The Football world cup and UEFA European Championship events- how saving along the way can benefit t

The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.” — Michelle Obama

The UK is a largely devoted football nation passionate about the sport with every bone in its body. Sports fans often gather in the thousands at stadiums across the UK. The football game also takes place abroad, where many fans set their sights on attending these events, such as the FIFA World cup and the UEFA European Championships, which occur every four years. This means that Football fans have a four-year time span to save towards their football venture, which requires saving for flights and accommodation, food, football tickets and other expenses they might acquire, such as extracurricular activities, for instance, festivals or other attractions in the city they want to take part in while abroad.

Official statistics on the FIFA website have revealed that after the first stage of group matches had finished, the average attendance at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar was a whopping 94% overall. There were over 3 million purchases of tournament tickets for the 2022 World cup. More than 32 nations will be able to make their mark on the field. The most attended match so far has been the Brazil vs Serbia match, which occurred in Lusail stadium on the 24th of November 2022; 88,103 fans graced the stadium’s doors. Brazil achieved victory with a final score of 2-0.

The FIFA Fan Festival in Doha’s Al Bidda Park occurred on the same day as the most attended match, and attendance numbers for the event also reached record numbers, with 98,000 fans taking part throughout the day.

The UEFA European Championship, another noteworthy popular football event, will take in the Netherlands, where they will host the UEFA Nations finals as confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee.

The Royal Dutch Football Association picked the cities of Rotterdam and Enschede to hold the matches; the semi-finals are scheduled to commence next year on the 14th and 15th of June, and the third match and final will take place on the 18th of June. The UEFA Women’s Futsal EURO 2023 will be hosted by the Hungarian Football Federation as decided by the UEFA Executive committee. The matches are expected to take place at the Fönix Arena in Debrecen from the 16 th to the 19th of March, 2023.

In addition, women’s football made waves in the UK in 2022 after the Lioness’s triumph at the Euro 2022, which helped women’s football to be more recognised and inspired many young schoolchildren to want to achieve their sporty ambitions. A study gathered data from over 2,500 children and young people aged 13-24 revealed that almost 70 per cent of girls who enjoy playing sports felt inspired to achieve high ranks, nearly equalling 75% of boys who like sports. This is an increase of 50% more girls, within the same criteria, two years prior. The women’s football games are certainly one to watch, as 2022 has demonstrated and with the increased popularity, this may be an extra football game that is added to many bucket lists of things to do and save towards.

According to a Guardian article, Jorge Aguilar, 25, is a schoolteacher from Mexico; he had always dreamed of attending a football World cup.

Mr Aguiar decided to start saving his coins but sometimes found it difficult to sacrifice minor things such as treats but managed to stay strong to achieve a momentous milestone. Mr Aguiar’s football journey started on October 2020, and in two years, he managed to save £1,371, which is (32,200 pesos) equal to four months’ income. Finally, on the 22nd of November 2022, his dream came when he arrived in Qatar and based on his experience, he was not disappointed.

How to financially prepare for football events?

1. Set up a budget

A budget is a crucial strategy to implement when managing finances; although it can be a little time-consuming, it is a worthwhile investment of your time to get a better picture of your finances.Setting up a budget can decrease the likelihood of ending up in debt and increase the chances of being more prepared for unexpected expenses, improving the probability of a good credit score and being approved for a mortgage or loan. You will also be able to see where you can save money and be more likely to save for holidays and a mortgage on a home

What will be needed?

Before starting a budget plan, you will need to calculate the amount you spend on household bills, other living costs, financial products such as insurance, bank charges or interest, and any money spent on family and friends such as lending money or purchase of gifts or travelling to events such as hen trips, forms of transport such as car expenses such as fuel tests, leisure, including gym membership, hobbies, cinema and other entertainment.

2. Set up automatic monthly transfers

The key to achieving a saving goal is to be consistent with saving, and the best way to do this is to set up automatic payments from your current account to your saving account on payday; that way, regardless of what other expenses may prop up, you have already paid yourself.If you have more than one saving goal, set up a saving account for each within your financial reach and split what you can between both savings accounts.

3. Book hotel and accommodation together

Booking hotel and accommodation together may work out cheaper as the overall price will include both in the package; it will also save time and stress as you will not have to search for accommodation and flights separately. Also, it is easier to gather the documents for travel and call the company if you need assistance.

Booking separately can sometimes be more expensive because although some airlines have very low-cost tickets, accommodation can sometimes be more expensive. Also, airlines that charge less for tickets are often stricter on baggage allowance and more likely to charge you extra for baggage.

4. Watch out for extra fees the hotel may charge you

Some hotels will charge extra fees such as city tax and other fees, and some charge more than others; therefore, always read the fine print before booking to make sure you are aware of any additional charges so you can look elsewhere if you find the extra costs too costly.

5. Check the distance between the hotel and the airport

If you plan to book a shuttle or private car, check the distance from the airport to the hotel, as the further the hotel from the airport, the more expensive the transport is. The shuttle bus option is usually cheaper than the private vehicle option so remember to check if the shuttle option is available.

There are instances when only private vehicle hiring is available for specific hotels.

6. Try to book accommodation with cooking facilities

Booking accommodation with cooking facilities may work out cheaper than going out daily to buy food, as you can go to the grocery store and purchase food to cook, which could last for a couple of days or the whole trip.

Accommodations with self-catering are advantageous because they are more budgetfriendly and healthier, especially if you travel as part of a group or family.

Intellisaving

Intellisaving is an innovative saving application that can work with different users’ journeys, such as saving for retirement, starting a family or saving for a deposit on a house. Additionally, having a saving app like Intellisaving can benefit those wanting to save for interests such as football games in the UK or abroad because the platform integrates multiple ISA and saving accounts to their platform from over 70 banks and building societies, facilitating the tracking process.

They also have features which include comparing the highest interest rates for different saving categories, such as easy access, which other banks and financial institutes have on offer so that users can see if they could make more out of their savings with a better interest rate.

The website also has numerous innovative and detailed articles with money-saving tips. The time to experience adventure and save with the future in mind is now, as we never know what might be around the corner. Saving for emergencies and personal aspirations such as attending football matches abroad with friends or family is within reach with consistent savings and smart financial choices, as many people have been able to experience once in the lifetime adventures through dedicated savings. There are many more people like Mr Aguillar who have had to save to experience certain dreams that are important to them, and his experience shows that saving and attaining a goal can be reached with persistence and a few