This summer (2024), I went to a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game.
I had never been to a live professional sporting event before. I had also never been to the SkyDome Rogers Centre, despite living in Toronto for most of my life.
I don’t consider myself to be a sports fan, and I know nothing about baseball. But this seemed like a great opportunity to experience something new, so I gave it a chance.
The Cost
Tickets were offered through my employer at a discount ($15/ticket). According to TicketMaster, my seat would have cost about $34 (including taxes and fees) if I had purchased the ticket independently. Once inside, I was most curious to see how concessions were priced at the Rogers Centre (I don’t go out very often, but had heard that food is how many of these venues make profit).
For lunch, I bought a basic plain hotdog which cost $7.67 (!!) after tax. Menu items that included Blue Jays branding cost even more! I passed on purchasing any branded items, but thought about how shelling out on the ice cream served in a mini Blue Jays helmet might be worth the price for an avid fan. Especially if the souvenir (assuming it was kept after the ice cream was finished) reminded them of the positive experience long after the event had passed.
The Experience
The view was beautiful. I was seated on the upper-west side of the stadium, which was in the shade for most of the game. The baseball diamond was fully visible, and the CN Tower formed the backdrop of my view. Overall, the weather was great (a bit of rain, but it caused no interruptions and quickly dissipated).
Being among the crowd of Blue Jays fans definitely enhanced the experience. When the game was going well or took a turn for the worse, I could tell based on the mood of those around me even though I wasn’t familiar with the rules of the sport.
The best part: the Blue Jays won! They also hit 1 home run (which I was secretly hoping would happen as the cherry-on-top to my experience).
Reflections on this Experience: Was it Worth it?
Achieving FI is still a very important goal to me, but there have been plenty instances where I’ve taken saving to a bit of an extreme (stories for another time).
As I continue towards FI, I will concurrently try to make a more conscious effort to spend money on worthwhile, fulfilling experiences. After all, I decided to call this blog FI with that. It’s not just about having money, but about using money to create choices in your life & live in a meaningful way.
I consider this trip to see the Blue Jays game money well spent. 😊
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