BDSM can turn out to be one expensive hobby/lifestyle. With the cost of toys, lingerie, gear, and furniture, the cost really adds up and can take a toll on the budget of college students and those who aren’t as well off as we’d like to be. However, there are some very cheap alternatives to expensive play and some free forms of kink you can take part in, as well as some DIY projects.
Impact
Paddles, whips, floggers, canes, and crops all fall under this category of kink, which can all be pricey depending on the material you’re interested in. Leather is common, but can be on the more expensive end when you get a well-made toy. Cheap alternative work well for beginners, though.
Paddles
Wooden spoons.
Hairbrushes.
Leather belts.
Bath brushes.
Ping pong paddles.
Rulers/yard sticks.
Canes
Decorative bamboo (real bamboo, though, not the fake kind).
Dowels from arts and craft stores or home improvement stores.
Very thin copper piping.
Whips/Floggers
Homemade Gimp (plastic strings) whips.
Homemade leather floggers with scrap leather from clothing or leather strings from a leather supply store.
For a more extreme and slightly nerdy flogger, you can fold a bunch of Ethernet cables over and tape around the folds to make a handle. This type of flogger has a bite to it!
Duct tape flogger.
Temperature Play
Temperature play is basically free if you have ice trays and/or a freezer. It’s something not a lot of people get into when they’re starting out with kink, but it can be really exciting to the right person.
Ice, Ice, Baby: Take a bowl or ice cubes to bed and tease your partner by rubbing them over the neck, chest, stomach, and genitals. There is bound to be lots of squirming and moaning if they enjoy the cool sensations. Blindfold them for an added element of surprise.
Ice Branding: I posted a full guide on this here. Check it out if you’re into semi-permanent marks and like numbingly cold sensations with little to moderate amounts of pain.
Ice Dildos: This little project is fun for those hot summer days! Take a condom and fill it to size with water, tying off the end. Around the condom, wrap an old paper towel roll to keep the shape of the condom while it freezes and tape it shut. Freeze overnight and then remove the condom and run it under warm water. You’re set to play!
If you’re into more advanced ice dildo-making, use rubber bands or tape to create different shapes and textures on the dildo.
Wax Play: Candles are super cheap at discount stores like the Christmas Tree Shop or dollar stores. Aim for white, unscented candles. You also want to get sticks—not tea lights. The tea light wax burns at a low temperature but also heats up the metal base and can burn the Dominant in the process! Full guide here.
Roleplay
Roleplay is generally a free kink, but for those who like to dress the part or use props, it can get expensive.
Check out stores like Goodwill, Savers, and local thrift shops for clothing. You can usually snag barely used to new clothes for a fraction of the price at these places. While I don’t suggest lingerie at these locations, things like business-wear for secretary/boss play or school uniforms for student/teacher play should be easy to find.
For other types of roleplay, check these locations just before or after Halloween, as they usually carry lots of costumes and accessories for cheap prices.
Bondage
Rope is pretty cheap, and an awesome way to start some bondage play. There are endless possibilities with rope, especially in large quantities. Save money by purchasing it at a home improvement store instead of sex shops or you can be paracord rope and safety scissors at very low prices in some military thrift shops.
Don’t waste money on books for references. If money is tight, head to YouTube and look up free videos on how to do specific ties. Search for the “The Knotty Boys” if you want some good starter material.
Internal Sex Toys
Money may be tight, but my advice here is never to settle for unsafe internal toys. Never buy jelly, rubber, or TPR toys. Spare yourself the infection and save up for a glass or silicone toy. If you really need a cheaper option, opt for hard, no-porous plastic. However, I assure you the difference in glass or silicone is worth the extra saving.
If you already own toys of an unsafe material, you need to use a condom with them or throw them out. Materials like TPR and rubber hold in bacteria and grow it, no matter how much you clean them. Materials like jelly do the same thing, but also break down and release toxins that are unsafe for your body.
Keep in mind that if you’re toy shopping at Edenfantasys, the code V2V entered at checkout where it says “partner codes” will get you 15% off everything in your cart and has no expiration date so keep the code and share all you’d like for savings.
xx SF
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more articles in the Library For Kinksters.
