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Cost of attending MLG/EVO/Majors - Also tips/advice on how to save

Pig Of The Hut

Day 0 Phenomenal Dr. Fate and Darkseid player
General Tips
  • Put Aside $40 a month in savings
  • Buy Flights 2 months in advance (no later than 30 days before departure)
  • Every single purchase you make in every day life (coffee, food, tuition, gas, books, etc etc etc) put on your credit card. Never Pay for anything using a debit card as long as you have continuing income. Pay EVERYTHING on your credit only if you can afford it then that night pay that amount on your credit card from your debit. Why? Because Bank of America, MasterCard, Wells Fargo etc have reward programs and you save points you can trade in for money off your flights or you can get $$$ vouchers to help for your portion of a rented van, gas or hotel.
  • Preplanned travel months ahead of time brings huge benefits . Those who end up planning last minute end up not attending and being left out.
  • Purchase AAA yearly membership and get the discounted hotel rates. Example: MLG Raleigh hotel was $145 a night but with my AAA discount i was able to get the room for $108.00 but for some godly reason Raleigh taxes were enormous.
  • Quit Smoking. First off you smell, second you're killing yourself and third you're killing your Wallet. If you smoke a pack of day thats $1825.00 a year. YOU'RE SPENDING ALMOST $2000 TO KILL YOURSELF a year. You could spend this money in your vacations or better yet quit for 5 years and you know have a more than solid down payment on a house. lol or you attend every tourney lmao and then some. Moral of this story is giving up something like this that may be harming you can only provide positive returns.
TO BE FILLED IN SOON WHEN I COLLECT THE DATA WHICH WILL BE SOON 24/48 hours

***Priceline.com used for all flights
***Toronto Used for general Canada location
***Gas price/gallon estimate of $3.60 used
***Atlanta used for EC - For mid east take the avg of NYC/ATL and that's your new figure
***For midwest Chicago was used
***Mileage is Round Trip as is Gas cost
***Total expected cost of trip is derived from ATLANTA/EC figures only. If you want to figure out your total cost just replace the figures with those that apply to you. For me Atlanta applies to me.
Detailed Cost of Travel

MLG Dallas
Cost of flights to Dallas:
From NYC $268 Srint Airlines Special - $330.00
From WC $215 Spint Airlines Special - $271.00
From EC $221-260.00
From Canada $613.00
From Midwest $220-260.00

Travel cost for renting a 6 person van
260.00 from Avis for the 4 days​
Gas Cost
From NYC 3100 miles $500-600 estimate
From WC miles 2880 Miles $475-$525 estimate
From EC 1600 Miles $250-300 estimate
From Canada 3100 miles est $500-600 estimate
From Midwest 2000 miles $300-350 estimate

General Hotel Cost sharing room w 3 others
3 nights @ $135.00 per night avg plus tax $55-$65​
Total expected cost of trip flying $300 plus food and registration​
Total cost of trip driving with 5 others $160 plus food and registration​

MLG Ohio 2013
Cost of flights to Ohio:
From NYC $221
From WC $340
From EC $280-300
From Canada $520
From Midwest $200

Travel cost for renting a 6 person van
260.00 from Avis for the 4 days​
Gas Cost
From NYC 1100 miles $240-255
From WC 4500 miles $850-900
From EC 1150 miles $240-255
From Canada 860 miles $280-320
From Midwest 356 miles $135-165
General Hotel Cost sharing room w 3 others
3 nights @ $135.00 per night avg plus tax $55-$65​
Total expected cost of trip flying $360 plus food and registration​
Total cost of trip driving with 5 others $150 plus food and registration​


MLG Anaheim
Cost of flights to Anaheim:
From NYC $280 <-----very surprising
From WC $150-200
From EC $320
From Canada $580
From Midwest $250-300 <---huge variation
Travel cost for renting a 6 person van
260.00 from Avis for the 4 days​

Gas Cost
From NYC 5400 miles $1250
From WC 500 miles $100-$125
From EC 4300 miles $800-850
From Canada 5050 miles $1000
From Midwest 4000 miles $775-$800
General Hotel cost sharing with 3 others
3 nights @ $135.00 per night avg plus tax $55-$65​
Total expected cost of trip flying $320 plus food and registration​
Total cost of trip driving with 5 others $251 plus food and registration​

