Sample Budget (For People who are trying to figure it out) Version 3.0!

Started by FanFicGuru, October 05, 2008, 07:54:58 PM

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FanFicGuru

Woo-hoo! Our previous thread (Version 2.0) has been inducted into the recently created Hall of Fame! How fun...anyways, one downside is that we have to re-create the thread. So, here we are. Old and new members alike are free to share their tips and tricks for saving money, spending wisely and protecting yourself from scams while at Fanime 2015.

Note: This thread is for people who either have been seriously saving, or are curious for future conventions as to how much money they should bring. This isn't the place for debates regarding poor vs. rich, nor will sob stories be acceptable. This is a place where responsible people wish to find out what kind of money is required for certain aspects of the convention.  Recommendations on how to make money are acceptable as well.

Necro-edit Hello again my lovelies! Just thought I would bring this thread back up since Fanime is rapidly approaching yet again and I figured this thread would be helpful for new and old fanime-goers alike.  :D

Revival Edit Part Deux It lives! And sticky'd too! At this point we'll be gearing up for Fanime 2016 before we know it! I hope this is helpful for board viewers new and old!
~~

Ok so I know many of you are trying to figure out finances early so you can start saving to have a great FanimeCon...and good for you! Below is a sample budget that I"ve put together that includes some of the basic costs (food and lodging) along with fun stuff like the dealers room and arcade. I believe that by using this model you can get a better idea of how much you and your friends should bring to the convention to have a great time. ^_^

NEW SECTION!- Money earning/saving

Before we go into the whole expenditure part, it's important to address a common issue, especially among the younger teenagers, or older teenagers still in High School that are either A) Too busy to get a job B) Their parents won't let them work and go to school at the same time or C) Too lazy *nudge nudge*. Where do I get the money?

Well, let's look at a bare-bones budget and see how much would need to be saved on a monthly basis:
Badge (Pre registering as soon as they become available)- ~$45
Hotel (Sharing a 4 person room with 3 other people for the weekend)- ~$100
Food (7 dollars per meal, assuming all meals Saturday and Sunday, and Dinner/Breakfast sunday and monday)- ~$55
Shopping- ~$100

So you're looking at a budget of about 300 dollars. If you want REAL bare bones, take out shopping and the hotel, and cut about 30 bucks out of the food budget. So, roughly $80.

Assuming you don't get food or a hotel, $80 means that you would have to save $7 a month. I'm going to be pretty honest about this...if you can't find some way to save 7 dollars in the course of 30 days...I don't know what to tell you. Considering that birthdays and christmas all land before Fanime, even setting aside some money there would at least get you a badge.

Tossing in hotel and shopping, and no job to earn the money with, makes things a bit more interesting. Of course there are your typical suggestions: mow lawns, offer your  body to friends and neighbors (for labor...of course), selling off old anime/other stuff on Ebay. Assuming you need around 300 dollars, you're looking at $25/month saving from June through the end of May. That's $6.25 a week. Another option is looking into either freelance writing work for a larger website or magazine to get a free Press pass, or joining the staff to help reduce costs. More recommendations on making money would be greatly appreciated to help expand this section. ^_^

Now then, on to a more detailed examination of the overall budget:

Hotel Costs

I will be using the Marriott as an example, but if you're choosing a different hotel just use my formula to figure out individual rates per day as well as for the whole weekend.

109 per night (Marriott, 2 bed) X 3= 327
+ 20% tax means it'll be about 393.

Divide that by 4 and it will be 98 dollars per resident for three nights. Not bad. About 33 dollars per person per night.

If you're staying on Thursday as well, the total will be 524 for 4 nights...or 130 dollars per resident for four nights. Staying on Thursday night is not necessary, but can definitely help for picking up your badge/starting in on Fanime nice and early on Friday. This may not be an option for those of you still in High School...but you can figure that out yourselves lol.

So, basically, assume 100 dollars per person for three nights in a hotel. Or 135 for four nights.

