How to Beat Funflation with a Ticket‑Travel‑Treats Budget Template

Fun used to mean “grab a cheap ticket and go.”
Now one concert or sports game can feel like a mini‑holiday on your bank account.

Over the last few years, “funflation” has pushed tickets and related costs way ahead of general inflation. In the U.S., admission prices for sporting events jumped 25.1% year‑over‑year in October 2023, making them the fastest‑rising category in the inflation basket as fans splurged on post‑pandemic experiences. At the same time, admission to movies, theaters and concerts is up about 20% since 2021, and a leisure‑spending report notes that the ticket‑admission index is roughly 26% higher than in 2021 overall.

Surveys show how conflicted people feel about this:

A Deloitte study in 2024 found 61% of U.S. consumers had attended at least one live event in the prior six months, averaging seven events, but nearly 60% skipped something they wanted because it was too expensive.
A 2023 SportsBusiness Journal/Wall Street Journal survey found nearly 60% of respondents cutting back on live entertainment, 37% saying they can’t keep up with prices, and over 20% willing to take on debt to keep attending. Around 26% now spend nothing on live entertainment, up from 16% before the pandemic, even as total ticket spending was heading toward $95 billion in 2023.
Bankrate reports that 38% of Americans are willing to take on debt for discretionary fun in 2024—27% for travel, 14% for dining out and 13% for live entertainment—even with credit‑card interest near 21%. A follow‑up survey found roughly 31% still willing to use debt for travel, dining or live entertainment, even though more than half expect to spend less on “fun purchases.”

So people still deeply want live experiences and trips—but they’re squeezed, and it’s very normal right now to feel pressure to swipe a card and worry later.

The good news: you don’t have to fight funflation by giving up fun. You can fight it by changing how you budget for it.

This post walks you through a Ticket‑Travel‑Treats budget template—a simple way to:

Match your fun spending to your real life (no guilt).
Plan concerts, trips and little extras as “cash‑only fun” instead of leaning on high‑interest debt.
Make trade‑offs on your own terms: fewer but better events, smarter trips, and treats that don’t blow the whole budget.

Why fun feels so expensive now

The sources paint a pretty clear picture of funflation:

Tickets themselves are pricier. One CNBC report on sporting events highlights that sports admission prices rose 25.1% year‑over‑year in October 2023—far faster than general inflation.
Concerts and shows cost more too. Another CNBC piece notes that admission to movies, theaters and concerts is up around 20% since 2021, yet fans still plan to attend multiple shows and spend $100–$1,000 on tickets in 2025. Some Gen Z and millennials are willing to take on debt for destination events.
Fees quietly pile on. A Guardian analysis of 52 UK gigs found average ticket mark‑ups of 25% on Ticketmaster and 30% on Eventim, with some events reaching 41% over face value due to booking, venue and processing fees. Much of that doesn’t go to artists.
Resale and premium seats go even higher. Ticket benchmarks for 2025 show typical resale prices around $206 for a big hip‑hop tour, about $290 for NBA playoff tickets (up 14% year‑over‑year), and premium floor seats topping $1,700 for top tours.

On top of that, ticketing systems can use dynamic pricing, and the market is highly concentrated. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and several states are suing Ticketmaster/Live Nation, alleging deceptive practices that inflate prices and involve resellers. Ticketmaster is estimated to control over 80% of primary ticketing and processed $82.6 billion in consumer ticket spending from 2019–2024. Regulators have already introduced a “junk fee” ban that requires all‑in pricing upfront, so you see the total (ticket plus fees) earlier in the process.

That transparency helps—but it doesn’t magically make prices low. The realistic takeaway from the sources is:

Expect tickets to stay expensive, and plan around all‑in prices (face value + 25–40% fees), not just the headline number.

Meanwhile, travel inflation is more mixed:

Average U.S. domestic airfare in 2024 was about $384, roughly 2.3% lower than in 2023 and about 5% below the 2022 peak, even though fares remain around 20% higher than 2020. Airfare has actually been slightly cheaper than in 2019 in inflation‑adjusted terms.
But overall travel still feels pricey because lodging, food and activities add up. Guides from American Express and GoBankingRates describe how higher general inflation (around 4.1% in 2023) makes many travel‑related activities more expensive, even if flights alone have cooled.

So we’re in a world where:

Live events have inflated much faster than average, especially when you include fees.
Travel is pressured, but careful timing, routes and choices can keep it manageable.
Debt for fun is culturally normalized, even though surveys and high interest rates suggest it’s risky and stressful.

