Alright so here’s the deal. I wanted cheap tickets to the Knicks vs Celtics game last week. Everyone knows those games get crazy expensive, right? Especially a rivalry like that. I figured I could save some cash with a little planning. Here’s exactly what I did.
My First Attempt Was Awful
I jumped on the first day tickets went live. Just woke up, grabbed coffee, and fired up my laptop. Total mistake. Prices were sky high. Like, “are they serious?” kind of high. For decent seats, forget about it. Way out of my budget. I almost gave up right then. Figured cheap tickets were just impossible.
Then I Actually Tried a Strategy
Decided to be smarter this time. Here’s the plan:
- Set Alerts: Told the ticket apps to scream at me if prices dropped.
- Checked Daily: Made it a habit. Morning coffee? Check ticket prices. Lunch break? Check again. It became a weird obsession.
- Targeted Weekdays: Forgot about weekends. Everyone wants weekends, prices stay stiff. Looked hard at Monday or Wednesday games instead.
The Waiting Game Paid Off
Nothing happened for days. Seriously, crickets. Started getting pissed. Then, boom! Three days before the Wednesday game I was eyeing, my phone blew up with alerts. Prices tanked. We’re talking nosebleed sections suddenly looking very affordable. Like, under $80 affordable. Couldn’t believe it.
But I waited AGAIN. Gut feeling. Panicked a little – what if they sell out? That 5 AM panic is real. Checked next morning… even cheaper! Fans were clearly dumping tickets last minute. Snagged two upper level seats for $60 each. Felt like robbing the place.
What Finally Worked
Okay, lessons learned the hard way:
- Early Bird Gets Screwed: Buying first day is throwing money away unless you NEED specific seats.
- Patience is Cash: Seriously. Set alerts and ignore the app until you hear that sweet, sweet price drop sound.
- Weekdays Rule: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday games around 11 AM – 1 PM Eastern seemed to be the magic time for sellers panicking.
- Last 72 Hours: Especially those last 48 hours before tip-off? Prime time for deals. Sellers get desperate.
Saved over $200 doing it this way. Totally worth the daily anxiety checks. Just set alerts and be ready to jump when your phone dings. Trust me.