Food Budget

EDIT: After noticing some board-frequenters responses, I realize that my budget is a bit on the high end. This is what I'm planning on going with, but you can see Jeans' example for a much more affordable food budget. Perhaps I'm a bit too snooty. ^_^

Food budget is variable...it depends on if you eat breakfast or whatever. Assuming you want to grab something for breakfast assume the following meals per day:

(If arriving on Thursday night)

Thursday-Dinner (15)
Friday- Breakfast (10), Lunch (10), Dinner (15)
Saturday- Breakfast (10), Lunch (10), Dinner (15)
Sunday- Breakfast (10), Lunch (10), Dinner (15)
Monday- Breakfast (10), Lunch (15) (one or the other could be eliminated on the last day)

So total food budget could be roughly 145 dollars...if you get there friday afternoon then it would be 110 dollars if you eat breakfast. If you get there Friday afternoon and don't eat breakfast then the budget is about 90 dollars.

Again this depends on personal preference and where exactly you want to eat. If you just eat Jack and the  Box and McDonalds all weekend you can save a ton, but I wouldn't recommend it. Because by Monday you feel like crap. >_<

Try to bring snacks to your hotel room. Mini-fridges are in short supply so if you ask really early you can get one, that will help with the food issue.

EDIT: Mini-fridges are reserved for medical uses first and foremost. Better idea- bring a cooler. But be careful with the ice! Last thing you need is a big spill and having to pay for water damage. >_<

So now your  total budget has come to a total of 280 dollars if you're arriving Thursday night and eating all meals, 210 dollars if you arrive Friday afternoon and eat all meals, or 190 dollars if you arrive on Friday afternoon and don't eat breakfast.

FUN STUFF!

Now, what FanimeCon is complete without a trip to the dealers hall? My first suggestion, especially to those who will be there every day, is to TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SWAP MEET!! You will find great deals here on DVDs, wall scrolls, figures and other random assortments, mostly in good condition, of things that people don't want or need anymore.

I would bring 50 dollars to the swap meet, this should land you a nice stack of DVDs/Figures/Manga.

Dealers room, while huge and full of shiny things, is usually pretty steep. I would wait until Sunday or Monday morning to do your big shopping, since being broke on Sunday/Monday is probably the worst thing. You're kind of wandering around being bored and not being able to buy anything. Not fun.

Wall scrolls were in short supply last year, but you can typically find them for deals like 2 for 20 or 3 for 25 even. I wouldn't recommend purchasing DVDs in the dealers room, as most of the time they are far more expensive than trusted online retailers such as www.rightstuf.com or www.deepdiscount.com .

If you bring 50 dollars to the swap meet, I would suggest about 200 dollars for the dealers hall, bringing total spending money to about 250.

Total Cost
If you arrive on Thursday night, eat all meals and bring 250 dollars in spending money: $530
If you arrive on Friday night, eat all meals and bring 250 dollars in spending money: $460
If you arrive on Friday night, skip breakfast and bring 250 dollars in spending money: $440

Keep in mind that 200 dollars in the dealers hall is still a decent amount of swag. A few DVDs, a couple wall scrolls, a soundtrack, a figure or two and a shirt is probably what you'll end up with, not to mention whatever you can snag at the swap meet. If this is your first convention, you can plan on bringing less money because you will be running around to panels, AMV contests, cosplay competitions and showing rooms all day long and won't really have time to do much shopping. ^_^ Don't forget about Artist Alley either!

Finally, if you're a big gamer type...you'll need a separate budget amount for arcade stuff. Games are pretty steep, like 50 cents to a dollar per play. However, some of these games are tons of fun and you'll want to play them more than once. Waiting for consoles may take some time, but the import games are usually tons of fun to play too. Bring about 30-40 dollars for arcade stuff if you're planning on being there often.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER

1) SET ASIDE THE HOTEL MONEY!! I can't tell you how many stories I've heard about people who go to the checkout on Monday and realize that their roommates have either:
a) Spent all their money over the weekend and don't have their share for the room.
b) Disappeared like ninjas on Sunday night and left the card-holder to front the whole bill.

Collect the money for the hotel the DAY THEY ARRIVE! Many hotels will take the payments early so you can give them the payment for the hotel the day you check in. This is probably for the best, especially if you (or your roommates) are at Fanimecon for the first time.

2) DON'T SPEND YOUR FOOD MONEY ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN FOOD! Nothing's worse than starving on Sunday and monday because you spent all your money by Saturday night. If you have any surplus of your food budget, wait until Monday to use it.

3) WAIT TO DO MOST OF YOUR SHOPPING UNTIL SUNDAY/MONDAY! The only thing you should buy on Friday or Saturday are limited edition or rare items that you think won't last until Sunday or Monday. Even then, most of the time these retailers (especially if they're local) will re-stock over the weekend.

