Broke Hipster Budgeting Tips

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Last night, I came across a helpful article titled, “How to Save Money the Hipster Way” on WalletPop. The author, Steven Kent, was pretty spot on with his list: “Thou shall not pay more than $20 for a show” or “Thou shall not pay more than $2 for beer” seems to ring true with every hipster.

However, I noticed a few items missing.

Here is my list on how to save money the hipster way.

How do you save?

1.) Shop at Thrift Stores– Well, duh. When I was 16 and stupid, shopping at the Salvation Army was not even a thought in my head. I wore vintage clothing, but only from the treasure troves of my mother and grandmother’s closets. Now, ten years later, I ONLY shop at thrift stores. What did I know? Nothing. My favorite thrift store in Austin is Thrift Town. It’s a southwestern chain with great specials every month. The items below I got during their 50% off sale. $2.99 for the shoes, $3.99 for the dress.

2.) Repurpose Old Clothing/Buy Accessories– When you get the urge to buy a new outfit, stop. Chances are you have great clothing that you’re just bored of. If that’s the case, try and be creative. Some of my favorite flowy skirts, I now wear as tops (yes, it’s true…and it usually makes my boobs look bigger). If you can sew, then you’re golden. When I get sick of my little black dress, I buy some funky pantyhose. Check out American Apparel’s fun pantyhose selection.

3.) Sell your clothing to Buffalo Exchange– If you live in a big city, chances are you have a Buffalo Exchange (or something like it). That chain is spreading like a fungus. If you’re in a pinch, selling old clothing is a fast way for some dough. Remember, make sure the clothing is clean and season appropriate before you take it in.

4.) Free movie screenings– In Austin, the beloved Alamo Drafthouse hosts free kid-friendly screenings the last Saturday of each month, or Monday-Thursday during the summer. They also host $1 Terror Tuesdays and Weird Wednesdays. Whole Foods HQ in Austin often screens contemporary films on their rooftop. I have no idea if your town does these sort of things. Check out your local newspaper/alt weekly paper for details. This is just another little insertion on why Austin is substantially cooler than everywhere else.

5.) DIY furniture– Furniture can be expensive. Even Ikea can be a fortune when you’re broke. That’s why you should DIY your furniture. Check out Craigslist for cheap deals. Also, check the free section. Lots of times people give away big pieces they don’t want to lug around. Another option is Freecycle. Freecycle is a city forum where people leave messages about free stuff they are giving away. For creative ideas, check out Ikeafans or Ikeahacker for ideas.

6.) Cheap Travel- Wanderlust is part of the deal when you’re a hipster, but it can be difficult when you’re stealing toilet paper from work just to wipe your butt at home. Budget Travel is a great way to find inexpensive trips all over the world. Last Minute offers cheap vacays for that week. Chances are you live near someplace pretty f’ing cool though. Round up a bunch of friends and head out for the weekend. Brown bag it, hostel it, street walk it (in more ways than one). Do what you gotta do. You’ll have fun regardless.

7.) Unload car– If you can, unload your car and move to a city with excellent mass transportation or bike-friendly roads. Seriously. Why not? I did and I’m slowly working towards that naive dream.

8.) Defer college loan– Defer that shit! College loan lenders are the easiest to work with, but the devil when you fall behind. Don’t be afraid to call your lender and ask for a deferment or talk about ways you can lower your monthly payment. There are ways that don’t involve sexual favors, trust me.

9.) Sell on Etsy/Ebay- If you are creative or have a good eye, start selling on Etsy or Ebay. See this bag here? SEE IT? It’s Kitty Hipster Bag and I bought it for $1.25 at a thrift store and sold it for $15 on Etsy.

10.) Assistance- Do like what Wal-mart told their employees to do- go on public assistance. In Texas, for a single person, you must make $903 a month. At least this way you won’t be eating Taco Bell and gasin’ up the joint every day. Or to find more information on subsidized rentals and homeowner assistance and advice go to your state HUD website.

*Note- Don’t mooch off of unemployment longer than you have to. I know times are tough, but if you get offered a job, f’ing take it, will you? Let’s put it this way, thousands of people in California found themselves jobless with unemployment funds unavailable to them for up to 6 months because of people like my lazy ass musician friends who were perfectly cable of finding a job.