And that's a wrap! Anything I missed or other tips you'd recommend? Feel free to share!

Final tip: it's not uncommon for schools and employers to sponsor you, and there are other organizations that often do too. Some include those supporting local devs, the queer community, and/or other marginalized groups. It's worth asking around!

So the biggest ways to save are on the pass and hotels. Imo, you don't need to attend the full conference to get value from it, which can mean less nights to book

All told, my individual cost for this trip is ~$1800, most for the pass. Had I got the Expo pass, it would've been 1/2 as much, whereas if I had to pay for hotels, it would've been $100s more. I'm lucky to afford this, and I wish more could!

For lunch, there are certainly places you can drop $30+, but I've managed to spend about $15-20/day at places like Chipotle and Blue Bottle. Even less, you can pack PB&J and snacks, and no one (worth knowing) will judge you for it :)

And for those that are really looking to save, you can skip the GDC pass entirely. Many devs do this and simply meet up in the popular and public Yerba Buena Gardens, which is a great opportunity to network!

If it's your 1st time, I recommend the Expo pass (~$300) which is more limited, but still plenty to see and do, and makes a good test of whether you want to visit again. You can save even more with the Friday Only pass, but note these sell out quick!

All passes cost less if you buy earlier, and unfortunately I missed the earliest discount, which was $150 less. The earliest discount ends mid-November. So my next tip: plan early!

Now the big one: This year, I opted for the Summits pass, which was a whopping $1150! As a specialist, I find the summit sessions esp. valuable to learn the latest SOTA techniques and meet peers in my niche. So I redirected my cost savings from elsewhere here

Btw, I've generally not been going out to the after-parties this year, which can save on cover, drinks, and transport. If you want to attend these (which can be fun and good for networking), there are definitely free-entry options within walking distance, and you're not obliged to drink there either

By far, staying with in-laws has saved me the most ($100s)! No hotel expenses, and my mother-in-law's maternal instincts have meant she's prepared me breakfast snacks and home-cooked dinners. She truly spoils me! (Btw, this is why we're treating my in-laws to dinner out at least one of these nights)

Keep in mind, hotels near the conference are in high demand, raising prices and selling out quick. My 1st GDC, some friends and I split an AirBnb in Oakland, and we took the BART light rail into town. It was farther, but much cheaper! This year, the round-trip cost of BART for me is ~$15/day

I'm lucky that my wife is joining me to visit her parents, and that splits some costs too. If you have friends also going, carpooling and/or splitting hotels can save a lot!

Had I flown, a round-trip could easily cost $500+. Booking earlier is usually less. Driving was split over two days, which adds an extra hotel night each way: ~$200 +/-. Charging our EV is estimated to total ~$200

Notably, my personal circumstances translate to significant cost savings. I live in the PNW, so I can drive instead of fly. And my in-laws live right outside SF, so I stay with them, instead of at a hotel. Hence, for folks farther way, GDC is often cost prohibitive

First off, I want to acknowledge that money talk in Western cultures is often considered taboo. Frankly, I think that only perpetuates inequities. This discussion is not meant to brag, and I genuinely hope this helps folks. So at the risk of sounding like a rube, let's get into it...