Well, that's about it.I hope this helps you guys! Let me know if you have any questions.

Tips offered by other Board-frequenters[/i]

Phoenixphire24-
Dealers room: I found it really helpful last year to make a list of things I knew I was looking for. Then I went around the internet and found out how much these items cost (plus shipping). That way I could browse the dealer's room and know when I was getting a deal and when I should wait. I haven't tried it, but it might help you bargan down some prices as well. As Guru said, unless you're getting a super deal, DVDs are usually cheaper online. The manga sellers actually had some good deals if you wanted to buy 4-5+ books; mostly a buy 4 get one free sort of thing. Of course, you have to bring some extra money for the dealer's room for those things you happen to find and can't live without right there and then.

Food: If you want to save on food, don't buy the food at the convention center. It's expensive and you don't get all that much food. It's better to walk a few blocks from the convention center. There are several mexican places with great cheap burritos.

Hotel: Make sure that you also factor in parking!

Kyraensui -
Luckily, the Hilton has mini fridges in the rooms already so I don't need to request one. Just in case, bringing a cooler is an awesome idea since yeah, the fridge has limited space to place our drinks. XD I intend to bring 2 cases of bottle waters for the convention for my roommates.

I agree. If you just walk outside of the convention center, you would find cheap foods. I even walk as far as Albertson to do some food shopping. Even times, I don't mind driving all the way to SJ Mitsuwa to buy some Japanese bentos and snacks too. XD Even stop by a bit at Kinokuniya too.

If you going to park at the convention center, I would wait until Friday when they are cheaper. T_T My friend and I paid $18 on Thursday, but found out it's $10 each day starting on Friday until Monday. Most hotels do give In & Out privileges so it's great when not losing your parking space.

Jeans -
Food will not cost you that much! La Victoria's taqueria sells breakfast burritos for $1.50 (or $1.75? i dunno, under two dollars) that are very filling and nutritious (eggs and protein!). Also, I would not buy the food from the convention vendors--it's all incredibly marked up. There are many restaurants downtown where you can buy really tasty and healthy food for cheap. Try Pita Pit, La Vic's, Iguana's, or even one of the pizza places! There is even a sushi place in Plaza de San Antonio (like 2 streets away from the con).

As for the walking around at night comment...I personally would, but I would be cautious. Always go with a group of friends to be on the safe side! Many of the restaurants downtown are open late for the people leaving clubs and such.

Heeroyuy

NEW I have an idea to those who don't want to wait around to have their credit card charged the full amount for a hotel room. Instead, buy hotel gift cards in small increments. For example, if you know your room is going to cost about $300, then buy three $100 gift cards. You can probably buy one each month after you reserve the room until you get to your desired total. You would still have to put a credit card on file, but when the bill comes around for the hotel you're stuck with the chump change compared to the full charge because the gift cards will take the grunt of the charged amount. It also gives you a easier chance to pay off those small amounts each month (or whatever your payment period is) compared to having to pay off the full amount.
What I did last year was I bought a lot of bottled water - I got 4 cases of 24 bottles from Smart and Final for about $20. Since the group I was in had two rooms, I decided to get 2 cases for each room.

It was a good idea since you save a lot of money on drinks (plus water and, to a certain extent, sports drinks like Gatorade are better for you over the weekend than sodas and energy drinks), but since we stayed at the Crowne Plaza, the accessibility for that water was not immediate, as we had to walk across the street to get to the hotel.

I'm going to do it again this year, and since I'm staying at the Marriot I can always retreat into my room, cool off with water, then go back without having to travel far. This way, the accessibility is much higher.


When I figured out my budget, I used a guide that is provided by the community college district (thank god for my ASG connections Smiley) to determine food budgets for traveling for conferences and other related events that require some sort of stipend. When I go back next week, I'll get one and provide it so that you can figure out it on a form.

I got the figures!

    * Breakfast: $9
    * Lunch: $12
    * Dinner: $21


That comes out to $42 a day, that's not including other items like snacks or drinks on the side.

Again, this is from a form that calculates stipend costs for travel provided by the community college district that I attend.

In reality, no one has $42 for food unless you have a ton of disposable income.

