Adding up the cost of Burning Man

[mdmf007]

Ouch - great bike, dumb dog.

Arent apehangers uncomfortable on playa all day?

[honeyfire]

i ... make 8.77 an hour work, about 30 hours a week make 400 more than rent and have already put 3000 into burningman i can still aford to pay for school and going out on the weekends and rent plus everything else.

How?!?

[bigbluedoggy]

Rather than discuss how much it costs to go to Burning man, why not discuss how much it would cost NOT to go to Burning Man?! Last year we put together a brand new theme camp with lots of infrastructure. Just keep adding zero's after the 2 and you'll get into the range of what I personally put out to have the time of my life. I do not regret it for a moment, even though I am still paying off the equity line and will be for awhile. This year we thankfully don't have to spend quite so much, since we bought it all last year, but it still isn't cheap to put together something cool for everyone to enjoy. Finding Burning Man lit a fire in me that hadn't been lit since I was a little kid in terms of creativity, excitement, silliness, wonder and the like. Couple little kid energy with adult financial access and you get a hell of a good time! Having Burning Man to look forward to each year fills me with jubilant glee! That is truly priceless!!!

[mdmf007]

Some people put 6 figures personally into a project for other to enjoy/ Blows me away

[AKAparttime]

-Plane ride & Van -1500
-Food -200+
-Gas 200+
One week at burning man Priceliss
Some one was asking about the price of gas in Hawaii..
7/14/08 -$4.69 for reg.... Kona side.....
~Parttime

[honeyfire]

Bigbluedoggy:
"why not discuss how much it would cost NOT to go to Burning Man?! "


Mmmm, that'd be.... zip.

It seems like some people have this idea that some others just don't want to spend the money, even though it's to go have this fantastic experience.

1) Nobody can decide for someone else what is a worthwhile expenditure/experience ratio.

2) If BM is the only time all year that you get to be your real self, you might consider developing other opportunites throughout the year.
Not that you should skip the burn, just that if the burn is your only chance to be real, that's a hard way to live.

3) We can't spend what we don't have. If i had the bucks, i'd go. If i had $10K to spend on creating a really amazing space to share with people, i'd happily do that. If i had the bucks to subsidize a bunch of other people, i'd do that.
I just don't have the money.

[gyre]

You're only in Denver!
It's just a casual trip from there.

And you get to escape the dangerously high radiation in Denver for the Nevada.....
nevermind that.

Denver is such an easy trip.

[honeyfire]

Okay, yeah, compared to Alderan, it's a pretty quick trip...




Hey.
Waittaminute.
They blew UP Alderan!


[peeringsuspiciously]You don't really live there, do you?It's just a mailing address, isn't it?[/peeringsuspiciously]

[gyre]

What do you know of this? [peering suspiciously]

[mdmf007]

Gyre - its just a rumor. Alderan is safe.

[Cassidy]

2) If BM is the only time all year that you get to be your real self, you might consider developing other opportunites throughout the year.
Not that you should skip the burn, just that if the burn is your only chance to be real, that's a hard way to live.

Last year (as a virgin) I discovered that I had lost a lot of my real self in the "rat race" of the American Dream, yeah, living the hard life. I got to re-discover myself at Burning Man. As a result of that, yes, I have developed other opportunities throughout the year that align more with my personal values and desires. I'm going back this year because BM allows me the freedom to express the rest of the real me that, in the default world, gets the funny stares, shocked expressions, confused reactions and expulsion from bars, to name a few. I get to connect with other people that don't base their entire self worth on possesions and income, but more on relationships and giving. The creativity I see there boggles my mind, it's like, I knew it existed in pictures and movies and in some museums, but wow - to see what people can do just for the sake of other people's enjoyment is amazing. I get to do things for other people without them being wary of accepting help because they think they'll have to pay me back or some stupid shit: "I'm doing it because I want to help you, silly!"

(this seems a bit ironic to me this year)
The American Dream that I pursued, and have accomplished, is now paying for me to live my real dream of being true to myself, helping others and having the freedom to do stupid shit without getting reprimanded for it. And if I screw up then it's my responsibility (a constant). It seems that in the default world people seek to blame others for personal mistakes. I revel in the fact that at BM I get to do almost anything I feel like doing and also get to (must) be responsible for my success or failure, not like the creativity-stifling, rule-imposing society that the default world has become.

The burning of the Man represents (to me) unshackling of my mind and life from the restraints society has made me wear since I was born. So, in my case, money isn't a factor in deciding whether or not I'm going. I'd find a way. I'd go even if I had to hitch-hike there and back, sleep on the open playa in just a sleeping bag with only one pair of shoes and no bike and had to work my ass off the whole time just to get a ticket and some water. When something really means something to you, you find a way. Maybe you can't go every year, or do that thing all the time but you figure it out so you can live your dream as much as you can.

**dammit, I wish I had a better vocabulary**

[gyre]

Your vocabulary seems just fine.
There are certain places only a certain word fits, but most things don't depend on that.

Do you think you're going for excitement or to relax?

[Barbie]

WOW I love you Cassidy How perfect.....

Thats IT the TRUE Burning Man... What EVER IT TAKES-

I love you








xooxxoxoxoxoxxxxxxxxxxoooooo BArbie

[Cassidy]

gee, thanks...

I go for the excitement, cuz seeing everybody and everything (especially fire!!) is exciting, but I also go to relax. Biking out to the open playa with only my thoughts is wonderful. I have SUCH a hard time adhering to my usual the down-to-the-minute schedule. So, for me, having no schedule at all (except when I volunteer) is very relaxing. In fact, even "work" was relaxing. Chatting with, ok, taunting, folks in line while slinging ice at Arctica was SO much fun!! It's just a different atmosphere where I don't feel pressured to do anything or be anyone in particular, while at the same time I don't feel like I wouldn't be welcome to join in with anyone or anything.