That’s exactly where a Ticket‑Travel‑Treats budget can help.

The Ticket‑Travel‑Treats idea in one sentence

Instead of reacting to every tour, game or flight sale, you:

Set a fixed “fun slice” of your income, then split it into three envelopes: Ticket, Travel and Treats.

Ticket = entry costs for live events (concerts, sports, theatre, festivals, museum days).
Travel = transport, accommodation and on‑trip basics (food, local transit).
Treats = the add‑ons: merch, outfits, extra dinners out, side activities.

You then save ahead into each envelope—using sinking funds or envelope budgeting—and only spend what’s in the envelope, in cash (or paid‑off‑in‑full card spending), not with new debt.

This framework is backed by a few strands in the sources:

A family‑finance educator suggests dedicating 2.5–10% of total spending to a combined “Entertainment and Travel” category, covering concerts, events with friends, hobbies, gaming, museum entries, parks, dining out (if not in food), and all trip costs.
A travel‑budget guide proposes allocating roughly 5–10% of net annual income to travel alone, and shows how that can translate into a small menu of trips (for example, at $30,000 net income, about $1,500–$3,000 per year might cover 2–3 weekend getaways plus one modest domestic or occasional international trip).
A “fun money” guide places fun firmly inside the “wants” (30%) slice of the classic 50/30/20 rule and emphasizes that budgeting for fun reduces guilt and overspending, and should flex up or down over time.
Surveys from Bankrate and others show that while many people plan to spend less on fun, a sizeable minority still feels pushed toward high‑interest debt for experiences.

The sources don’t give a single, exact formula for splitting Tickets vs Travel vs Treats, so the template below is deliberately light and adjustable. The point is not perfect math; it’s giving your future fun a clear lane so it doesn’t trample rent, groceries or savings.

Step 1: Choose your “fun slice” (no spreadsheets needed)

First decision: How much of your income will you let funflation touch?

Education‑focused budget guides suggest:

2.5–10% of total spending for combined entertainment and travel.
Within a broader 50/30/20 approach, where 30% of your income goes to “wants” (fun money, dining out, non‑essential shopping), and Ticket‑Travel‑Treats is one structured part of that.

A travel‑budget guide then zooms in further and suggests 5–10% of net annual income specifically for travel. They show that at $30,000 net income, that could reasonably cover a handful of getaways and a modest bigger trip, if you plan around it.

The ranges are intentionally wide so you can fit your reality. You might sit at the low end (2.5–5%) if:

Your rent or tuition is high.
You’re focused on paying down debt.
You’d rather protect savings right now.

You might choose the higher end (7–10%) if:

Essentials and savings are already stable.
Live events and travel are your main “big joy” categories.

Mini‑experiment: 10‑minute Fun Slice Check

Note your net monthly income (after tax).
Pick one percentage from the 2.5–10% range that feels realistic.
Multiply and write down the result as your monthly Ticket‑Travel‑Treats cap.
Quickly list your expected big fun things for the next few months (one or two shows, a trip, a festival).
Ask: Does this cap feel tight-but-possible, or instantly impossible?
- If it feels impossible, slide closer to 2.5%.
- If it feels easy, you can bring it down a bit and send the difference to savings or debt payoff.

You now have a number that protects the rest of your budget. Time to turn it into a template.

The Ticket‑Travel‑Treats budget template

Use this once per year or semester, then revisit whenever your plans change.

You can fill this in on paper, in a simple spreadsheet, or inside a tracking tool that lets you label categories. A quick‑entry app like Monee can make this practical by letting you log an amount, category and short note in a few taps and see a clear monthly overview—without ads or trackers—so your Ticket‑Travel‑Treats plan stays connected to reality.

1. Set your annual or semester cap

Write your net annual income (or net income for the next six months):
Net income: ______
Choose your Entertainment & Travel percentage from the 2.5–10% range:
% for Ticket‑Travel‑Treats: ______
Multiply to get your Ticket‑Travel‑Treats total:
Annual / semester Ticket‑Travel‑Treats budget: ______

If you prefer thinking monthly:

Divide that amount by 12 (or by your semester length) to get:
Monthly Ticket‑Travel‑Treats contribution: ______

This is your maximum fun pool, so you never have to guess if a ticket or trip is “too much”—you compare it to this number.