I can see something like this:

    * Breakfast: $6.75
    * Lunch: $9
    * Dinner: $15.75


That knocks it down to $31.50.

I say that these amounts are recommended so that you get the food that you need to keep yourself at optimum level while at FanimeCon

Moonblossom -
For more really tasty and relatively inexpensive food, there's the Asquew Grill.
http://www.asqewgrill.com/

A friend and I stumbled across this place while roaming around looking for dinner one night after everything else was closed, and omg, it's fabulous. The meat is really juicy and tender, and every single one of their sides that we ended up trying were awesome. We went back the next night with a larger group actually, and didn't mind at all.

It's not quite as cheap as La Victoria, but it's so delicious.

And, um, interesting tidbit that I possibly should not be promoting, they never carded me ><. I was 25 at the time so it wasn't an issue one way or the other, but it's handy to know. Should you have, um, forgotten your ID at the hotel, of course.

Superkawaiineko-

I've been doing this for more than ten years now, and I've been to cons as far away as AX. You guys seem to have the money covered, but I've got one tip for you, and that is to always have some extra money (if you can spare it, not everyone can.)

We call this the "Holy Shit! Fund" and the farther away from con you are, the larger this needs to be. If you're local, you could probably get away with around twenty dollars or so. If you're a couple hours away, you'll want at least 50 to 100. If youre from down south or out of state, $100 to $200 is nice. Sometimes, things dont go according to plan. Sometimes, unexpected things happen. And then you go "Holy shit! I need cash!" This is where the Holy Shit! Fund comes into play. Perhaps gremlins poke holes in your tire and you need to buy a new one. Maybe you lose track of time and miss your train, and you need to buy a new ticket. Maybe the omg BEST. BAND. EVAR. is playing one night only and you NEED to go see them. Maybe your friend gets arrested and you need to post bail. Maybe the roads get closed or the train breaks down and you need cash for another night at the hotel.

Maybe you meet the girl or guy of your dreams and decide to elope.

All of these reasons and more is why we have the Holy Shit! Fund. Have any of them ever happened to me? Nope. Do I still set money aside whenever I have enough to spare? Hell yes. You also have to remember that the unexpected can happen both on the way to the con, at the con itself, and on the way home. I suggest setting aside an amount that you deem appropriate, and keeping that money entirely seperate from your normal money (keep it in a different wallet in a different spot on your person, or even leave it in the hotel room (in a place where the cleaning lady wont think it's for her.)) Dont spend it until monday, and if you can keep at least half of it just in case of emergencies on the way home (sometimes I spend my food money and use the remainder of The Fund for food on the way back XD)

Will you need it? Probably not. But if you don't prepare and you end up wishing you had it, I hope you think of meee~ ^_^

Fanime attendee since 2004
Swap meet staff - 2014
Swap meet co-chair - 2015

KyraEnsui

Wow. Awesome job for compiling all these into one page. Something new? Hmm... From what I learned last year:

1.) Stock on waters or any beverages in coolers with ice (or in mini-fridges if staying at Hilton). Just don't forget to drain out the water and restock ice to keep it cool. As good as there are food stands even later at night, it's quite expensive. I remember buying Gatorade for  about $4.00!
2.) Do plan ahead of where to eat. There are many great recommendations by our awesome board members so plan it out so you wouldn't miss out so many events going on.
3.) Know those coffee makers in rooms they have? Good for boiling water if you decide to go on cup of noodles and such.
4.) Got the munchies? If you can, stock up on little snacks like granola bars, small bag of chips, and etc.. so you won't splurge on so much. Plus, good way to snack when waiting in lines. =)
5.) The hardest part: SAVE money. ^^b  Just in case of emergency or last minute purchases. Swap meet is the best place to look out for good deals.

That's all I can come up right now. In any situation, planning ahead is the best way to go.

Gatsby

Some tips I learned from this year.

- When it comes to actually saving money for the con plan to save at least 100 dollars MORE than you need. There are always unknown expenses that may arise.
- It really helps to bring your own food and snacks. This includes cups of noodle, PB&J, and cereal. You can make a cup of noodle by heating water in the coffee maker. Not the best cup of noodle, but it's still a cheap and tasty snack. Bring lots of water and other drinks. I don't recommend sodas as they tend to make you more thirsty. Try not to eat at the food stands as they are horribly expensive.
- There are many close food joints that are reasonably priced and quite tasty.
- Save your money as best as you can. Don't buy everything on the first day. Take some time to look at everything you like then think about what you want most and buy them slowly over the course of Fanime.

