8 Life Hacks for NFL Fans

Being an NFL fan can be a fun, exciting and rewarding experience. However, it can also prove to be a difficult one.

Fans are regularly faced with struggles like finding a way to watch their team on the television, affording to attend games in person or purchasing merchandise that will hold its value. Sure, these are clearly first-world problems, but in the NFL world they are significant.

Fortunately, there are plenty of "hacks" available out there to help make life as an NFL fan a bit easier. We're not talking about cheating the system or anything, but we are talking about some simple shortcuts that can help you along your way to NFL fandom.

We're going to examine some of these NFL fan hacks today. Each entry on today's list is made with the idea of making it easier or more affordable to be a die-hard NFL fan.

Make Friends with Season Ticket Holders

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If you regularly have trouble finding tickets to NFL games, try making friends with season ticket holders.

While this may seem like common sense, we shouldn't underestimate the value of befriending coworkers or social colleges who annually purchase season tickets for their local team. These ticket-holders often purchase more than one seat and just as often have one or two games on the schedule when one of those seats will be available.

How does this benefit you? Well, for starters, your ticket-holder may be inclined to invite you to the game if his or her regular game-day partner cannot attend. If he or she isn't planning on attending, they may be willing to sell you their tickets at face value. This can save you valuable dollars on jacked-up resale prices or fees.

Season ticket holders also tend to know the best tailgating spots, nearby bars and restaurants and even the people regularly occupying his or her seating section. This can help enhance your game-day experience and make for a better outing, even if you aren't concerned with the cost.

This hack can even be beneficial if you aren't a fan of the local NFL team. Your favorite team is going to come to town at some point in the future, and going with a regular attendee is likely to be much more enjoyable than going alone.

Try Attending a Preseason Game

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Preseason games can provide an opportunity to get up close and personal with your favorite players.

The NFL preseason is generally seen as a subpar product by fans. The star players don't always play, and if they do, they don't stay in for the entire contest. Yet, tickets are sold at regular value to season ticket holders, and prices at the stadium are usually also the same.

This causes many ticket-holders to look for something else to do with those tickets. But what?

"Gave them away," was the usual response from fans, according to Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News in a piece about fans' preseason discontent.

If you really don't want to pay high ticket prices to see NFL players in person, try snagging some free or discounted preseason tickets. Sure, you aren't going to be seeing the same product you would during the regular season, but the secondary-market prices should reflect this.

Plus, the preseason presents the perfect opportunity to get tickets that otherwise might be out of your price range. Field-level seats near the end zone or the 50-yard line are going to be much cheaper than they would be during the regular season.

This means you can get great seats, and possibly the opportunity to engage with players before, during and after the game. You're going to have a hard time doing that from an upper-level seat in the regular season.

You might even be able to get some autographs from some of your favorite players while sitting near the field. If this is an idea that interests you but you don't want to shell out hundreds of dollars for prime seats, give the preseason a chance.

This is a tremendous idea if you want to entertain children who are going to remember the experience much more than the quality of the game itself.

Find a Local Bar and Make Some Pals

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A local watering hole can provide an excellent game-day experience.

If going to the game isn't your thing, try a local tavern or restaurant for a fun out-of-the-house game-day experience. There is bound to be at least one establishment within taxi range of home that regularly shows multiple NFL games on Sundays.

The trick here is to find an establishment that fits your tastes and then make some friends there. You don't have to pretend you're in Cheers and get on a first-name basis with everyone, but make yourself known to the regular staff and patrons, even in the offseason.

You might be surprised how far a little friendliness can go in a bar environment. Asking your server or bartender to switch one of the TVs over to your game becomes a lot easier when you're a patron they recognize and like.

Heck, they might even be willing to reserve you a table if you show up with consistency. Just ask!

Familiarizing yourself with the regular crowd also has its benefits. You gain people with whom to converse during timeouts and commercial breaks, and they might even tell you to pull up a chair when the place is crowded.

This is an option that allows NFL fans to get out of the house and experience some of that crowd environment, without the hassle of actually traveling to the stadium.

This may be another hack that seems like common sense, but there are plenty of folks who won't go out to watch a game without a friend or relative alongside them. Building a rapport with local football fans means your football friends will already be waiting on you.

Find a Fan Club

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For extra fun, try finding a local bar that hosts a fan club for your favorite team.

What do you do if you live in a town or city different than the one that holds your favorite NFL team? Well, there's actually a pretty easy solution—find a local establishment that hosts a fan club!

There are literally hundreds, and in some cases thousands of local chapters for fan clubs of each NFL team. While you may have to travel a bit further than down the street, chances are you can find like-minded team fans gathering somewhere near you.

