Devoted fan, but at what cost?

Economic theories abound as to our spending habits and choices, and certainly the economy is on everyone's mind these days. Credit crunch. Housing market down. Talk of the "R" word. So after an adrenalin-fueled initial impulse to jump on available tickets as soon as the Giants-Packers match-up was set (see previous entry), I had to hesitate when thoughts of that annoying thing called reality interrupted my internet hunt.
The nagging voice in my head started spouting numbers: $1,000 for a pair of tickets (those prices are now long gone of course); another $800 or so for two plane tickets and a car rental, or even hundreds on gas if my friend and I make the pilgrimage from NYC by car; add in hotels, parking, meals on the road.... It began to look like the better part of $2,000. That can be a month's rent in this city (a.k.a. five months' rent in normal towns). Or a few nice weekend getaways. Or seven subscriptions to NFL Sunday Ticket. Or over 200 six-packs of imported beer. That could make for many, many entertaining Sundays (and Monday nights). Not to mention all the other boring, practical uses for that lump of cash, like new furniture, savings towards home ownership and so on.
It all made me wonder: how do people decide how much their team is worth? Do we set limits on what we spend on attending sporting events or buying gear? What are other fans giving up in order to spend a few hours in the frozen tundra? Am I less of a fan for not splurging on making a weekend out of this huge and possibly historic game?
I've always wanted to see Favre at Lambeau. And here's my chance, with the Packers hosting the Giants for a spot in the Super Bowl no less—that's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But the more I've thought about it, the more it seems ill-advised for a freelancer living in the most expensive city in the country, in an unstable economic period, to spend that kind of money on a football game. But even as I write this, I suspect it's a huge mistake not to just go for it. And yes, I do keep checking sites for tickets, flights and accommodations. And yes, there are fewer options at higher prices every hour. Oh no, what have I done....