Oct 22 2008
Saving up for a doll
There are literally hundreds of posts on various doll message boards about how hard it can be to save up the several hundred dollars to buy oneself a ball-jointed doll. First off, my gut reaction is that every little bit counts, it all adds up, patience is part of collecting. Just wait until you send off that hard-earned money, the waiting is even more difficult then. It’s all part of the process though, it makes the doll all the much more special to you when they arrive, the hours you’ve spent pining away looking at the stock photos and checking several times a day for a shipping notice are an important time for a new collector, or one with a dozen dolls already. The waiting is a great unifying force amongst collectors, we hate it, but when it’s over we can rejoice in our new doll.
When asked about budgeting advice, my mother’s voice enters my mind and brings up the envelope method, a beginner’s tool which I’ve advised many friends to try. A series of envelopes are marked out as different parts of one’s budget, rent, grocery, bills, fun, etc, and one divides cash amongst these envelopes according to what’s required. Starting with the highest priority, usually rent or a bill, and working down to the ‘fun’ envelope, cash is doled out into the various expenses. Now take out the ‘fun’ envelope, see how much you’ve got left. Is it enough for all the fun you’d like to have until next payday? Could you cut a few corners, say by skipping a latte or going out to lunch rather than a dinner with your friends? It’s all little stuff, but remember, every little bit counts.
Start tucking away whatever crumbs your budget can spare, and soon enough the end will be in sight. Bear in mind that shipping from Asia is pricey, add another forty to sixty dollars to your goal to cover EMS shipping on the doll. As you near the final stretch, it can become even more difficult knowing that only another fifty dollars separate you from a new resin friend, so get creative! There’s a statistic floating around that the average home has over two thousand dollars worth of things not being used, which could be sold off on ebay or your choice of local options. Gold values are at quite a high, perhaps that little trinket from an ex beau could find a new home at the local jewelry buy-n-sell shop. Certain states offer a return on bottle deposits, like the famed episode of Seinfeld that has Kramer carting empties to Michigan for the dime deposit (which MAY be illegal, it’s certainly unethical to return bottles outside their state of origin where the deposit was lower). Don’t break any laws, but if your area offers a nickel for a can, start picking up the rubbish and do a doubly good deed- less litter and more cash for dolls!
My own doll was purchased to commemorate a special occaision, I’d made it a year in my first full time yet dead-end job which I hated, despite that it paid well; which just so happened to occur around the time that tax refunds and the economic incentive checks were issued. If you’ve got a major milestone in life coming up, it’s okay to get yourself a little treat sometimes. It’s just easier when there’s unexpected money to make it possible.
