Nothing comes free these days, but anybody is free to enjoy fangirling. Fangirling is one of those that make the “happiest days” of some people happen, and it’s for free! You are free to admire, cheer and support your favorite K-pop idols. You are free to have the best times of your life while you root for personalities that inspire you so much!
While you are free to fangirl over your K-pop faves, albums, merchandise and concerts are not free. You have to pay for them with your money, and truth be told, they are all expensive.
Part of K-pop fangirling is the desire of fans to buy what your K-pop faves sell, use and promote. Aside from the physical albums that contain songs and photos of K-pop artists, the celebrity management company of these artists come up and release their official merchandise for their fandom. These are items that could be anything – shirts, caps, mugs, phone cases, pillows… anything! If one is not a K-pop fan, they would be so shocked that these merch goods are priced dearly.
Looking at K-pop merch only, it surely is quite expensive to fangirl if you really want to support them in all ways and collect as well. Discover more things that fangirls spend money on from the list below. At the same time, if you are a K-pop fan, this list is mainly for you too!
Here are 6 hacks to save money while fangirling over your K-pop faves.
1 – Don’t buy and attend EVERYTHING.
Many fans think that they have to purchase everything always in order to be called true fans of their K-pop favorites. No! You don’t have to! There is no such requirement. You can be a fan even just with your heart that loves them so much no matter what.
If you cannot afford (yet), you do not have to buy those albums and goods. Meanwhile, if you can afford already but want to save money, then do not click on that shopping cart and do not place that order! Self-control is the key.
Another thing, you do not have to attend everything, all events both offline and online. You are not the only fan who will not be able to go to their local fan meeting event. If you do not have enough budget or if you really want to save up money for another significant purchase that’s not related to K-pop, know that you do not have to buy that plane ticket and that fan meet admission pass.
Buy just one or some but not everything. Attend one or some but not all. Again, this is if you want to save money. Nevertheless, if you have the means, then you’re as free as a bird to spend money on your fangirling pursuits – just be responsible always!
2 – Watch out for SALE seasons.
The celebrity management company of your favorite K-pop artists do discounted offers at specific times of the year or just whenever they want to. Watch out for those SALE seasons when K-pop merchandise are sold on special offers, cut-price rates that are certainly cheaper than their regular prices.
These could be rare chances obviously because they cannot always do markdowns, so when they do, grab the opportunity, so you can buy your K-pop artists’ merch more affordably. Be quick because many fans also stand by, waiting for these price drops and special deals!
3 – Buy from K-pop shops offering prices cheaper than others (albums, merch, etc.)
Aside from the K-pop artist’s celebrity management company, many other South Korean malls and overseas K-pop shops are authorized to sell their artists’ albums, merch and more.
You will notice that the rates vary more often than not because it all depends on the pre-order benefits that those specific K-pop stores provide, in partnership with the celebrity management company itself. Some are cheaper than others; while others are more expensive.
When you want to save money, you have to be wiser and more patient to actually look for trustworthy shops that offer those K-pop items at cheaper prices compared to others. Of course, double-check the inclusions of the items they sell because some might be cheap but incomplete. Look for those with complete inclusions, in unflawed condition, that are more wallet-friendly than others.
4 – Purchase from non-profit stores.
Look for non-profit K-pop stores as they really help fans purchase albums and merchandise at their original (or closest-to-original) prices. They sell those K-pop items because they love the K-pop artists, too, and want them to receive a lot of album sales and achieve chart successes!
Only superfans understand what that means, but the gist is that these non-profit stores can be considered go-to stores by many K-pop fans because they sell items at more affordable prices than other stores, and that’s with complete inclusions too!
5 – Opt for group orders
Ordering your own album and merch directly from the K-pop idols’ celebrity management company is far more expensive than ordering with other fans in the same delivery box. Why? Because shipping is high-priced, particularly overseas shipping! The shipping fees are often more pricey than the items themselves.
To save money, opt for group orders. Find fellow fans who want to order with you, so you can order together and distribute the shipping fee equally. Look for your local K-pop stores that open group orders. That’s much easier since they have their own suppliers and have connections with couriers; you will not need to manually seek fans who want to order with you because it’s a shop that has many customers like you!
6 – Save up more for live concerts and events.
If you are keenly watching your budget and want to hold back money from goods and other offers, have self-control by thinking that you should get money ready for possible live events coming soon. Save up more for live concerts and events. Those moments are the actual moments you will see your favorite K-pop celebs face to face and hear them live! The tickets will be expensive, but it will be worth it! The experience will be priceless! Save up more money for that, and you can save more money now as you wait!
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SAVE MEMORIES
The feeling you get whenever you fangirl is incomparable! It’s something that money cannot buy! But then again, in many cases, you use and need money to attain those things that will give you those blissful feelings!
As you spend money on K-pop fangirling, be wise too. There are many ways to save money and still fully have the most beautiful memories of your life.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nicole Ann Pore is a writer, an events host and a voice over artist. Quality and well-researched writing is her worthwhile avenue to enlighten and delight others about things that matter. She is a daytime writer for The Fordham Company, one of Australia’s leading celebrity talent management agencies located in Sydney. Nicole graduated Cum Laude from De La Salle University Manila, Philippines with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts.