The Cost Of Coachella: 5 Other Things You Could Have Done For The Same Money

Recently, the average cost of Coachella has been on my mind.  Like many of my millennial peers, my Facebook and Instagram feed has been hijacked by Coachella enthusiasts with carefully curated photos of their trendy outfits and #candid poses for all of the world to enjoy.  

#Jelly I’ve been to a few music festivals back in my day, but when I did some research about the cost of attendance, from the tickets to the hotels to the outfits, I nearly dropped my artisan organic mint tea.  

First of all, who in their right mind would want to be within 100 yards of Justin Bieber? Secondly, why are millennials complaining about “being broke?”  If you’re anywhere NEAR Coachella, baby got bank. Period.  There’s no way you can disprove this fact because people spend MORE at Coachella than some families earn a year.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the basic costs of Coachella that my good friends at CNN Money helped me with (plus a few of my own assumptions):

Weekend Tickets: $375 (VIP $899)
– Secondary market: $550-$2,000

Flights/Transportation into So Cal: $400-$1000
– $100-$200 if you’re driving

Shuttling to & from Coachella: $80

Hotels: $300-$500 per night
– AirBnb: $150 per night (For a shitty place)
– Camping Spot: $85 per weekend (For a 10×15 space of grass)

Food: Anywhere from $15 -$25 per meal from sketchy food trucks with low grade food quality
(Water + Main Meal + Side Dish)

Clothing: Designer what?
– Hippie headband: $10-$80
– “Vintage-inspired” high-waisted shorts: $60-150
– Fringe crop top: $10-$80
– Fair-trade hand-made backpack: $50-$200

Drugs & Booze: GET OUT.

So let’s be conservative and say that “Becky” did everything right, lived in CA, and tried to get the best deals possible.  Even if she bought three entire outfits at H&M and remained sober (which sounds fun) around hordes of drunk/high bros/bro-etts, she’s still dropping $690 without the cost of food.

Factor in three square meals a day plus a few extra water bottles throughout the day, and since you know Coachella is in a freaking desert, let’s tack on another $200.

That’s at least $880 to be sober, dirty, clad in basics, and sleep-deprived since partying goes on till the ass-crack of dawn.  Becky, go home.  What were you even thinking?

Here are another 5 things you could have done instead of wasting your money on Coachella.

1.  2-Week Tour Through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand

I know this because I literally spent LESS than $880 on my trip, and I STILL felt like I was living la vida expensive life. If you look under my “Cambodia” tab, you’ll get to see all the INSANELY beautiful activities that I got to participate in while expanding my cultural understanding and investing in myself.

Seeing how the rest of the world lives is an important lesson for millennials to experience, as it encourages empathy and social responsibility.

2. Fly Round Trip from London to NYC

Less than 3 weeks ago, I booked my round-trip flight from London to NYC for 320 GBP, or $478 USD, to come to America this summer to visit family and friends for 6 weeks.

I’ll be bouncing from place to place without paying anything for accommodation, but I’ll still have the luxuries of a warm bed, a hot shower, and cats to cuddle with, unlike poor Becky at Coachella.  Damn, Becky, you missed out.

3. You Could Fly, Round Trip, to Literally Any of these Countries According to Sky Scanner.

– Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Colombia, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom, Finland, Hong Kong, Peru, Spain, Poland, France, and Hungary.

4. You Could Road Trip Around America 

I’m a big fan of road trips because it’s a great way to spend quality time with another human being and I like the freedom that comes with being able to stop wherever and whenever you want.  According to Cost 2 Drive, you can drive from Los Angeles to Boston for around $178.06 in a typical 2015 Honda Civic.  

If you Couch Surf or AirBnB it, you could probably make it under $880, depending on how long you hang out at different pit-stops.  I’ve been to 38 states and counting since I started traveling at the ripe age of 5. FIVE. My family and I took a road trip to the Grand Canyon where I got this dope Lizard Tee that changed color with the sunlight.  Ah, the memories.

5) You Could Pay for an Entire Associates Degree or Part of a Bachelors 

In California, an average associates degree (2 years) tuition will cost you $46 per unit, and Cal State tuition rings in at about 5,000 USD per year (4 years).  The $1,000 you just spent at Coachella is a big deal.

People often tell me that Coachella “changes their lives,” is a “once in a lifetime opportunity,” or is somewhat of a “spiritual experience.”  These people are incredibly out of touch with reality.  Do you know what literally changes your life? A diploma.

Do you know how many people actually have the privilege of attending university in the entire world? 1%.

Traveling the world is about smart, reasonable financial decisions. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always have a keenest financial mind, but I recognize when something just doesn’t make sense.

All millennials should be investing in their personal development and skills, not just our Facebook timelines.  If you have the financial means to go to Coachella, function as a well-to-do tax-paying citizen, AND can afford to see the world, you are winning at life. Ignore me. You (or your parents) are clearly doing everything right.

But for the other 99% percent of the population who’s living pay-check-to-pay-check just trying “get by,” recognize that there are small financial decisions that make a difference. Plain and simple.

I saw nearly ALL of south-east Asia for far less than the cost of the average “Coachella” experience.  You tell me what was more “life-changing.”

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