Mr Anime

Next year I'll probably do the same thing I did this year and just use my tax refund to cover my expenses.   :P But I'm also saving up a bit here and there. I also bring water and a few snacks along with me to minimize on my con spending. Though it's a little to early to tell how much I'll really have to spend.
I'm the best at what I do. And what I do isn't very nice.

Rei-Rei

One important thing I learned about the hotels is, even if you pay for staying at the hotel x amounts of nights, the price is not set so therefore you should have a couple hundred dollars extra just in case. There was a deposit for each room we booked, we took a couple of things from the fridge, and there was the movies charge. You should not watch movies that the hotel provides. It's actually a lot cheaper to go to Blockbusters to rent movies and watch them on your laptop.

FanFicGuru

Quote from: Rei-Rei on October 08, 2008, 09:40:30 AM
One important thing I learned about the hotels is, even if you pay for staying at the hotel x amounts of nights, the price is not set so therefore you should have a couple hundred dollars extra just in case. There was a deposit for each room we booked, we took a couple of things from the fridge, and there was the movies charge. You should not watch movies that the hotel provides. It's actually a lot cheaper to go to Blockbusters to rent movies and watch them on your laptop.


This is also  true. Same goes for phone calls. Granted, lots of people have cell phones now, but definitely avoid using the hotel phones except to call the front desk, it adds up so fast! With fees and everything else I think the base cost even for same area code is like $0.75/minute!

Fanime attendee since 2004
Swap meet staff - 2014
Swap meet co-chair - 2015

Sen

By the way, registration is at $45 right now so you might want to edit your first post.

When I'm in the dealer's room, and I see something I want, I think about whether or not I really have to have it. It has saved me money and from a lot of impulse buys.
Claudia

Chair Radio '15
Fan Services Division メンバーサービス共同本部長
   Member '15
   Director '10-'13
   Assistant Director '08-'09
Registration Staff '05-'07

Charis

Since space is always at a premium, one way to stretch your cooler space a little further at the outset is to freeze some of the things you'll be keeping inside (e.g. water bottles, etc.).  That way, you have cool drinks without taking up too much extra space.  It can also be done with some foods.

Cheaper even than water bottles (at least, in my experience) is bringing up a bottle per person and one of those big two-and-a-half gallon bottles.  They're exceedingly convenient for those who prefer bottled water to tap.  Similarly, bringing up larger bottles of juice/soda/whatever and decanting them over the course of the weekend can save precious pennies in your budget, as the smaller bottles or juice boxes often wind up far pricier by the ounce.  Keep your eyes open for supermarket sales and so on.

Ramen may be cheap, but it's got an abominable sodium content.  For the same price, you can grab yourself a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter and make sandwiches -- a healthier alternative, especially if you bring along an apple to go with it.  On the other hand, you will wind up wanting to replenish the salt in your body, particularly if you're wearing a warm cosplay; pretzels are my preference for this, as they're usually fairly cheap, not too fattening, and can be dipped in peanut butter or cream cheese for added protein.

I've always brought food and drinks to cons, or asked the people I'm staying with to bring some stuff if I'm going by plane.  If you're like so many congoers and tend to forget to eat or drink, having a bottle of water and a granola bar can help tremendously when you start to get all dizzy somewhere around three in the afternoon. :3  There was a reason I carried around cookies last year -- I know congoers!

There will be emergencies.  It's in the rules somewhere.  Make sure to have either an emergency fund or, if you're stretched that tightly, wiggle room on your credit card.  When the fecal matter hits the air circulation device, you'll be glad for it.
2012 Plans:
  • Gypsy Queen / Kaya Syokka (Trinity Blood)
  • Risai (Juuni Kokki/Twelve Kingdoms)
  • Shusui (Saiunkoku Monogatari)
  • others TBD

seika27

Tips when shopping:
-Try to make a list of all the books that's in your collection to ensure that you don't buy doubles, or that you will set aside money for that book you've been waiting along time to get.
-TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SWAP MEET! A lot of people sell things there a lot cheaper than the dealers room and they'll be in (usually) great condition. When possible I will buy the bulk of my book list at the swap meet for insanely cheap prices and then hit the dealers room later for the newer releases.
-Try to divide your money between how many days you're actually going to be at the con. Being at the con definitely overexcites me and sometimes I'll end up spending 2/3 of my money by friday. I don't actually split my money up into thirds or fourths, I just keep in mind the amount of dollars per day that I want to spend. That way if I see something that I really really want on a certain day I can just spend more of my money towards that item and not have to go back to my hotel room or something to get more money.
-Keep some amount of money separate along with one credit card. This is in case someone steals your wallet, or some unforeseen accident occurs, you will still have something to help you out.

