How much money do you spend on faire?

[Valiss]

Try to include how many faires you do (or maybe how many weekends) per year.

Now that my character is pretty set in terms of garb, I dont spend too much on stuff that I need, just stuff I want.
But in the heyday of building up my garb and equipment, along with aquiring various camping supplies, I probably spent $500/year on faire. Though I guess if I throw in gas, food and the occational hotel, it could be higher. I probably go to 2 or 3 faires per year (though there are enough faires in this states to do 20 faires a year) so I dont think that's too much money.

[Taffy Saltwater]

Please don't make me examine my conscience on this one.  I'm guessing about $800 (more?) per year for local fair - TRF; plus maybe $5-6 hundred for a Scarby weekend, inc hotel, gas, meals, admittance, etc.

[Athena]

Too much.  Most of it is for travel expenses and lodging.

[justsomeguytn]

I think I use about $600 for one weekend at Carolina.  That's meals, room, car, and some spending money.  For performer tip money I put all my coin change in a jar through the year.  A week or two before faire I take the jar to the bank and get gold dollar coins.  Carolina performers, I'm up to forty bucks so far.

[Lady_Claira]

I try not to spend a lot at faire. I go to faire specifically having saved up for one item and have another $40 for food and trinkets. But on the other hand this year alone I spent over $500 on faire stuff. $250 on boots (Son of Sandlar - Amazing boots) and $274 on a Half-Moon cloak.

Yay!

[Lady Rebecca]

I try not to take more than $40-50 of cash with me. I tend to spend about $20 for food, and I don't usually buy anything else while I'm at the faire. I put the entrance on my credit card, and this summer when I was going to Sterling, I had to get gas each time, too. So at least for each of my three times to Sterling, I was spending about $70.

[will paisley]

I try not to take more than $40-50 of cash with me. I tend to spend about $20 for food, and I don't usually buy anything else while I'm at the faire. I put the entrance on my credit card, and this summer when I was going to Sterling, I had to get gas each time, too. So at least for each of my three times to Sterling, I was spending about $70.

You went to a faire with Pendragon as a merchant and only spent $70?  That has to be a record! 

[Sitara]

I have no idea what I spend on my local faire (MNRF) I usually go there with $20 or less, but I am a barkeep there so I get tips all day and don't keep much track of what I am spending.  I typically only buy food though.have

I head to TRF in a week and I have $300 saved from my MNRF tips.  This $300 has to stretch far.  It needs to cover my share of gas for the 2,400 mile round trip and all my other expenses for 2 weekends at faire.  Not only that, but I will need to eat during the week as well.  This may not seem like much money, but I know I can do it, this is my 6th year going and only one time did I have more money.

[BLAKDUKE]

More than I need to...........................

[Lady Rebecca]

I try not to take more than $40-50 of cash with me. I tend to spend about $20 for food, and I don't usually buy anything else while I'm at the faire. I put the entrance on my credit card, and this summer when I was going to Sterling, I had to get gas each time, too. So at least for each of my three times to Sterling, I was spending about $70.

You went to a faire with Pendragon as a merchant and only spent $70?  That has to be a record! 

I try not to look at anything I can't afford. Keeping away from the boot booth was difficult, and I was sorely tempted by the lovely hats in the shop by the entrance. But I had to tell myself no. I did, however, splurge on archery, so come to think of it, it was probably more like $75 per go.

[joan of arc]

I think , may be a couple grand. That's for two of us.

Way too much.... But some of it will pay off -like good boots.

[Adriana Rose]

*shudder*
I dont even want to know!

[Steev]

I hate to say but you all seem moderate to me.  Perhaps I'm trying to make up for my relative *newbie-ness* by throwing money at the thing, but in the past two years I have shelled out over a grand for two sets of garb each for me, my lovely wife and our two children, plus each time I go to faire in addition to admission, gas, lodging (sometimes), and major purchases which go on a card, I take $200-300 dollars in gold coins and by the end of the day, it's all gone.

I'm gonna guess my yearly expenditure hovers around $3000-$4000.

But I also love throwing money at the people who are trying to make a living at faire. I tip big at the taverns. I try to buy at least one CD each visit.  Our girls always get one major treat- hair braiding, henna tattoos, elephant rides, face painting- and I wouldn't trade the looks on their faces for any amount of money.

Fiscally imprudent?  Definitely.  Regrets?  None.

Love you all.

[Charity Morgan]

I am with Steev... If I have it I spend it at faire.  I have worked the circuit and realize what the vendors and entertainers put into bringing us the grand time they show us.  They deserve what ever business we can give them!  Buying small tokens as gifts for my festival family is ALWAYS worth the look on their faces and things like car pooling, tail gating (so you can eat before you go in!) and discount tickets are how we visit so many festivals without breaking the budget.

[Steev]

things like car pooling, tail gating (so you can eat before you go in!) and discount tickets are how we visit so many festivals without breaking the budget.

Don't get me wrong on money saving- I think it's great to tailgate, bring in food, sew one's own garb, etc.  I spend countless hours embroidering over grommets, staining garb to make it look weathered, carving walking sticks, oiling leather...

I also like to contribute to the people who work the faires- Money makes these events happen and I don't ever want to see them go away!

Closing weekend MDRF my daughters (6 and 8) asked if they could have their hair braided.  I said "yes" and they started to look through the style book.  My wife started to tell them to choose from the less expensive styles and my youngest said "I'll just take the cheapest one."  My wife and I had a brief exchange and then told the girls to get the style they wanted.  60 bucks later (including tips), the girls were shown their hair in two hand mirrors.  I will remember their expressions until I die, and it set the tone for the rest of the day.

Some things are worth more than any amount of money.