Houston Astros game savings: Cheaper tickets, snacks, souvenirs
HOUSTON - Taking a family to an Astros home game, buying snacks, and paying for parking can run you nearly $200. That's a big number on the score board when times are tight.
So we got some coaching from the pros to help you slide into savings.
Batter up. First at the plate, some good news.
"The price per ticket on average is relatively flat since last season. With everything else going up, baseball continues to be one of the most affordable sporting events," said Joseph Bocanegra of StubHub.
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A MoneyGeek analysis found taking a family of four to an Astros home game costs about $182. The average price for the cheap seats at Minute Maid: $26.50. So let's take a swing at that price.
"If you can sneak away during the week, we've seen that you save an average of about 15% versus weekend games," suggested Bocanegra.
Score: $16 saved for a family of four.
With dynamic pricing, MoneyGeek found tickets for games with big rivals like the Yankees go up an average of $12 per seat, or $48 for four.
"Really great series coming up that are most in demand, like the series against the Rangers and then the series against the Dodgers," said Bocanegra.
So choose games against less buzzy teams. MoneyGeek says a ticket for games against the Diamondbacks goes down $3.43, and drops $2.59 for games against the Pirates.
Head to the Astros website for Discount College and Military nights, Dollar Dog Nights, to get a Coca-Cola Ballpark Bundle, or a Family Sunday 4-pack with tickets and snacks starting under $90. Savings score: $73.
"There's a wide variety of tickets available for baseball fans, even more than we've seen before in other past seasons," said Bocanegra.
Or for the savings win, you can bring your own food into Minute Maid Park in a gallon ziplock bag along with a one-liter of bottle of water.
Parking runs an average of $20. Steal savings by taking MetroRail, getting a free shuttle from Ninfa's, sharing a shuttle through the Rally app, taking an Uber, Lyft, or carpool. Street parking meters are free after 6 p.m., or reserve parking in advance through SpotHero, ParkMobile, StubHub or SeatGeek.
To take home some free merchandise, the gates open two hours before games. Fans can bring their own glove to catch balls while the teams warm up, or ask players for autographs. You can also plan to attend games when the Astros giveaway free memorabilia, such as 10,000 Jose Altuve replica orange jerseys on April 12.