Live music

[Pizzabrewer]

OK, I'm almost on board with Mustachianism except for one thing.  Live music.

A $40-$50 ticket for a 2-hour concert is anything but frugal.  How about a weekend blues or bluegrass festival?  $200 and up admission/camping ticket.  The Peach music festival in Montage PA?  Weekend pass, parking, camping, food, refreshments, transportation, etc, you're easily $500 for 4 days.

None of this makes any kind of sense if you're frugal.  Yet some of us need this to enjoy a certain minimum quality of life. 

So how does this fit in?  How many people forego their love of music in the interests of FIRE, or how many say fuck it, I need my Gov't Mule?

Conflicted.

[Cativa]

You enjoy live music.  Its a money suck that will make you work longer.
So is travel, alcohol, most hobbies...

Every time you engage in a money suck activity, you are chaining yourself to a desk a little bit longer.  The trick is deciding when it is worth it, and when it is not.  That's an individual decision for everyone.

Personally, I'll sit in this bloody shit hole of an office an additional year based on my love of travel and alcohol.
I will NOT sit here one more minute to buy a boat because even though I like the idea of having one, I don't like the idea MORE than I like the idea of being free.
YMMV

[swick]

Ohh I have ideas!

First - check out your community and see if there are any performing arts orgs. They will have the low-down on all the events going on. You may choose to volunteer to get reduced or free entry. Many festivals have volunteer shifts available too for tickets.

See if any of your favorite artists do house concerts - also called Pillow concerts and living room concerts in the US. Basically, an artist comes and plays in a person's living room. Sometimes these are by donation, sometimes they have a case ticket price but it's usually no more than 25 bucks - and you don't get a much better chance to get up close and personal with an artist.

Some booking agencies to house concert tours for artists, and you can always just start hosting your own if you know an artist.  Sometimes, but not always, a host will also throw in a room and maybe a meal for the artist (which is why they can do it for cheaper) and really allows you to get to know them as people.

Plan what you want to do and get early-bird tickets when you can. Mustachianism isn't all-or-nothing frugality, it is about identifying the things and experiences that bring real value, enjoyment and joy to life and focusing on those while not spending money on things that don't. For many of us, it is live music and that is awesome :)

[lbmustache]

FI/RE is also about maximizing your money to be able to spend it on things you enjoy, rather than mindless consumerism.

If you have little to no debt (no hair on fire emergencies basically), I don't see a problem with spending money on something like a concert. There are ways to be frugal about it: choosing cheaper accommodations (festival) or not drinking/BYOB (if possible).

For example, let's say a Mustachian wants to go to Coachella, I believe a ticket is $299 for 3 days. That's a pretty solid deal considering how many bands you'd be able to watch. Instead of staying at a hotel or one of Coachella's overpriced tents, you can car camp for ~$100 (total!), and to minimize wasteful spending, perhaps you can bring your own food and drinks.

[Laserjet3051]

Once these brilliant creative musical geniuses are dead, we will never have the chance to witness them create live, face to face.  By all means, go and enjoy the music, at $20, or even $200 a pop. I do, zero regrets. Some of my best experiences in life and fondest memories.

“Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is THE BEST.”

FZ

[Telecaster]

I need my Gov't Mule.

[Dollar Slice]

I am a live music addict beyond the point most people would believe. I spend about $4k annually on concert tickets. It's worth it to me. It's not about who retires fastest, it's about living your best life. If your best life includes Government Mule, and working a little longer / making the extra money up through a side hustle, then do that.

One recommendation: Get serious about investigating less popular bands and genres. Last couple of years the average cost of a concert ticket for me was ~$18. I dunno where you live and what the music scene is like, in NYC the local scene is outrageously good and you can find spectacular live music everywhere for cheap. I mean, I don't even hold myself back much on concert ticket spending, and almost all the best shows I see are $25 or less. That's where the really vital stuff is happening.

[LifeHappens]

One recommendation: Get serious about investigating less popular bands and genres. Last couple of years the average cost of a concert ticket for me was ~$18.

I second this. Explore your local music scene. Just about any town will have some good performers you can follow for a $5 cover or the cost of a drink. You can enjoy local shows most weekends and save up for those bigger shows and festivals.

This is also an area where you need to do a values check. Do you really value FIRE more than going to shows? If you do, great, you can definitely economize while still enjoying yourself. If you decide you definitely value hitting up the summer festival circuit and don't mind working longer to do so, buy those tickets and have a great time.

[Kl285528]

Gotta encourage you to enjoy what you really value. Assuming you've got your money pretty much under control, I view this as a completely reasonable spend. And as a musician and performer myself, I have to really encourage you to continue going to see live music! Don't want to derail this thread, but as a highly recommended cheaper(but not for much longer)  but different version of Gov't Mulish music, check out The Marcus King Band, led by 20 year old phenom Marcus King, and signed to Warren Haynes' label. You are welcome, in advance, LOL!

[ReadySetMillionaire]

"Mustachianism" is not about being frugal to the point of depriving yourself of all your hobbies. It's about being extremely efficient with lowering fixed costs, being acutely aware of wants versus needs (and making decisions accordingly), understanding that money can buy time (and thus early retirement), and allocating resources towards where you want them to go. This last part includes hobbies.

So this is not about depriving yourself. If you think that, you're doing it wrong.

I personally go to hugely expensive sporting events every year because I cannot put into words how much I love going to them (similar to the music addict above, I guess). I went to three Ohio State games this year (including the Ohio State-Michigan game), a World Series game (go Tribe!), etc., and even a couple Bruce Springsteen concerts.

All of it was well worth it, and I don't feel bad about it at all because I'm very efficient in other areas (no car payment, small mortgage payment, no cable, etc.).