Step 1: Go with your mum. It doesn't
sound particularly enticing but if she's a good bitch, she'll
most likely shout you in. That's $20 saved.
Step 2: Go to the show hungry. You'll
try so many different things, that it doesn't take long to fill up.
By doing this you have saved money on breakfast AND if you pace
yourself, you can also be sorted for dinner.
Step 3: Go on Sunday, preferably arrive
late and stay until the end. Come Sunday (day four of the show) the
traders are that over food and people that the prices come down quite
substantially and you are guaranteed sweet deals. Even if the prices
haven't come down by much, haggle like there's no tomorrow. If
you put up a good fight you will succeed. The traders have almost
admitted defeat, the end is nigh and the less shit they have to cart
back to the van, the better they feel.
Step 4: Play the field like monopoly.
For all those yummy, but generic things like sauces, breads, heat ‘n
eats etc, you will find deals that can vary quite a lot. There's
nothing worse than thinking you got a sweet deal only to find that
the joker in the next hall is selling it for half the price. Here you
are given instant ammo, you can get nifty with your haggling by
saying (loudly) that "the joker down the hall has a better deal
therefore you deserve an even better deal". Watch them struggle and
squirm. It's fun. Also, by following step 3 and 4 together, by the
time you have done a full circuit (round one, you can't buy on
round one in monopoly) the prices just get lower and you guessed it-
sweeter deals.
Step 5: Get boozed. The amount of free
wine is staggering, and you should be too by the end of it. Tip:
Spend $5 and buy a Food Show wine glass at the start of the day.
Instead of getting the baby half sip plastic taster glasses you get a
reasonable slurp with the glasses. If you can, get one of the
connecter cordy things, because there's a lot of carrying of bags
and you are more than likely to put the glass down somewhere and
forget it. Not cool.
Step 6: Think ahead for birthday and or
Christmas presents. A lot of the products will last for ages, and at
lower prices than you'll probably ever see at the supermarket, it's
a good time to spend little money and get the family and friends
sorted.
Step 7: If all else fails and you can't
get in for free/ can't afford to pay for yourself- work at the
show. You won't necessarily need any great skills, as all the
punters are after is the freebies and specials. By working there you
will get sweet freebies, fairly reasonable pay, the insider gossip
and do trade swappies at the end.
Now you are armed and ready. It's a
shame it's a full year till the next one.
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