EVO 2013
Cost of flights to Los Vegas:
From NYC $325
From WC $85-$120
From EC $400
From Canada $410
From Midwest $260 early bird special - regular $330
Travel cost for renting a 6 person van
260.00 from Avis for the 4 days​
Gas Cost
From NYC 5050 miles $1010
From WC 560 miles $120
From EC 4000 miles $800
From Canada 4500 miles $900
From Midwest 3400 miles $680

General Hotel Cost sharing room w 3 others
3 nights @ $135.00 per night avg plus tax $55-$65​
Total expected cost of trip flying $460 plus food and registration​
Total cost of trip driving with 5 others $240 plus food and registration​

MLG Raleigh 2013
Cost of flights to Raleigh:
From NYC $160
From WC $265 early bird or $365
From EC $195
From Canada $400
From Midwest $181


Travel cost for renting a 6 person van
260.00 from Avis for the 4 days​
Gas Cost
MLG Raleigh 2013
From NYC 1000 miles $200
From WC 5100 miles $1020
From EC 800 miles $160
From Canada 1450 miles $290
From Midwest 1600 miles $320
General Hotel Cost sharing room w 3 others
3 nights @ $135.00 per night avg plus tax $55-$65​
Total expected cost of trip flying $255 plus food and registration​
Total cost of trip driving with 5 others $136 plus food and registration​
Notes:


  • 18 passenger vans are an option but aren't likely nor comfortable in 10-20 hours trips so that's why i chose to use a comfortable 6 passenger van with an avg 300 miles per full tank.
  • Renting a 6 passenger van with 6 people should split the cost to $50 a person plus gas plus hotel plus registration fee plus your food. You should never rent a 6 passenger van with less than 4 people, at that point flying becomes more viable, cheaper and smarter.
  • Giving someone a free ride or not charging them to stay promotes poor etiquette and further encourages one to never pay and take on the fact that he/she is more special and deserving than ones who do pay. Quite frankly this is BS and should never be allowed. We already provide medicare in this country, there is no need to add Tourneycare. Please allow them to develop the trait of personal responsibility.
Discuss and ask questions

STORMS
Tim Static
REO
jamessmk
Claude VonStroke
Maxter - see below
HAN - Tagged you and maxter cause you guys do a lot of driving for your scenes lol
MortySeinfeld
STB Shujinkydink
 

Konqrr

MK11 Kabal = MK9 Kitana
Need to put that podcast that Tom Brady made around the time that MK9 first came out where he talked about getting to tournaments... It is fitting and hilarious.
 

Goldi

Noob
Love it! I wish I could add some, but I'm terrible with money and even worse at planning. I think I decided to go to Final Round 6 hours before the last flight left lol.

In case anyone forgot though, my offer to the ladies is still open. Beat my Jade in Ftf 5 (it's online and I can do either system) and I will PayPal you $50 to go toward your next tournament. The offer is always open! Just PM me, call me out - anything you like. It may not be much, but it's a dinner or two, tank of fuel, your registration - it will help save a bit.

I know some members who have even shown interest in chipping in to see certain matches which I can stream, but if you'd like me to keep it quiet I'll respect that no proplem. I'll give two tries per player a month, there's no penalty for losing. I just want to support our scene and encourage our lovely ladies to come out and show the menfolk how to hit like a girl! :)

Menfolk, there are just too many of you. It would break my bank lol. But no worries, I'm thinking of something to do with you guys too.
 

Pig Of The Hut

Day 0 Phenomenal Dr. Fate and Darkseid player
Love it! I wish I could add some, but I'm terrible with money and even worse at planning. I think I decided to go to Final Round 6 hours before the last flight left lol.

In case anyone forgot though, my offer to the ladies is still open. Beat my Jade in Ftf 5 (it's online and I can do either system) and I will PayPal you $50 to go toward your next tournament. The offer is always open! Just PM me, call me out - anything you like. It may not be much, but it's a dinner or two, tank of fuel, your registration - it will help save a bit.

