Not everybody can be Christian Grey or even aspire to that level of luxury. Most people in the BDSM scene are required to be budget conscious as a singular purchase can blow the weekly toy allowance out of the water for a month. So I thought I would write my "How to..." essay on how to build a fabulous toy box on a budget.
Firstly grab yourself a medium-sized box, no not a cardboard box, we are not cheapskates here just frugal and prudent with our money. I have a wooden box that is detailed to look like a pirate chest that I picked up in a second-hand market and then relined it myself. Markets are the budget conscious submissive's best source of toys and equipment so you should get to know your local markets, op-shops and good-will stores well. I know some people feel put off entering these places but all the money you spend there goes straight to the charity involved, so I have never understood the stigma of picking up a bargain even if you are using it for a purpose it was not meant for.
Back to the box. You will need something sturdy and try to imagine a crop, cane or large flogger fitting across its length or width so that you don't get it home and realize your toys won't fit. Old suitcases can be perfect if you have a lot of large toys, just be careful. When your mother comes to ask if she can borrow a suitcase for her trip make sure that you give her the right one. My sister was searching my room for batteries one day and, to her horror, opened my toy chest during her search. She has never gone into my room to search for anything since so having the toy chest found isn't always a bad thing but it can lead to questions you may not want to answer.
So finally, after the embarrassing moments of explaining why you are making a toy chest when you don't have any children, you should have your box, suitcase, duffle bag, or even backpack if you're a person who likes a change of scenery. Now we need to fill it with goodies to bring you pleasure or pain or both depending on your kink. So let's look at a few simple things the budget conscious could explore rather than settling for the high-end prices of so many of the kink stores.
Silk scarves: the most versatile thing in your chest. They can be used as restraints, blindfolds or for pleasurable sensation. The best thing about these items is that you can pick up ten for a dollar at most good-will stores, soak them, wash them and they are good as new!
Blindfold: Pick these up everywhere from pharmacies to sleepwear shops: an inexpensive buy but if you are wanting a particular look, say an animal, a puppy, a kitty, or the owl from the story of O, then head to the local party outlet and grab a few masks and just tape over the eyes.
Candles: I have found that standard old table candles are best, or basic coloured candles, which is great because they are also the cheapest. You don't want to use scented candles or any of the weird fancy ones, as there are often a large variety of strange things in the wax that can cause irritation to the skin. A tip with using candles is always start a long way from the skin and move down until you find that happy medium that suits you or your partner. The closer you are, the hotter the wax will be and as with firing a gun, always be mindful of your background. Wax can be a real pain to get out of some surfaces
Pinwheels and pricking tools: Head on into your favorite department store and over to the kitchen area unless you know of a great outlet or your local good-will store that has a kitchen section. In amongst the bakery equipment you will find all sorts of pastry cutters, pizza cutters and yes pinwheels that are meant to aerate pastry and pasta not the soft skin of a submissive but work beautifully! Also in the kitchen section another little gem of an item that works well for this type of sensation are small wooden and bamboo skewers, the ones you use for barbeques. These are sharpened at one end and can provide an amazing sensation, be it with just the one or a nice little bunch held together. They can be used for pricking (as the sharp end is still quite blunt and won't pierce the skin without a LOT of force) or used to flick from a short distance. These are a nice versatile little item that can be discarded after use as they are so cheap and can be easily found.
Vampire Gloves/rabbit fur gloves etc: As an easy solution to the big-bucks items like these that might cost you dearly, I have a few suggestions and while not quite the same, can be fun to play with. In the car-care section of the department store you will find furry mitts and chamois mitts can give you those soft tickling sensations and in the bathroom section, loofah mitts can give the most wonderful sensations similar to a vampire glove but not as intense. In the absence of these, in your local shopping haunts head back to the good-will and pick up a few pairs of light material gloves and use sandpaper and the fur lining from an old jacket or a cheap jacket from good will to create your own with the help of some good craft glue or a sewing kit.
Clamps (nipple and genitalia): Let me say up front I DO NOT ever suggest or condone the use of rubber bands directly on the body, there is a lot of literature out there to explain the damage they can do to nerve endings so I won't lecture everyone except to say, while I do mention them here, they should not be applied directly to any body part. Clothes pegs are a cheap and easy solution for those who do not like messing around with fiddly things. There are some things that pegs alone are good for (zippers) so this makes them an even more versatile item. I would suggest that wooden pegs be used as they are less prone to breakage (no little plastic slivers - especially if you choose to whip those little buggers off instead of a slow release) and they have a much nicer feel as well.
For those who like to be able to adjust the tension and variety of clamps I have a few different suggestions. Seek out an orthodontist and buy yourself a small bag of those tiny bands used on mouth braces, these are fabulous and can be used in so many ways. Used on a pair of tweezers they can be slid up the prongs to tighten the tension to the desired limit. They could also be used in conjunction with chopsticks to flatten and clamp the desired body part. If you are looking for something way out there and very study however, I am assured by a friend that the old style jumper cables which you can pick up really cheaply these days can work a treat. I have never used these nor am I personally into electrical play so I am mentioning it only as an aside as told to me by a dominant friend.
