What’s hot and fun and costly all over? How about the Orange County Fair, which is always a hoot, but can also leave your wallet feeling wan and anorexic.

Believe it or not, you can go to the fair, have fun, and still make that car payment. Here are my tips for how that can happen:

1. Go on Opening Day: If you get there early on opening day, July 15, there’s free admission from noon until 1 p.m. Smart people say to arrive even earlier, because there’s always a long line. This year, the fair runs from July 15-Aug. 14, closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

2. Bring a picnic: No, stop yelling at me, I’m not saying you can’t have your fried Twinkies and deep-fried Oreos. But save them for dessert. Really, most of that greasy fair food is going to kill you anyway. Bring a nice picnic, all tied up in plastic bags with frozen water bottles. The water will melt, you’ll have cold water to drink. Find some hay bales and plunk down and enjoy your meal. Then, for dessert, go clog those arteries to your heart’s content.

3. Get your keister up early: Really, you want to do this. If you get up and out to the fairgrounds by 10 a.m., not only will you get a better parking space, and pay only $3 to get in, (saving $9 per ticket!) but it will be so much cooler and less crowded, too. “Rise and shine” tickets are available 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and must be used by noon on Saturday or Sunday only.

4. Park your car for free: Weekends only, park and shuttle it. Why wait in line, then pay $10 to park and walk a long way? On Saturdays and Sundays, leave your car in the Experian garage just off the Bristol Street exit of I-405 for free. Follow the signs to “Experian.” Then catch the free shuttle from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.

5. Ride the Fair Express bus: It’s $2 each way to ride this direct bus service from Anaheim, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Orange, Santa Ana or San Juan Capistrano – and you get a coupon to get into the fair when you arrive for only $3! Buses run from noon to midnight Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to midnight Saturdays and Sundays. Learn more: octa.net/ocfairexpress.

6. Get a Super Pass: Pay $35 for adults, $28 for seniors and kids, and get into the fair all 23 days, plus 2-for-1 tickets to some concerts, a discount book for carnival rides and more. You can also buy up to 10 one-day companion tickets for $10 each, a savings of $2 each. Learn more: Ocfair.com/2016/buytickets/super_pass.asp

7. Be in the military: Active duty military and veterans get free admission to the fair every day, and can also buy up to six half-price general admission tickets. Military ID is required. Free admission is not valid for dependents.

8. Get a taste for two bucks: On Thursdays, from noon to 4 p.m., many venues are offering $2 sample portions of their waistline-busting treats. These are smaller versions, but allows you to indulge in more for less. Yeah, you can have that pork chop on a stick and still afford the bacon bomb, too. Note that, this year, the promotion runs on Thursdays, not Fridays.

9. Read for free rides: I love this. Kids age 5-11 who read two books and write a 25-word report about each can get a coupon for three carnival rides. A parent or teacher must sign off on the form. Bring it to the Centennial Farm information booth for redemption. One form per child, per day; two total per fair. You must use the form you can download from OCFair.com.

10. Go on We Care Wednesdays: Bring a donation to get free admission between noon and 3 p.m. along with a ticket for one carnival ride. Here’s what to bring: July 20: Five cans of food. July 27: Three good condition children’s books. Aug. 3: Five new or gently used clothing items. Aug. 10: New school supplies – pens, pencils, crayons, noteboooks, notebook paper or school backpack – valued at $5 or more. Receipt Required. Also on Wednesdays (and on Thursdays) – wristbands for unlimited carnival rides cost $30 and include two games.

11. Be a kid: On Thursdays, all kids 12 and under get in free.

12. Be a grown-up: On Fridays, adults age 60 plus receive $2 off the regular $7 senior admission, plus free Ferris wheel and merry-go-round rides all day. Whee!

13. Ride on Friday afternoons: From noon to 4 p.m., most carnival rides are only $2 each.

14. Plan your free entertainment: Looks like the fair has a great lineup this year of freebies, including the ever-popular Alaskan racing pigs, but also entertainer Phil Shane, a magic show, circus, turkey stampede (you can’t make this stuff up, folks), Peking acrobats and live professional music. Plan in advance so you can see your favorites. And note that the fair offers a limited number of free tickets to its action sports schedule every day, including extreme rodeo, monster trucks, moto-cross, equestrian arts, demolition derby and such. You can buy reserved seats, or just wait for the general admission ones when you get to the fair. If you do buy reserved seats, they include fair admission. Here’s what’s on this year: ocfair.com/2016/thingstodo/free_entertainment.asp

15. Go to another fair. Show your admission ticket to either the San Diego or Ventura county fair and get one free admission to the OC Fair. People who bought the SD Fair Best Pass Ever can also get one free admission at Guest Services.

And be sure to download the OC Fair smartphone app to see schedules, maps and all kinds of stuff you want to know.

Contact the writer: mfisher@ocregister.com or 714-796-7994