2. Split into Ticket, Travel and Treats envelopes

The sources don’t prescribe an exact split, but they do hint at typical ticket costs:

Deloitte reports average self‑reported ticket spend of about $150 for concerts and $132 for professional sports.
Ticket benchmarks show resale averages over $200 for popular tours and around $290 for playoff games, with premium seats much higher.
Surveys of destination “passion tourism” show fans sometimes spending over $1,000 per trip on tickets, travel, accommodation and outfits, and that nearly two in five Gen Z and millennial travelers have spent up to $5,000 on tickets alone for destination live events.

Use those as reference points when deciding how you want to divide your pool. On your template, fill in:

Ticket bucket (concerts, sports, shows): ______
Travel bucket (transport, lodging, on‑trip basics): ______
Treats bucket (merch, outfits, extra activities, meals out): ______

You can keep this very simple:

If you mainly care about local events, put more into Ticket.
If your dream is one big trip, bias toward Travel.
If you tend to blow your budget on merch, outfits and dinners, give Treats a realistic line instead of pretending you’ll spend nothing.

Whatever numbers you choose, make sure Ticket + Travel + Treats = your total fun cap.

3. Map out events and trips as “mini‑projects”

Next, list what you realistically want in the next 6–12 months:

Create a simple table like this:

Event or trip	Month	Ticket (all‑in)	Travel	Treats	Saved so far	Monthly saving needed
____________	_____	_______________	______	______	____________	_____________________
____________	_____	_______________	______	______	____________	_____________________
____________	_____	_______________	______	______	____________	_____________________

When you fill in Ticket (all‑in), use the insight from the Guardian and regulatory reports:

Look at the final price including all fees, not just the face value. A reasonable assumption from the analysis is 25–40% on top of the base price.
If you’re considering resale or premium seats, remember benchmarks like $200+ average resale and $1,700 premium floor seats for some tours. Those belong firmly in the “special once‑in‑a‑while” category.

As you add events and trips:

Total up the Ticket column and compare it to your Ticket bucket.
Do the same for Travel and Treats.
If any column goes over its bucket, either:
- Drop an event,
- Trade down (cheaper seats, shorter trip, fewer extras), or
- Delay it until you’ve saved more.

This is how you avoid becoming part of the “debt‑for‑fun” group identified in surveys.

Step 2: Build a Ticket plan that survives funflation

Ticket prices and fees are where funflation hits hardest, so your Ticket strategy needs to be honest.

From the sources:

Sporting‑event admission up 25.1% year‑over‑year at one point.
Live‑event admission broadly up around 20–26% since 2021.
Average ticket spends of roughly $150 for concerts and $132 for pro sports.
Many people still plan to attend multiple shows and are willing to borrow for them.

Mini‑experiment: “How many $150 nights?”

Look at your Ticket bucket total for the year.
Divide by 150—a rough reference point from the Deloitte survey for a typical concert ticket spend.
Ticket bucket ÷ 150 = number of big nights
Decide how many of those “$150 nights” you actually want to use on:
- One or two major tours,
- A few local shows or games,
- Or a mix.

You may find that your true limit is something like:

“One big concert, one big game, and a couple of cheaper local nights.”

That’s very normal right now. A 2023 survey found nearly 60% of people cutting back on live entertainment even as total spending stayed high.

Premium seats and destination events

If you’re eyeing a premium or resale ticket:

Remember typical resale averages in the low hundreds and premium spots in the high hundreds or over a thousand.
Reporting on destination events like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shows fans often spending over $1,000 per trip once you include travel, accommodation and extras, with some surveys indicating two in five Gen Z and millennial travelers spending up to $5,000 on tickets alone.

Treat these like major travel goals:

Make them once‑per‑year (or less) splurges.
Fund them inside the Ticket and Travel buckets months in advance.
Only buy once the necessary amount is already saved, not on a credit card you plan to pay off “eventually.”

Step 3: Build a Travel plan that fits your life

Travel costs are pressured but more manageable than ticket prices if you plan.

From the travel sources:

Average domestic airfare has fallen slightly from its 2022 peak and is even a bit lower than 2019 on a real basis, despite being about 20% higher than 2020.
Travel guides recommend:
- Setting a travel budget before booking.
- Aiming to pay off the trip in full when your credit‑card bill arrives.
- Using saved‑up miles and points.
- Traveling in shoulder seasons instead of peak.
- Shortening trips rather than overspending.
- Self‑catering some meals.
- Optimizing checked‑bag and rental‑car costs.
- Starting to save for your next trip while on your current one.
A travel‑budget framework suggests 5–10% of net income for travel, and translates that into concrete “menus” of getaways and bigger trips at different income levels.