I know some members who have even shown interest in chipping in to see certain matches which I can stream, but if you'd like me to keep it quiet I'll respect that no proplem. I'll give two tries per player a month, there's no penalty for losing. I just want to support our scene and encourage our lovely ladies to come out and show the menfolk how to hit like a girl! :)

Menfolk, there are just too many of you. It would break my bank lol. But no worries, I'm thinking of something to do with you guys too.
This is awesome :) lol

love by ladies
stalked by men
 

NB Semi Evil Ryu

Former Sub-Zero of the Midwest (2011 - 2015)
This is fantastic.

I never even thought about just paying for my daily lunches, gas, etc. on my credit card, then paying it off the same night.

Man, I suck with money. But this thread may have just made me suck a little bit less with it!
 

Pig Of The Hut

Day 0 Phenomenal Dr. Fate and Darkseid player
This is fantastic.

I never even thought about just paying for my daily lunches, gas, etc. on my credit card, then paying it off the same night.

Man, I suck with money. But this thread may have just made me suck a little bit less with it!

its the #1 way to build credit fast as well as those reward points.

From June 2011 - May 2012 i made EVERY single purchase on my credit card this way and after a year was able to Attend UFGT, EVO and Anaheim for a combined total $88 round trip

I need to make mention though some purchases i made were rather large like my tuition for a 6 month certification program i took but even without that I would have had at least 1 and half flights paid for free.

Also putting away 30-40 a month for stuff like this pays huge in the end
 

Pig Of The Hut

Day 0 Phenomenal Dr. Fate and Darkseid player
Updated with another way to save - might piss some off but im helping honestly

Quit Smoking. First off you smell, second you're killing yourself and third you're killing your Wallet. If you smoke a pack of day thats $1825.00 a year. YOU'RE SPENDING ALMOST $2000 TO KILL YOURSELF a year. You could spend this money in your vacations or better yet quit for 5 years and you know have a more than solid down payment on a house. lol or you attend every tourney lmao and then some. Moral of this story is giving up something like this that may be harming you can only provide positive returns.
 

CRUM

Noob
Hotel is more of a problem that flight for me. I found Delta from Logan Airport to Dallas for $273 which is not bad of a deal. But $100+ per night for hotel is a problem. Not to mention food and entrance fee for the tourney
 

Pig Of The Hut

Day 0 Phenomenal Dr. Fate and Darkseid player
Hotel is more of a problem that flight for me. I found Delta from Logan Airport to Dallas for $273 which is not bad of a deal. But $100+ per night for hotel is a problem. Not to mention food and entrance fee for the tourney

Finding 2,3-5 others to share with is usually never a problem and people jump on it pretty quick

Planning now is key
 

Jimmypotato

Mid Tier
your "Canada" Prices are miss leading, it's a pretty big country and the cost vary alot depending on where you are flying out of into the states.

Although there do seem to be seat sales on right now from my city to MLG Dallas, 600 bucks for the flight alone is just to much. I've gotta sit this one out, once again. If I new I had a chance to win money back it would be a no brainer, but it's too much. I hope Dallas gets good numbers so MK stays with MLG, but Canada Cup is the week before and MLG is going to hurt our numbers on that, as it has hurt the numbers on many other tournys.

Price 2 weeks ago was 800, will probably go back to that in a couple weeks.

Good luck to all that make it.
 

Pig Of The Hut

Day 0 Phenomenal Dr. Fate and Darkseid player
your "Canada" Prices are miss leading, it's a pretty big country and the cost vary alot depending on where you are flying out of into the states.
there do seem to be seat sales on right now from my city to MLG Dallas, 600 bucks for the flight alone is just to much. I've gotta sit this one out, once again. If I new I had a chance to win money back it would be a no brainer, but it's too much. I hope Dallas gets good numbers so MK stays with MLG, but Canada Cup is the week before and MLG is going to hurt our numbers on that, as it has hurt the numbers on many other tournys.
Price 2 weeks ago was 800, will probably go back to that in a couple weeks.
Good luck to all that make it.
I used Toronto as a general location due to the having biggest scene

I think I put that in the legend above