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Buzzkill: Summer Concert edition

I will admit that I am the cheapest person I know.  I have trouble paying $10 to see a movie when I know I can buy it for that price in eight months. I constantly think I’m not financially safe enough and believe I need to continuously horde more cash just to be comfortable.
But c’mon, it’s the summer concert season.
By no means am I saying you need to drop $500 to sleep in a glorified mud hole and listen to a bearded guy with a guitar, but this is the season for the greatest acts of the year to travel the country entertaining the masses, and there are plenty of great values for those who look off the beaten path.
Even if you can’t afford to go to some of the horrendously over-priced shows or any number of the ridiculous worldwide tours that pop up every year, just go into your community. In most major cities, a couple of bands stop by every year, and if not, there are tons of extremely prominent local scenes to enjoy. It may not be as glamorous, but it can be every bit as authentic.
With summer around the corner, fans everywhere are gearing up to hit the summer music scene. The best way to prepare? Get a job or two, apply for a loan and knock over a convenience store. 
Yes, those might be extreme options, but ticket prices are outrageous. The bigger the name, the more money you’ll dish out.
The worst price offenders are the concert festivals, especially high profile ones like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo. If you waited until the Lollapalooza lineup was released, you’re going to pay $215, and the folks at Bonnaroo must have thought they were considerate when developing their payment plan – only five easy payments of $50!
While concert festivals draw a big crowd, thanks to multiple stages and a wide array of artists, chances are pretty good you’re spending hundreds of dollars to catch only a handful of the bands that you like.
Solo acts aren’t much better. Stub Hub, an eBay-like site for ticket selling, said their average ticket price in 2008 was $159, and some top acts go for triple that. 
Here’s a better idea – buy yourself a live CD of your favorite artist, close your eyes and pretend you’re there. You can even invite a few friends over to spill on you, elbow you in the back and throw you around as they mosh pit to a ridiculous song. 
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