By Derrick Manning

Here’s the grim reality you need to know about your favorite sports programming and other forms of entertainment: it’s costing you way more than you imagine and it’s going to take a toll on your finances over time.  Entertainment costs are rising and rising fast.  A quick search for tickets for the latest concert or NFL programming in HD is an indication.  But before resigning yourself to quit for a while till the money adds up, consider some of these money saving strategies:

Think Outside the Box When it Comes to Live Entertainment

When you consider live entertainment, search for festivals in your city that have discounted or free days, or free parades and town celebrations.  There are all sorts of things that may be going on not too far from your locality, and can provide hours of discounted entertainment for you and the family.

You can also find different forms of entertainment in a single event.  For example, the farmer’s market can include musical and free samples, and town celebrations may include movie tickets at a nearby theater during the summer season.

Day 30/365 – Cirque du So-So by Kevin Harber, on Flickr.  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License.

Search for Deals on Cable Programming

The cost of cable programming has increased significantly over the years.  The good news is money saving deals have also opened up, leading to a slight shift in the favor of the consumer.  For example, you could pay a la carte for television services, just like you often do while going out for a buffet.

Another way to save money is to look for special deals.  Some cable service providers will also offer customers an option to choose a channel lineup that matches both their budget and entertainment needs.  DIRECTV Satellite TV and other top services include options for exclusive content programming.  For example, sports watchers can find unparalleled game watching experience.  And you can also access the programming from your smartphone and tablet, as well as set up your DVR at any time.

Ask for a Lower Price for a Specific Age Group

A lot of entertainment businesses offer generous prices to a certain age group but they may not be advertising this fact.  As a result, you’re not going to know necessarily if you can save a few bucks, unless you specifically ask of the policies.

With inquiry, you may be surprised to find that you fall in the age bracket where you have to pay a lower price for entertainment.  Some agencies will also give discounts to certain groups of people such as those active in military, working in banking institutions and more.  Ask questions to see if you qualify for a lower price.

Share Expenses With a Group

If you go out with friends, you will find saving money easier, regardless of the choice of entertainment.  Some places will offer discounts when you’re buying in greater quantity, such as more than a single ticket to a concert, which gives you and your friends a chance to have fun at a less cost.

And while you benefit from this on entertainment, you can share other expenses as well.  For example, if you’re going to buy drink and food, you can always divide.  So not only you’re improving your savings account, you’re also doing a favor to your waistline.