MommyCon Money-Saving Tips

Update

I wrote this blog post a couple of years ago. Since then I have gone to many more MommyCon events. Things have definitely changed on the MommyCon front. They have added DaddyCon and KidCon to their events, but I wanted to make sure you had the most up to date information in regards to MommyCon money-saving tips so I have updated this post. They may also help you to save money though at DaddyCon and KidCon. Enjoy!

MommyCon Money-Saving Tips

Years ago when I first heard of MommyCon I told my husband I really wanted to go, but we couldn’t afford the ticket. So he looked at me and said, “That has never stopped you before. You always find a way.” I thought about my husband’s comment and told myself he is right. I also thought about all the other families that can’t afford to go, but would greatly benefit from the experience. So I set out on a mission to try to find out ways to save money on a trip to MommyCon. Below is how you can save money on MommyCon if you cannot afford to go, and what you could walk away with.

Tickets

MommyCon has changed their ticket structure over the years. (Used to be $45.00 for a general admission ticket and swag bag.) Now general admission is only $25.00, but you do not get a swag bag. My favorite event is the Orlando event so I will give you an example of the new ticket structure for that event. Children 16 and under are free, General admission w/o swag bag is $25, premium admission with swag bag is $50, 2-day premium admission with swag bag is $75, VIP 2-day admission is $150. Not every MommyCon event is two days so you will definitely want to go to MommyCon’s website and take a look at the ticket structure for the event you want to attend.

Ticket Giveaways

Who doesn’t love a good giveaway?! Haha! I started off by looking at the vendor list and seeing if anyone was doing any Facebook or Instagram ticket giveaways. (Entering contests is my secret passion) My perseverance paid off and I won a free ticket from Innobaby on Instagram. So keep an eye out for Ticket giveaways from MommyCon vendors, and MommyCon themselves! (They will probably be for general admission tickets.)

Volunteer

After I got my ticket I joined the MommyCon Facebook Discussion group and discovered more ways to save on admission. On the group page, you will find individuals buying/selling tickets to the event. I also saw an individual who was giving away free tickets the day before. I found the best way to get a free ticket though is to volunteer. The day before the event MommyCon was looking for volunteers to help with putting together gift bags and such.

If you were willing to get to the location really early on the day of the event they would pay for your admission ticket. This is awesome. I commend MommyCon for this.  Volunteering is the best way to get free admission to MommyCon because it is two-fold. You save money, but you help out the organization putting on the event. (This is a great option if you are local to a MommyCon event!)

As a Gift

Some might not agree with this but now that I have gone to MommyCon I think a ticket to go would be an amazing gift for an expectant mom or dad. The freebies and knowledge you get are well worth the price, and if the guest who buys your ticket goes with you it’s even better!

Discounted Tickets

If you are financially unable to purchase a ticket to MommyCon you can apply for their scholarship ticket program. If approved you will receive a general admission ticket. (Doesn’t come with a swag bag.) If you are military you can apply for tickets through their military ticket program. This program offers free general admission tickets or 20% off premium or VIP tickets. Here are links for more information on these programs. Military Ticket Program and Scholarship Ticket Program.

Incidentals

Parking and food can get expensive. Make sure to scope out the venue to see if there will be a parking charge. If there is a charge for parking budget accordingly or check out the MommyCon discussion for individuals who have discount codes or referrals for parking. Some very nice Momma had a discount code and website that made it so I only had to pay $4.00 for all-day parking one block from the convention center when I went to the D.C. MommyCon. Spot Hero is one app that you can use to secure parking before the event. For food, your best option is to bring your own if you want to save money. While food vendors are on-site you will want to save your money for the actual MommyCon vendors. Trust me.

Swag Bags/Vendor Freebies/Session Giveaways

The contents of the swag bags can be awesome. (Sometimes not so much.) It changes every year based on the vendors, but for something that you get for free you can’t beat it. Also, the last couple of time I have gone every vendor pretty much had a little freebie for those who visited their booth. I visited ever vendor booth, but timing is key. You should try to get to the event as close to the start time as possible since vendors can run out of their booth freebies early.

Make sure you go to a couple of the sessions. Not just for free stuff, but for the knowledge. The number one free item you will walk away with from MommyCon is something new you learned. Sometimes there will be giveaways in the session, but not always. I attended the Cloth Diapering 101 session and did end up winning some cloth diapering essentials, but I learned far more than what my freebies were worth.

Big Ticket Item Giveaways

MommyCon used to hold a huge giveaway at the end of their event. This was bananas! So many things were given away. Strollers, car seats, nursing pillows, breast pumps, etc. Now when you check into the event you receive an event badge. On the back, you will see if you are a giveaway winner or not. You still have to stay till the end to receive your winnings, but it is a lot less hectic then what it was before. If you are in need of any of the above items definitely stay till the end to claim your winnings.

Below are all of the goodies I walked away with from MommyCon D.C. in 2016, MommyCon Orlando in 2017, and MommyCon Philadelphia in 2018. Includes swag bags and items I purchased.

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Side note! I did not include MommyCon money-saving tips for saving on travel since I lived within driving distance of two of the MommyCon’s I attended. Feel free to share your MommyCon money-saving tips in the comment section! 🙂 If you would like to read a full review on a previous MommyCon I have attended click HERE to read about my MommyCon Orlando experience.