Tips for eating:
-Do not buy food at the con. It can be very expensive and there isn't much variety.
-Do check out San Jose. You don't even have to go far from the con. Last year my sister and I found Tandoori Oven which is very close to Johnny Rockets and has student discounts! Great curry and other stuff for about $6!
-Hit a grocery store. Whether its a Safeway or Ranch 99 (asian supermarket), you can get sandwich makings, cereal, or even unhealthy but cheap snacks. I adore Ranch 99 and if your sick of top ramen then i suggest going there. They have lots of different types of instant noodles from asia that taste way better than top ramen, not to say that they are healthier... If you live somewhat close by then I say making food ahead of time that tastes good cold is the best idea. I like making onigiris filled with unagi(Ranch 99 sells frozen unagi for like $4!) that are great for meals on the go, or a salad that I can just add dressing to later. Great salad to make is lettuce, feta cheese, walnuts, fresh cut strawberries, and raspberry vinagrette. Just put into a tuppaware and bring the dressing!
-Buy sturdy fruit. By sturdy I mean that it will last well if its bouncing along in your bag along with your anime purchases. Apples are especially great because you can eat them as is, but I love persimmons and have two trees at home, so I just precut them and put them in a ziplock until I want them.
-If you make meat dishes and you want hot rice to go with them, just buy rice from the chinese restaurant thats also next to Johnny Rockets.
-IF YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO COOK OR YOU'RE COMING FROM SOMEPLACE FAR FAR AWAY...just buy food from restaurants and share with friends. A lot of the dishes have big portions so instead or ordering separate dishes, just share one! It'll save the both of you money and is a good time to ooh and ahh about your purchases. My sister and I always share a drink because we can usually get it refilled so there's really no reason to get two cups!
- I don't actually bring that much bottle water with me anymore. I just usually get one bottle that I can reuse and then keep filling up at the water stations around the con. This way it won't be so heavy to carry. The con is very good at keeping these water stations filled so I don't have much need to carry around my own water.

Guise

This is going to be my first Fanime and first time abroad alone...a little scared? I'm bricking it. I am looking forward to meeting some new people and spending time in a nicer climate.

Thought I'd share a recommendation to anyone, like myself, who is travelling from overseas. It wont be of much use to the majority of people here, but might make life easier for us non-natives.  ;D

If you've used a credit card to shop or withdraw cash abroad, you'll probably have spotted the additional amounts for foreign transactions AND currency conversion. I got the suggestion from a friend who works as a travelling marketing rep, see about setting up a US dollar account alongside your current account from your bank (or a different one depending how bad yours is). A lot of banks do these and although they perform the currency conversion at time of depositing (which means that if you travel at a time when the exchange rate favours your home, then you might lose out on a better deal) they often have a lower or not charge an additional conversion fee. Remember also, sometimes you need to contact your credit card provider to allow use abroad - I certainly had to, even though I can use it online.

You might also want to look at banks like Citibank as they use agent companies in other countries but tend to tie accounts through the US - in the UK you can set up a Citibank account with an additional US dollar account, put the holiday money in the USD account and it then removes transaction and ATM withdrawl fees while in the US as long as you use the USD account.

(For an idea of why this can be a good idea, I'm staying in SJ for 11 nights total at Hilton, so paying quite a lot. I know how much they will charge me in dollars and have confirmation of that (incl. tax and other charges), if I have that amount in my dollar account then my bill is settled. If I have the equivalent amount in my own currency at the time I fly over, then at the time of check out the exchange rate might actually mean I am short by anything from tens to hundreds)

Also, remember that unlike a lot of European countries you get sales tax added on top of items and not included in the price, so budget for it. The first few times I bought stuff in the US, I was confused as heck when the price was about 5-10% higher than even my poor maths skills could work out.

