We first published the below advice about nine months ago. we thought we’d put out a re-do with two Twilight Conventions happening this weekend: one in Salt Lake City and one in Chicago. There is also a special promotion going on in Salt Lake where day passes are down to $10.00.

Over the last several weeks, we’ve had a bunch of people write in and ask, “Is it possible to do a convention on a budget?” The answer is yes. We’ll show you how below. You can always upgrade (or for that matter downgrade) from our suggestion below. For the sake of our example, we are using the Creation Entertainment Official Twilight Convention, but most other convention companies have very similar plans, just read the fine print.

So figuring that a trip to the movies costs roughly $10.00 for the ticket and another $5.00 or so for your popcorn and soda combo. There is actually a way to get a day’s entertainment for about $10.00 more than your standard trip to the movies.

If you go to the convention on a Saturday or Sunday on a general admission day pass, you usually end up seeing three stars minimum do a Q & A, you get a Lexicon panel (sorry shameless self promotion), a Hillywood panel, chance to win trivia/costume contest prizes, and the ability to take as many pictures as you want of the celebrities onstage with your own camera, and you have access to the vendor room where you can drop more cash if you so choose. All of this will run you $25.00, roughly $10.00 more than a trip to the movies.

Now let’s say you’re still on a budget but you want to upgrade a little. You can get an autograph with one of the actors in say your already purchased Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse Companion book so add $25. That brings you to $50.00 total.

Maybe you’re not into autographs, but you want a professional photo with you and an actor. That’s $40 to bring your total to $65.

Now let’s say you don’t care about professional photo ops or autographs, you just want to be able to take your own pictures and hear the actors talk, and you have all weekend. You can get the general admission weekend pass for $69. So you’ll get everything we described in our third paragraph plus more actors, panels, and trivia. And if you are dying for an autograph from your favorite actor, it brings you to $84.00.

So, there you have a couple of options all under $100 dollars, which granted is not cheap, but it does hopefully provide info to the folks asking. Like we said you can always upgrade from there if you want more like dances, personal meet and greets, preferential seating, etc.

Now let’s say you are faced with the problem of wanting to go, but not having a babysitter. Kids 6 and under are free with their parents. Conversation is generally a PG-13 level-nothing too shocking. You best know your kids, use your judgment.

Besides Creation Entertainment, HUB Productions, Twilight FanTrips, Eternal Twilight, Twilight fan Cruise, etc. all have events. Google them and check out what’s coming up in your area.