Within your Ticket‑Travel‑Treats template:

Use your Travel bucket as the hard ceiling for all trips in the year.
For each trip in your table, break down:
- Estimated flights or trains (based on current airfare trends).
- Accommodation.
- Basic food and transport.

Then apply tactics from the sources:

If the total for a trip busts your Travel bucket, you can:
- Travel in shoulder season instead of peak.
- Shorten the trip by a day or two.
- Swap some restaurant meals for self‑catered options.
- Choose routes and dates that reflect the more modest airfare inflation trend.

The idea isn’t to never travel. It’s to fit your trips into the slice you already decided on, so you don’t join the group taking on high‑interest debt for vacations.

Step 4: Guard your Treats (so they don’t eat the whole budget)

Treats are what make experiences feel memorable—hoodies, outfits, nice meals, side activities. They’re also where budgets quietly explode.

Sources on travel affordability suggest:

Leaning on free or low‑cost activities like hiking, walking tours and unguided water activities.
Using tools like AllTrails or GoPaddling, plus pre‑trip research, to find budget‑friendly options.
Focusing on those low‑cost anchors so pricey tickets don’t automatically demand pricey add‑ons.

In your template, the Treats bucket is there so you don’t pretend you’ll spend nothing on extras. Instead, you:

Give Treats a real number.
Plan a limited number of:
- Merch purchases,
- Outfits or beauty appointments for events,
- Extra dinners,
- Paid activities.

Mini‑experiment: The Low‑Cost Swap List

For each trip or big event in your table:

List one paid treat you’d normally add (e.g., an extra paid excursion or expensive dinner).
Next to it, list one free or low‑cost alternative (a hike, a self‑guided walk, a picnic, a local park).
Commit to trying at least one low‑cost swap per event or trip.

This doesn’t mean “no treats.” It just means your Treats bucket supports the one or two things you’ll really remember, instead of dozens you forget but still have to pay off.

Step 5: Make it cash‑only fun (and track it lightly)

The core tension in the surveys is clear:

A big share of people expect to spend less on fun.
But roughly one‑third are still willing to use debt for travel, dining and live entertainment.
Younger and higher‑income households, and some groups like parents of young children, are especially prone to borrowing for fun.

To stay out of the discretionary‑debt spiral, the Ticket‑Travel‑Treats template works best with a cash‑only mindset:

You save into sinking funds (or “envelopes”) for Ticket, Travel and Treats each month.
You only spend what’s already there.
If the fund is empty, the event or trip waits.

You can do this:

With physical envelopes and cash.
In a basic spreadsheet with three running totals.
Or with a simple expense‑tracking app.

A tool like Monee is useful here because it:

Lets you log purchases fast with just amount, category and an optional note.
Gives you a clear monthly overview, so you can see whether Ticket, Travel and Treats are staying inside your cap.
Supports shared households, so roommates, partners or friends can log shared tickets and travel costs in one place—without ads, trackers or forced registration.

Whatever system you pick, the goal is the same: see the numbers often enough that surprises shrink.

Putting it all together: one month at a time

Here’s how a typical month might look using the template and experiments above:

Start of month
- Transfer your planned amount into your Ticket, Travel and Treats “envelopes.”
- Spend five minutes updating your table of upcoming events and trips.
During the month
- Before buying a ticket, check your Ticket bucket and the number of “$150 nights” you’ve pre‑decided.
- When travel options pop up, see whether they fit the Travel bucket and apply at least one cost‑saving tactic (timing, duration, self‑catering).
- For every big plan, commit to one low‑cost Treats swap.
End of month
- Log what you actually spent on Ticket, Travel and Treats.
- If you overshot one bucket, adjust next month’s contribution or cancel a future plan.
- If you underspent, roll it forward toward something bigger (like a destination event) instead of letting it disappear into random spending.

Over time, you’ll have a clearer answer to questions like:

“How many big concerts can I actually afford each year?”
“What does a realistic travel menu look like at my income?”
“How much merch and extras fit my Treats bucket without regret later?”

The sources all point in the same direction: experiences are getting more expensive, but thoughtful planning beats reactive spending. By carving out a specific Ticket‑Travel‑Treats slice—nested inside a broader 50/30/20‑style framework—you protect your essentials and goals while still leaving space for the concerts, trips and treats that genuinely light you up.

Funflation isn’t going away tomorrow. But with a simple, repeatable template, you can decide which parts of the hype you actually want to pay for—and enjoy them in cash, on purpose.