Being a geek with little money is a hard thing to manage. Because “Geek Culture” encompasses all things technology and media related it can be hard to remain current when you can’t afford the newest comic books, video games, toys and anything else that catches your obsessive fancy. I have been an on again/ off again geek-on-a-budget my whole adult life (all 10 years of it) and I’ve found ways of keeping my spending beast at bay during the on again periods.
Friends Indeed…
Since geeks hang with geeks it is safe to say that at least one of your friends will have something you want. Now, I’m not saying you should go out and rob your bff of their awesome stuff, but I’m sure if you ask nicely they’d let you borrow some. A good borrowing, lending system between friends can be one of the easiest ways to get what you need without over-spending. Share your resources with them and they’ll be open to sharing with you.
This is also a great way of being introduced to new things without investing anything. For example, I had never read any of Ben Templesmith’s stuff until Kim forced it upon me (in a loving kind of way). I now love his work and know if I can’t afford to buy for myself I can always borrow more from her. The same system is there for when we want to share books, video games and movies with each other. It’s pretty fantastic!
Beware, however, of new addictions. This happened to me with Runaways and Invincible. I borrowed the first volume from friends who I don’t see often enough and couldn’t stand the wait for the next volume so I ended up buying it, then the next and so on. If a friend is going to start you on a series, make sure you can continuing borrowing the rest on a regular basis or you will be doomed to spend.
Libraries Are Good Too.
Much like friends libraries are great places to get books, comics & movies for little to no cost. Just make sure you get return them back on time or it will start costing.
Rent (and I don’t mean the play)
I love to collect movies however not everything is worth owning. In the past I’ve just bought movies for the sake of having it, but recently I’ve started limiting myself to only those movies I consider lifetime favourites. For every other movie if it’s not already free on TV I’ll go and rent it.
Renting is also great when you can’t afford that new video game but you just can’t wait to give it a whirl. I try to always rent video games before I even consider purchasing them. If it can pass the 7 day test then I’ll want to buy it.
What’s the 7 day test?
Well, if I have the game for a week, play it frequently then get bummed out that I have to return it that is a good sign that I should buy it. Doesn’t mean I’ll buy it right away, but its at least on the “once I can afford it” list.
Used Doesn’t Have to be a Bad Word
If you must own something why not look for something previously owned? You can usually find exactly what you are looking for at a lot lower price tag when you look for something used. Used book stores in particular are magical gems of awesome. Certain out-of-print books wouldn’t exist in my personal collection without used book stores and did I mention the low, low prices.
The Internet Isn’t Just for Porn
Buying online is great not only for convenience but also for your wallet. In most cases purchases online are marked lower because of the absence of a number of overhead costs. The biggest catch is the shipping cost that gets added, but a number of stores will provide free shipping after a certain dollar value. I’m sure by the time you are ready to buy you’ll have a few items on that “once I can afford” list and a bulk order will be exactly what you’ll want.
These are only some of the great ways to save money while still remaining true to your geek nature. If any of you want to share your own ways of staying frugal please leave me a comment below!