By mid-week last year I really felt like I could let my guard down (within reason, of course). It was then that I became a more interactive part of the community, contributing more of myself than any stuff I could have brought as gifts. That's not something I could put a price on... if I could try, it would be a lot. Kinda like the "money can't buy love" bit. This year, I am actually bringing "stuff" to gift, but it's recycled items that I'm putting together in a different way and making them personal. They may seem a little cheezy but I think of the little string necklace I got last year that I treasure like it's worth a million bucks, just because it reminds me of the experience. I hope to give someone else that feeling after their burn too.

[honeyfire]

CASSIDY:
"I get to do things for other people without them being wary of accepting help because they think they'll have to pay me back or some stupid shit: "I'm doing it because I want to help you, silly!" "

That's beautiful, Cassidy.
I'm glad to know that you are in the world wanting to do good for it's own sake.
Namaste...

[muscarina]

hello, does anyone know how much gas costs from LA to BM? anyone ever driven from there?

[capjbadger]

Figure it out yourself:

Avg price of gas X Your car's MPG X Miles to Playa = $$$

Simple.

-Badger

[ibdave]

$5000.00 each way should work...

[shroom]

From LA to BM? How about GA to BM?


(I've figured my gas myself, seems likes this is an easy one)

[FIGJAM]

Mapqwest has a fuel buget calculator.

[C.f.M.]

It's old, but I feel the OP's pain. I often think, "You people really don't have any idea how hard it is, for some of us to afford to go to Burning Man."

I'm still waiting for the damn Cookie Man scholarship, now 11 days later than they said they'd announce it.

My whole f'ing trip counts on it, and if I can go I REALLY need to start preparing.

- I had started editing to add that I'm terrific with money, and hustling money, but when it aint' there, it ain't there. And sometimes you got to be a grown-up and say, "Hm, a week's vacation or seven month's worth of mortgage payments..."

[Fire_Moose]

VACATION!

[Clar-i-ty]

Doing it on the cheap is definitely easier when you've been a few times. You don't have to buy as much stuff. This year with just myself bidune family and kids I figure:

Ticket $300 (cause I didn't decide to go until like a week ago)
Gas $0-20 (I have a van and will carpool)
New Equipment $20-$50
Food $60 (beans and rice baby, and of course bacon)
Water $0 (it's called tap)
Camp fees $50

So the grand total is $450 - $500

yeah, I know, but let me dream ok?

[C.f.M.]

Doing it on the cheap is definitely easier when you've been a few times. You don't have to buy as much stuff. This year with just myself bidune family and kids I figure:

Ticket $300 (cause I didn't decide to go until like a week ago)
Gas $0-20 (I have a van and will carpool)
New Equipment $20-$50
Food $60 (beans and rice baby, and of course bacon)
Water $0 (it's called tap)
Camp fees $50

So the grand total is $450 - $500

yeah, I know, but let me dream ok?

Your grand total is the hopeful minimum of just my transportation. Not including getting my stuff there.

[Fire_Moose]

Your grand total is the hopeful minimum of just my transportation. Not including getting my stuff there.

I think that comes with having the title of "Dirty Southern Burner"

[FaeTora]

Cassidy, its people like you and those stories that make me want to go to BRC. I was lucky enough to be gifted a BM ticket this year but the rest is up to me. and I WILL make it happen. Even before the events of last week, I knew I wanted to go, that I had to make this happen.

I'm not going the most expensive route but I am doing all I can ahead of time to make it as cheap as possible so that I CAN go. I have to jump through hoops to be gone from work that long, buy a plane ticket to Reno so I don't miss more days than they will allow me to (even though I have way more than enough vacation time), I'm borrowing camping some of the camping gear I do not have, etc. etc. etc.

Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you Cassidy.

Hope to see you at the Burn!!!!!

[Sail Man]

2100$ for gas from detroit to the burn last year, returning via flaming gorge, towing the rv. Good thing I already bought beer.

[Kinetik V]

KC to BRC: $3K. Denver to BRC: $2700. Basic expenses.

Truth be told it costs a LOT more for me. The first year my fiancee went and she started crunching the numbers she thought I was totally insane. Then she went. Year 2 for both of us, there was no spreadsheet, no crunching. It was just let's do it.

In the end the things I get out of Burning Man far and away exceeds every bit of $$$$ spent.

[LeChatNoir]

Had to miss last year. This year, gonna make it but looks tight.

Not getting away from my day to day for over two years affected me more than I realized. I'm very much looking forward to getting away for a while and reducing the pressure so that my rut get back to being a groove.

ETA:

To make it relevant to the OP's topic, it does get cheaper after first going since your infrastructure is mostly there already. However, one thing about Burning Man is that is that many come back with ideas for how to do more next year, thus offsetting the already paid for infrastructure.

So far fuel has been the single biggest trip expense for us. Having multiple people in the vehicle helps with that though. I've said before that it'd be so easy if I only had to drive from six hours away, but honestly I don't think it'd not mean as much to me personally. I allow (even encourage) it to be quite epic and get a lot of joy out of that.

[Eric]

there was no spreadsheet, no crunching. It was just let's do it.

I try not to add up what it costs me, but even though I try to go as cheaply as possible I'm still spending close to a grand after the ticket cost. And thats for basics.

*sigh*

No more looking at numbers while unemployed. I would hate to suddenly get responsible and not go (not gonna happen).