Oh, and roaming charges on your mobile phone. Seriously, these can be a nightmare.

Sorry if all that was long-winded.

FanFicGuru

Something I realized I didn't mention in the original post but is very important:

When you check into your hotel, both the Marriott AND the Hilton charge a $50/night deposit to your credit or debit card. That means if you are staying for 3 nights, they will charge the cost of your room stay PLUS 150 dollars. So if the cost for your room is 400 dollars, they charge your card a total of $550. The 150 dollars is put back onto your card within 2-3 business days, but you WILL NOT have access to these funds during Fanime, since it take place over the weekend and that Monday is a holiday, and not a business day. Please PLEASE keep this in mind when figuring out your finances. If they cannot process the room+deposit fee on your card they won't let you check in, and they won't take the deposit in cash, though they may take a check.

Some people may argue that they didn't have to pay a deposit, but in the 4  years I've gone to Fanime this has been the case every single time, and I've stayed at both hotels. So, I'm going to assume that this is still the case.

So, please, keep that in mind.
Fanime attendee since 2004
Swap meet staff - 2014
Swap meet co-chair - 2015

heeroyuy135

What I found myself doing was buying case of water and one of those Gatorade powdered drink mix. All I did was pour some water into a container, added the powder, shake it up, and boom - instant Gatorade. I found myself drinking that the whole weekend, alone and even with food that I bought out of the convention. It's a cheap alternative to buying actual Gatorade (it can save you about $5), plus you can also have water.

With that strict intake of Gatorade and water, I found myself much more active, alert, and not so much tired - even when I pounded an energy drink late-night. Now I know what to drink at conventions to ensure that I get everything out of Fanime.

KyraEnsui

Quote from: FanFicGuru on November 10, 2008, 01:23:55 PM
Something I realized I didn't mention in the original post but is very important:

When you check into your hotel, both the Marriott AND the Hilton charge a $50/night deposit to your credit or debit card. That means if you are staying for 3 nights, they will charge the cost of your room stay PLUS 150 dollars. So if the cost for your room is 400 dollars, they charge your card a total of $550. The 150 dollars is put back onto your card within 2-3 business days, but you WILL NOT have access to these funds during Fanime, since it take place over the weekend and that Monday is a holiday, and not a business day. Please PLEASE keep this in mind when figuring out your finances. If they cannot process the room+deposit fee on your card they won't let you check in, and they won't take the deposit in cash, though they may take a check.

Some people may argue that they didn't have to pay a deposit, but in the 4  years I've gone to Fanime this has been the case every single time, and I've stayed at both hotels. So, I'm going to assume that this is still the case.

So, please, keep that in mind.

Good thing that you mention it. It happened to me when I was staying at the Hilton and it's been like that anywhere I go for hotels. I think they might mention on their website too. A good heads up on that.

heeroyuy135

Quote from: KyraEnsui on November 10, 2008, 04:09:13 PM
Quote from: FanFicGuru on November 10, 2008, 01:23:55 PM
Something I realized I didn't mention in the original post but is very important:

When you check into your hotel, both the Marriott AND the Hilton charge a $50/night deposit to your credit or debit card. That means if you are staying for 3 nights, they will charge the cost of your room stay PLUS 150 dollars. So if the cost for your room is 400 dollars, they charge your card a total of $550. The 150 dollars is put back onto your card within 2-3 business days, but you WILL NOT have access to these funds during Fanime, since it take place over the weekend and that Monday is a holiday, and not a business day. Please PLEASE keep this in mind when figuring out your finances. If they cannot process the room+deposit fee on your card they won't let you check in, and they won't take the deposit in cash, though they may take a check.

Some people may argue that they didn't have to pay a deposit, but in the 4  years I've gone to Fanime this has been the case every single time, and I've stayed at both hotels. So, I'm going to assume that this is still the case.

So, please, keep that in mind.

Good thing that you mention it. It happened to me when I was staying at the Hilton and it's been like that anywhere I go for hotels. I think they might mention on their website too. A good heads up on that.
The Fanime site does tell you when you book. I think that most people forget it anyways...
That's why I charge the hotel on one card (usually my credit card) and charge everything else on my other (debit card or cash).

