With foot-long hotdogs roughly $13 and 515-ml premium draft beers nearing $15, the Sarnia, Ont., duo behind the @coupon.couple account started searching for ways to save.
One of their pals had two words: Dugout Deals.
The aptly-named concession stand by sections 240 and 537 sells ballpark favourites for a fraction of the price. Before tax, “value” hotdogs, popcorn and 16-ounce soft drinks go for $3.49 each, while a 12-oz. Bud Light is $5.79, the Blue Jays website says.
“If you got a hotdog and just a pop, it would be, like, under $7,” said Debarros. “That’s awesome compared to $30 at some of the other stands.”
Researching like Debarros did is just one of the ways she and other sports lovers, festival attendees and concert goers say Canadians can save as the summer event season ramps up and people start to be confronted with eye-popping prices.
AtVenu, a point-of-sale technology company, said the average fan in Canada and the U.S. spent USD$68 on food and beverages at festivals last year, up from USD$65 in 2022. The firm found prices for food items jumped 21% on average, and drinks spiked by between 7% and 20%, depending on their format and alcohol content.
But many eventgoers say there are ways to reduce costs.
Check if you can bring your own food and drink
For starters, some venues, including the Rogers Centre, let you bring in food and drinks, though they often must be non-alcoholic and packaged in something other than glass or metal.
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