How much do YOU spend on Burning Man?

[theCryptofishist]

Yes, there is that. and what can I say, I was on your list this year, and I'm going to wear it with pride on Sunday. Also, Misa's necklace from last year. jk's name tag. I forget what else. My uniform! Once again I will be Political Officer...

[Mojojita]

Just pucker up and blow....

[EspressoDude]

whatever you spend, save for it, and that will be your budget. Start saving NOW for your ticket.

don't put the event on your credit card unless you can pay it off right away, like when you get back to default.

24.5 % interest!! will cost you dearly. It makes a $400 ticket cost almost $500 if you make minimum payments

[shykat]

I pretty much think about sex and Burning Man all the time.....and i don't pay for sex .....yet...... so there's that.

[Trishntek]

I suppose my comment could have been expressed more succinctly. Giving is more than $$. The question did not specify money, even though that was the assumed context. Gifts can be to the city, projects and individuals in all manner of donated time, effort and money.

There are various passionately emotional and physical investments that far outweigh monetary value. I see the question as, "How much of YOU is spent on Burning Man?"

[FIGJAM]

Wanna give some examples Figjam?

http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?f=280&t=33842

[Noboundaries]

There is no way I'm adding it all up, but it did cost me $3k at the last minute. When our cargo trailer rental fell through the Monday morning we were to pick it up and leave for the Burn, I said fuck it all because I was so uncharacteristically pissed. My wife had talked me out of buying a used cargo trailer 8 months earlier for 1/4th the cost of the new one. She apologized when I got home and explained what happened at the rental dealer. She realized what she'd done, having seen all the work I'd put into prep since the 2011 Burn weekend. Then she said "go buy exactly what you want." I might have heard the end of that sentence as the door was slamming shut behind me. I love my new trailer and we only lost a day on the playa.

[graidawg]

I think i spent £2000 directly on going to and being at burning man, plus lost earnings of about £4000 and the money my employers stole off me while i was away adds another £3000

realistically if i had all that money i could of just moved over there. but its worth it. so my total investment in bm for 2012 is about $9000 though only 3-4k (in actual $$)

[Sail Man]

5500$ towing a camper from Detroit last year. Course we saved a few bucks drafting off of those towing campers from the D who were actually bugging out for good lol.

[Lowz]

Roughly one month salary but it depends on who paid for the damn truck

But i confess i'm tightwad so i'll go with Figjam and Savannah

(the private joke is my gift for today)

[graidawg]

I suppose my comment could have been expressed more succinctly. Giving is more than $$. The question did not specify money, even though that was the assumed context. Gifts can be to the city, projects and individuals in all manner of donated time, effort and money.

There are various passionately emotional and physical investments that far outweigh monetary value. I see the question as, "How much of YOU is spent on Burning Man?"

well TnT it takes me about 3 months to acheive some kind of emotional stability after i get back, and for 2 months before i go again i literally am interested in nothing else. i am over there for about a month, so far Its's about 50% of me devoted to being at BM. Now lets take into account the "wanting to avoid drama" part which has me thinking about BM for about 3 hours a night and even thinking i may not go next year, so as not to interfere with others burns, or trying to think of a way I can have my burn without affecting there's that's another 12.5%.
thats my commitment to BM for me. now lets add in the thinking what can i do for BM itself, or what can i do to add something to BRC for other people to enjoy, giving what advice i can to people wanting to go, or are going but need a little help in working out "how" that probably averages again another 3 hours a day. Or another 12.5% so far I am 75% giving to the burn. I still think i'm not doing enough, if i could i would happily go out from the moment DPW sets foot on the playa to start building our city and leave with the last of the restoration team having removed all trace of us having been there. then go to Reno and help anyone who wants it with next years project or converting a school bus.

It's probably more of measure of how little there is in my life than how commited to BM i am, because of course i am over in London, dreaming of a life i don't have. Perhaps part of the reason i think of not going for 2013 is just that, maybe I don't really know, like I said it takes me 3 months to acheive some kind of stability after i get back.

[Zhust]

I think I hit a record low this year: $1,300 including a $390 ticket (which cost $409 in the end), and a 2,500 mile trip.

I took the train and only had to spend cash for the part from Rochester to Chicago. I had mileage points for Amtrak to pay for the roomette both ways between Chicago and Reno. So that was $135.