Mr Anime

Quote from: FanFicGuru on November 10, 2008, 01:23:55 PM
Something I realized I didn't mention in the original post but is very important:

When you check into your hotel, both the Marriott AND the Hilton charge a $50/night deposit to your credit or debit card. That means if you are staying for 3 nights, they will charge the cost of your room stay PLUS 150 dollars. So if the cost for your room is 400 dollars, they charge your card a total of $550. The 150 dollars is put back onto your card within 2-3 business days, but you WILL NOT have access to these funds during Fanime, since it take place over the weekend and that Monday is a holiday, and not a business day. Please PLEASE keep this in mind when figuring out your finances. If they cannot process the room+deposit fee on your card they won't let you check in, and they won't take the deposit in cash, though they may take a check.

Some people may argue that they didn't have to pay a deposit, but in the 4  years I've gone to Fanime this has been the case every single time, and I've stayed at both hotels. So, I'm going to assume that this is still the case.

So, please, keep that in mind.

I stayed at the Hilton this year and didn't have to pay any kind of deposit. I still find it a bit strange that they ask some people for some kind of deposit and totally don't required it from others.
I'm the best at what I do. And what I do isn't very nice.

FanFicGuru

Quote from: Mr Anime on November 11, 2008, 10:27:58 AM
Quote from: FanFicGuru on November 10, 2008, 01:23:55 PM
Something I realized I didn't mention in the original post but is very important:

When you check into your hotel, both the Marriott AND the Hilton charge a $50/night deposit to your credit or debit card. That means if you are staying for 3 nights, they will charge the cost of your room stay PLUS 150 dollars. So if the cost for your room is 400 dollars, they charge your card a total of $550. The 150 dollars is put back onto your card within 2-3 business days, but you WILL NOT have access to these funds during Fanime, since it take place over the weekend and that Monday is a holiday, and not a business day. Please PLEASE keep this in mind when figuring out your finances. If they cannot process the room+deposit fee on your card they won't let you check in, and they won't take the deposit in cash, though they may take a check.

Some people may argue that they didn't have to pay a deposit, but in the 4  years I've gone to Fanime this has been the case every single time, and I've stayed at both hotels. So, I'm going to assume that this is still the case.

So, please, keep that in mind.

I stayed at the Hilton this year and didn't have to pay any kind of deposit. I still find it a bit strange that they ask some people for some kind of deposit and totally don't required it from others.

You won't know if you paid a deposit unless you look at your bank statement like, immediately after checking in. It will show a pending charge of your hotel room +the deposit charge, but by the time the charge goes through it just shows your room charge.

I don't think that they are allowed to impose deposits for some visitors and not others, but I may be wrong on this. For the general population at least, prepare for that deposit fee.
Fanime attendee since 2004
Swap meet staff - 2014
Swap meet co-chair - 2015

satanic_mechanic

oh man, one of the reasons fanime is a guilty pleasure of mine is my complete embrace of temporary irresponsibility and reckless abandon.

i basically lived off of La Vic burritos, rockstar and vodka. and i managed to get to the final table at the saturday night poker tournament.

good times.
"I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life...to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." -HD Thoreau

FanFicGuru

One other important thing that might not be so obvious until you look again:

This budget is based off of the assumption that you are sharing a room with 3 other people!

If you are going to fly solo, instead of 98 dollars for your hotel fee, figure 400, and don't forget the deposit fee of 150 so it's more like $550 (though the deposit is refunded within a couple business days).

Or, if you're going with less than 3 people, take that into account with your budget by re-dividing the $393 appropriately.
Fanime attendee since 2004
Swap meet staff - 2014
Swap meet co-chair - 2015

Rette

Get one of those hot water kettles ($15) and oodles of cup Ramen. While you might feel mildly ill by Monday, you'll have saved a ton of money.

~ Gaffer Tape is like the Force. There's a Dark Side and a Light Side and it Holds the Universe Together. ~

Member of Three Dollar Laugh Cosplay

Rodney_Pheonix

Wouldn't it be easier to just pay for the room completely upfront? It makes more sense to me. then again I come from an economic philosophy of But what you are buying, for the entire price upfront, in cash. Rather than taking out a loan and all that other crap and spending years paying on said item, and most of all I hate owing people money.
Personal FanimeCon 2015 Fund: ?/?
Planned 2014 Cosplays:
Kiev Klanker
A young Sidrovich?
HL2 Combine (concept art trenchcoat one)
Something something....no idea yet.