You’re right, I find that very difficult to believe. It was a four day event, three if you don’t count the practice day, so you’re suggesting it would have cost you $2,500 or more per day? That’s really hard to square, even if you were making plans at the very last minute.
Sorry - i was comparing it like a 7 day or 8 or 9 day event of Worlds. But even if I do the 3 day event, it's generally an additional day, maybe 2 for travel especially since NBC forced USFS to have 2 events on Sunday. I could get out of Boston after Gala, but too late to catch a flight into Omaha, so requires missing events/gala or additional days over.
Even so when I looked at airfare back when it was first announced, for crappy basic economy flights, it was ~$1200. The day it was announced. If youve never flown the new basic economy discount flights, it means me at 5'4" and size 8-10 depending on clothing sizing cannot cross legs and my elbows touching fellow seat mates. If you are both normal size.
If ya'll think that size restrictions for clear plastic bags into arenas is ridiculous the airline definition of one small personal item might hold small bottle of advil. Which is all you get as a basic economy carry on. Trying to take anything larger in boarding group 5 or 6 - gets automatically tagged and you are charged anywhere from $35-50 to check your carryon. First checked bag is $100 (I never take more than 1 bag unless it's Europe).
Move up to Economy, now ~$1700. Want to choose your own seat anywhere from ~$26 to $45 more. Still check bag charge of $35.
I dont know Boston or Boston area, so i am not sure where cheap hotels. I'm looking for places that are close to any transportation hubs and in a safe part of the city. When I looked at those prices in 2014 - anywhere from $450-500/night, i suspect more now. That doesn't include taxes and fees, which typically bring the room costs to additional. $20-30 (so now 6 days in planning @ $500/day, lodging is $3,000). I won't drive in a large city, unless I have a travel buddy to help navigate subways trains, I need to be close to event. I'm not comfortable with subways/trains/buses unless there is someone who knows the city well helping me (ive been lost in Atlanta, DC on train systems). So need to add uber/cabs - who the hell knows but possibly $75/day, ($500).
I was just in Chicago, and an airport Chili's lunch was close to $45 for an appetizer, meal and drink. I would estimate about $100/day for food. Probably more. ($600)
The tickets. ( $300).
I've done the ask another FSU for a ride, she responded yes and then post event was nowhere to be found. So ride sharing is iffy. I've done tge share a room option - one who canceled on me (legit her husband was seriously ill, but I was stuck with full room) or two where discount hotels were our plans. One had no heat, they could fix it and moving rooms was no better, one where I was a little afraid to go to sleep.
Ok...$7500 because I always make plans for extras. Maybe you do not need to make a budget, but I feel icky about saying - dear husband I want to go to SKAM and it's likely to be $7500. To someplace you don't want to go
Or I can say, dear husband for an 8 day vacation to a place you want to go to and we can travel first class, rent a car, a nice hotel ($175/night), eat nice places, do some sightseeing activites, tickets for two of us for about $8500.
I can't justify going somewhere just for "me" activity when a "we" activity is close to same.
But going forward due to a more limited budget, I will not be able to spend $2,000 per event. So it has to be within driving distance or have cheap airfare and the possibility of a cheap hotel or I can't go at all. Boston Worlds in 2025 will be challenging financially, but at least I have some time to save up. 
