can vary depending on the time of purchase.

Festivals typically have several “tiers,” ranging from the lowest price for customers with pre-sale access, up to hundreds of extra dollars for tickets purchased within weeks of the event. Signing up for a presale, especially with exclusive access from the participating credit card company, can guarantee you the lowest possible price.

But if you don’t have the funds to cover an entire ticket at one time, an interest-free payment plan from the event company can make the cost easier. Although paying in installments may cost you a small fee, “there doesn’t seem to be a huge financial impact when you only pay a small portion each month,” Gomez says.

For example, a Coachella ticket can be purchased for $99, and the rest is paid out at about $44 a month for the next eight months.

Going to six festivals each year might seem pointless, but in the age of social media, that kind of dedication can pay off. Gomez and thousands of others have grown and invested in their online followers to fund their music festival habits, earning themselves free tickets and commissions in the process.

Create valuable content and partnerships will come,” says Adriana Ramos, a life coach in Austin, Texas, digital marketing consultant and maker of festival blog VibeWithAde.com. Ramos has spent years sharing her experiences and tips at festivals, which has helped her build a strong platform with a loyal audience on her website, YouTube and Instagram.

Due to its influence, event organizers and its affiliated brands have offered Ramos free tickets and the opportunity to receive a commission from ticket purchases from her followers in exchange for creating promotional content on social media. With some events and brands, you can apply directly to become an affiliate partner.

Individual content creators are an important source of marketing for big festival brands, so if you’re willing to invest the time, interacting with the online festival community can help you attend more events at a low cost.

Even with credit card rewards, advance planning and partnering with event brands, a music festival ticket can still be a serious investment.

“It’s okay not to go to a festival if it’s going to set you back financially — or if you can’t fully enjoy it,” Ramos says. “There will always be another one.”

This article was written by NerdWallet and originally published by the Associated Press.

The article originally appeared Set Your Music Festival Budget and Save on NerdWallet.