Being a football fan can be expensive. Between tickets, gear, game day food, and all the stuff that comes with being a loyal fan, your wallet takes more hits than your team’s quarterback. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to choose between supporting your team and having money left over for rent.

With some strategic moves, you can still rep your colors, watch every game, and throw epic watch parties without going broke. Here’s how.

Game day at home: Cheaper and honestly more fun

Let’s start with the obvious: going to games is insanely expensive.

Average cost of attending an NFL game:

  • Tickets: $100-300 per person (minimum)
  • Parking: $40-80
  • Food/drinks: $50-100
  • Total: Easily $200-500 for one game

The home game alternative:

  • Streaming service or cable: Already paying for it
  • Food and drinks: $30-50 for way better quality
  • Comfort: Your couch, your bathroom, no lines

The reality: Unless it’s a playoff game or special occasion, watching from home saves you hundreds while delivering a better experience. You actually see the plays, you’re not freezing (or sweating), and the nachos don’t cost $18.

How to watch games without cable (cutting the cord saves big)

Cable costs: $80-150/month for channels you don’t watch

Streaming alternatives:

  • YouTube TV: $73/month, includes all major sports networks
  • Hulu + Live TV: $77/month, sports + shows
  • Sling TV: $40-55/month (Orange + Blue for all football)
  • FuboTV: $75/month, sports-focused

Free options:

  • Antenna: Picks up local games (CBS, FOX, NBC) for free
  • NFL+: $5/month for mobile streaming (phone/tablet only, but cheap)

The strategy: Cancel cable ($100/month), get an antenna (free local games) + NFL+ ($5/month) = Save $95/month or $1,140/year

Split streaming subscriptions with friends/family Most streaming services allow multiple users. Split YouTube TV three ways and you’re paying $24/month instead of $73.

Game day food and drinks: Stop overspending

You don’t need wings from a restaurant and craft beer for every game.

Instead of ordering out ($50-100):

Make your own wings:

  • Chicken wings from grocery store: $3-5/lb
  • Sauce ingredients: $5-10
  • Total: $10-15 for way more wings than you’d get delivered

Stock up on beer during sales: Buy cases when they’re on sale (holidays, big game weeks). Buying a 24-pack for $20 is way better than $8 six-packs every week.

Costco/Sam’s Club for bulk snacks:

  • Chips, dips, pretzels, frozen apps—all cheaper in bulk
  • One Costco run can stock you for the season

Potluck watch parties: Host and make the main dish, guests bring sides and drinks. Everyone eats well, no one goes broke.

Jerseys and gear: Looking like a fan without the fan tax

Official NFL jerseys: $100-150 Smart alternatives:

Buy knockoffs online (AliExpress, DHgate): Listen, they’re not ‘official,’ but they’re $20-30 and they look almost identical. If you’re just wearing it to watch games at home or at a bar, no one cares if it’s authentic.

Thrift stores and consignment shops: People donate jerseys all the time. Check Goodwill, Plato’s Closet, or local thrift stores—sometimes you find gems for $5-15.

Buy last season’s gear on clearance: When new designs drop, old inventory goes on sale. Still official, just not the newest version.

Facebook Marketplace and eBay: Used jerseys in good condition for $30-60 instead of $150.

Generic team colors: You don’t need official gear to show support. Team-colored t-shirts, hats, and hoodies from Target or Walmart are way cheaper and still look good on game day.

Going to games: How to not get destroyed financially

If you really want to go to a game, there are ways to not completely wreck your budget.

Buy tickets last minute: Prices drop as game day approaches, especially if the team isn’t doing well or weather’s bad. Check StubHub, SeatGeek, and Gametime the day before or day of.

Go to less popular games: Thursday night games, early season matchups, and games against weak opponents are way cheaper than primetime or division rivals.

Skip food and drinks at the stadium: Eat before you go. Sneak in snacks if you can (check stadium rules). A $15 beer tastes the same as a $5 beer from home.

Parking hacks:

  • Park farther away and walk (or use public transit if available)
  • Look for nearby businesses that offer cheaper parking
  • Carpool to split parking costs

Preseason games: Want the stadium experience without the cost? Preseason tickets are way cheaper, and you still get the atmosphere.

Fantasy football: Don’t let it drain your wallet

Fantasy football is supposed to be fun, not expensive.

Keep league buy-ins reasonable:

  • Casual leagues: $20-50
  • Serious but not insane: $50-100
  • If you can’t afford to lose it, don’t play

Free leagues: ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper all offer free fantasy leagues. You can still have trash talk and bragging rights without money involved.

Skip the multiple leagues: Don’t join five leagues at $100 each. Pick one or two max so you’re not overcommitted financially (or time-wise).

TV and tech: Don’t upgrade just for football

You don’t need a new TV: Your current TV works fine. Seriously. The game looks the same on a 5-year-old TV as it does on the newest model.

If you really must upgrade:

  • Shop Black Friday or Super Bowl sales
  • Buy last year’s model (huge discounts, minimal difference)
  • Check Costco or Sam’s Club for deals

Sports bars: the budget-friendly social option

Can’t afford tickets but want the crowd energy?

Hit a sports bar:

  • Buy one beer and nurse it (or stick to water/soda)
  • Eat before you go or split appetizers with friends
  • You get the atmosphere, big screens, and crowd energy without stadium prices

Team merchandise as gifts: Hint heavily

Birthday? Christmas? Anniversary? Suggest team gear as gifts. Let other people fund your fandom!

The season pass math: Is it worth it?

Some fans consider season tickets. Let’s do the math:

Average season ticket cost: $1,500-5,000 (depending on team and seats) Games per season: 8-10 (including preseason) Cost per game: $150-500

Is it worth it? Only if you’ll actually go to every game and you can easily afford it without sacrificing other financial goals. For most people, picking 1-2 games to attend and watching the rest at home makes way more sense financially.

The bottom line

Being a football fan doesn’t require going broke, it just requires being strategic:

  • Watch at home (way cheaper and better than most stadium experiences)
  • Cut cable, use streaming or antennas
  • Make your own game day food instead of ordering out
  • Buy gear secondhand or wait for sales
  • If you go to games, buy tickets last-minute and skip stadium food
  • Keep fantasy football fun, not expensive

You can absolutely be a die-hard fan without spending die-hard money. Save your budget for the playoffs or that one special game per season, and watch the rest from your couch surrounded by homemade wings and cheap beer.