I also stayed in Reno for one night each way which cost a total of about $350 with food and drinks and all. To me, Reno is boring as fuck, so all I was doing is sitting around spending money.

And then I took the ToFlame bus and had to buy two seats because I had so much stuff I was carrying. So that was $280.

Which leaves about $125 in incidental expenses: snacks on the train, stopping at the Art Institute of Chicago, etc.

Maybe next time I'll just do one day on the return trip: arriving off the train I was pretty ready-to-go, but on the way back I think I want a spare day. And if I can get the ToFlame bus again except with a reasonable amount of stuff, I can save another $300 or so. Of course, I probably won't have enough Amtrak points to pay for the roomettes so that's an additional $625 each way right there ($140 for the train and another $500 for the room, although if I had another person to share it, the price is the same for 2 people). (Of ourse, compare that to driving 5,000 miles which typically averages to $0.30/mile or $1,500.) (Flying may be cheaper, but there's the problem that it's shitty, dehumanizing fucking flying, and you can't bring five 50-pound bags like you can on the train ... see also, the limits on the ToFlame bus, though.)

[dangerous]

It's probably more of measure of how little there is in my life than how commited to BM i am, because of course i am over in London, dreaming of a life i don't have. Perhaps part of the reason i think of not going for 2013 is just that, maybe I don't really know, like I said it takes me 3 months to acheive some kind of stability after i get back.

my heart aches for you; sincerely maybe your next project could be discovering ways to bring a bit of the burn to your life every day? maybe get an evening job at a costume shop and moop the boa section? but don't throw dust all over the floor-that might get ya fired

[clocksnmirrors]

$340 for my ticket
$390 for the ticket i wasn't able to sell
$1,700 for gas from florida to BRC and back
$345 for the generator i never used
$200 for thrift store pillows, blankets, adornment, cool crap
$150 alcohol
$250 food
$650 hexayurt and monkey hut with camping supplies
$427 camera equipment i never used
$300 regular trips to dollar store for batteries, flowers, and just about anything else you can imagine

totals about $4,700

but i'm sure i spent more than this. this is just the stuff that comes to mind immediately

it was my first year. and needless to say, i bought and brought way more stuff than i needed. i don't regret having it available because it made me feel prepared. i should also add that i hadn't taken a real vacation for years so i felt fully justified in blowing a huge wad. it felt really good!

now that i know what to expect, i'll cut back in most areas and spend more on art and gifts

2013 will be a good year

[burner von braun]

Hi N2FBoston.. there is an additional thread similar to this entitled 'Burn Preparation Costs' back on page 9 of Open Discussion, (last entry Dec 21) which will give you even more comparisons. Now is a great time to ponder such things.

[theCryptofishist]

von Braun, it's perfectly acceptable to bump a thread under these circumstance. Or put in a link to it.

[burner von braun]

Thanks fishy!

[archeolojust]

I think the nice thing about repeat journeys to BRC is that after the first time (if you dive all the way in and build a shade structure, buy coolers and water jugs and camelbaks and all that shit, like I did) it costs significantly less. So now all I have to spend money on is ticket, travel and food. Which totals me at about 700-800 maximum coming from the East Coast. And its less if you can split the drive (and therefore the gas) and food with friends and if you don't mind not renting a vehicle.

[Trishntek]

I think the nice thing about repeat journeys to BRC is that after the first time (if you dive all the way in and build a shade structure, buy coolers and water jugs and camelbaks and all that shit, like I did) it costs significantly less. So now all I have to spend money on is ticket, travel and food. Which totals me at about 700-800 maximum coming from the East Coast. And its less if you can split the drive (and therefore the gas) and food with friends and if you don't mind not renting a vehicle.