Finding one can be as easy as a quick internet search. For example, New England fans can check out this official Patriots Fan Club & Bar Registry. Similarly, Cleveland Browns fans can go to the Backer Tracker to find a club or meeting spot near them.

Going to these meeting spots allows you to watch your team with your fans. It also provides an opportunity to make new friends—which can make organizing a road stadium trip a realistic possibility.

Some clubs even organize road or bus trips to see their favorite teams play in person. This is fantastic for fans who don't have the means to drive hours away themselves for a live-game experience.

Organize Watch Parties and Split the Costs

Associated Press

Watching an NFL broadcast can still be loads of fun.

Are you more interested in watching the games at home and with friends? Try mapping out a watch-party schedule before the season to make each week's experience better. Sure, this may sound obvious, but making a game plan has its benefits.

Rotating homes can save on the efforts of cooking and cleaning hosts regularly face. Taking turns cooking or providing snacks can help offset the cost too. If you're limited to only a handful of options for places to watch, no worries. Just make sure the guests cover the costs of food and beverage and do their fair share of chores.

Sharing costs can also make it easier to afford a special sports package, like DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket. The idea of getting every NFL game live is enticing, but the price—$1,440 for a two-year subscription—can be a bit daunting.

If you have five friends chipping in on the package, though, that's roughly $12 a month per person. Just make sure you order the service at the best viewing location and that everyone ensures hosting the watch parties doesn't become a weekly pain.

Buy Throwback or Custom Jerseys

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Jerseys of old-school favorites will never go out of style.

Perhaps watching games isn't an issue for you. Maybe you're just looking for a life hack that can help stretch your fan dollar further when it comes to merchandise. Well, one simple-but-effective idea is to go old-school when shopping for jerseys.

How many times have you shelled out hard-earned money for a shiny new jersey, only to have that player leave your favorite team within a couple of years? Even if a player does stick around, there's no guarantee they'll continue playing at the level they were when you made your purchase.

To avoid buying a new jersey every few years, opt for a throwback jersey. Guys like Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and Joe Montana aren't going to go out of style anytime soon, and you'll be able to proudly wear their jerseys as long as they are in good enough condition. (Careful with those wings!)

Alternatively, try creating a custom jersey with your own name or a favorite phrase on the back instead of a current player.

Custom jerseys can be created and ordered on NFL.com. While they tend to cost more than a generic player jersey might at a local store, you won't have to worry about changing them when a player gets traded, signs with another team or just starts stinking on the field.

This doesn't provide protection, however, if you get married or otherwise decide to change your name.

Repurpose Discount Jerseys

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Johnny Manziel may no longer be a member of the Browns, but you can probably still find his jersey for sale somewhere.

If you really want to save some dollars on your team jerseys, check out the local bargain bins for players no longer with your team. These jerseys can often go for $20 or less—sometimes far less.

SportsBlog.com pointed out that some stores over the summer were selling Johnny Manziel jerseys for the low cost of $1.99. A real NFL jersey for $2 is a steal, even if you have to scrape the name off the back in order to wear it without feeling embarrassed.

If you're willing to spend a few extra dollars on top of the discount jersey, repurpose it into a custom jersey. It's easier than you might think.

The trick here is to find a local sporting goods or clothing store—specifically one that does custom jersey screening. While this service is usually meant for adding names to youth sports jerseys, most businesses will be happy to add your name to the back of your NFL jersey for a fee.

The combined cost of purchasing a discounted jersey and having a new name plate added can be far less than you might spend for a new custom jersey. The downside is the inability to pick your own number.

For added benefit, try seeing if your local store will offer group discounts for name screening. If they do, buy a box of discounted jerseys and have custom ones made for you and all of your friends.

Do Your Holiday Shopping NFL Style

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NFL-themed gifts can make great holiday presents.

Since the holidays are right around the corner, we're going to wrap (sorry) our list with a holiday-themed hack. This one is pretty simple; shop with your fellow NFL fans in mind.

If you have a lot of friends you're looking to buy gifts for but don't want to spend a lot of money, NFL-themed gifts can be your savior. If you scour online shopping sites like Amazon, you can find all kinds of gifts—like NFL ornaments, pennants or work gloves—for around $5 a pop.

Simply order duplicates of these inexpensive items for all of your NFL fan friends—obviously with one for each fan's favorite team—and save yourself a ton of shopping trouble. These may not be expensive items, but they show you know your friends and what they like.

Besides, have you ever seen an NFL fan unhappy about receiving more team gear?

As an added bonus, see if your favorite online retailer offers free shipping on orders over a certain amount. Many do. If so, you might just be able to take care of 10 presents for less than $50 total.

Heck, you might even save enough money to warrant buying yourself a little something for the holidays.

Spreading holiday cheer, saving money and showing off your NFL fandom? That's what we like to call a no-lose situation.