My problem is I keep adding wings to the mansion each year,,, sighhhh

[aserendipity]

.work !
. go early and work
. stay late and work
. bring a basin and wash peoples feet
. last year the Dude who walked around with a block of ice and then offered cold hands on your neck and back ..weird and great
Contribute yourself

[Milayna]

2012 was my first year. I literally didn't get a ticket until 1 week before gates open, which meant I had a MAD rush to get what I needed, and since I lost out on the lottery and didn't expect to be going I also didn't have much money saved. So I prioritized, and figured out what was essential and where I could save $$. Craigslist was my best friend. I got on every couple hours for 2 days and was able to get a used tent for $25 and a big used cooler for $10 (it was BEAT up but I covered it in a cheap mylar emergency blanket for insulation and it worked just fine). So here were my essentials:

Ticket: $280 (I think....it was the cheapest level...)
Shade structure & rebar (I was going solo and didn't know a soul so having my own shade was essential): $100 (I built a basic 10 by 10 monkey hut)
Ride share gas roundtrip (from L.A. found on the awesome ride share board): $100
Alcohol & food (bought the cheapest vodka and beer so I'd have extra to share with ppl, I also planned out every meal so I didn't spend more than necessary):$200
Blinkies/lights so I was not a darkwad: $30 (this sounds frivolous but at night you NEED lights out there!)
Tent: $25
Cooler: $10
Camping chairs: 2 for $10 at garage sale
Dust mask/goggles: $30
Face paint kit (since I couldn't afford costumes): $15
Misc necessities from the dollar store: $30

So that puts me at..... $830

BUT I already had a camelbak bag/bladder which I feel is a necessity, a bike, and I did already have a couple fun clothing items that I slightly modified to make into basic costumes.

For gifts I walked around handing out cheap beer and helping set up ppls camps (and I tried to lend a hand anytime I saw someone needing help), I did a volunteer shift at Arctica (not exactly a gift, but at least some extra participation), and I carried a bottle of cheap vodka in my bag at night and shared with new ppl I met. Oh, and I also bought some of those gourmet lollipops at the dollar store and gave them out on burn night to the ppl sitting around me.

So that was pretty damn cheap, and I felt like I not only had a great experience, but that I was able to add to the experiences of other people I met as well.

[9ah]

I think between 1500-2000. This includes flying from the East Coast and renting a car. I'm going to try to forgo renting in 2013.

[Ratty]

My ticket was $420 +
Food about $150
Gas I don't know maybe $100
Stuff, about $5 or $10 dollars a WEEK all year

So Call it $1,200


I covered it all with several garage sales. Hey, I can't wear all those costumes that I made.

This summer I'm sorting everything into 2 piles and selling half of my shamefull, embarassing stuff.

[aserendipity]

you get to spend whatever you want to spend
remember that is the point
radical self expression
minimal or maximum
be

[mytripod]

I was very very broke when I went (I'm always broke because I'm an unpaid caregiver for my mother). My total for everything came in under $700. It will probably be more like $800 this year because the ticket cost more, gas is more expensive, and I'm spending the night in Susanville on the way to BRC.

[illy dilly]

I think the nice thing about repeat journeys to BRC is that after the first time (if you dive all the way in and build a shade structure, buy coolers and water jugs and camelbaks and all that shit, like I did) it costs significantly less. So now all I have to spend money on is ticket, travel and food. Which totals me at about 700-800 maximum coming from the East Coast. And its less if you can split the drive (and therefore the gas) and food with friends and if you don't mind not renting a vehicle.

This ^^^ is exactly our goal for this year, 2013.

The exact same thing happened the first year, 2011, we built our theme camp, The Gnome Dome. We also had to rent a box truck for 2011. That year the core members of camp averages between 1,800 and 2,100 each. Though all our other years 09, 10, and 12 were all more like 1,000 + ticket (ticket being what ever we paid that year). in 2012 we borrowed a box truck from my work. This year we're hoping to pull it off for about $800 a person, but there are only two of us, and we're crashing at BDV rather than build our own camp.

Our largest expense is gas from CO to BRC. It seems that no matter how many people we have or vehicles it always turns out to be about $400 a person. More people, means more vehicles, means more gas, and more pitch on gas. It really is weird!!!

[lucky420]

not enough and always to much

[Ratty]

I spend money every week. That's how I burn year-round. (I really don't want to think about the bottom line.)

[tattoogoddess]

I seriously don't want to think about this year. It is baddddddd!

[maryanimal]

I was very very broke when I went (I'm always broke because I'm an unpaid caregiver for my mother). My total for everything came in under $700. It will probably be more like $800 this year because the ticket cost more, gas is more expensive, and I'm spending the night in Susanville on the way to BRC.

hello mytripod! depending where you are coming from, there's this awesome burner who opens up his campground for burners for free! maybe you can use it?

http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?f=324&t=63970&p=929797&hilit=wedeliver#p929655




my trip to the playa will be around $3K-4K.