Hi and im a young adult who is yet to get a job and would rather do something like a sidehustle. ive been wanting a 3d printer or a laptop for a bit now but both are really expensive nowadys how do you all afford them. like i want to print a bunch of board games things, dnd things, and figures but i cant afford a 3d printer i cant even addord a candybar without involving a family member and i would feel bad if i asked a family member to but one for me and i dont even think they hav ethe money too.
is there something i can do to save up for a 3d printer or something like that?
is this by chance the wrong place to ask this?
items require currency to acquire
jobs will provide you with currency
But I want a peanut!
Comgrow has Amazon returns printers for $69. There are no returns and may be missing a part or two (mine was missing belts and the bed), but if you plan to tinker anyway, the parts are not terribly expensive.
That said, it definitely requires money. You’ll still need filament, at the least. You’re not going to get into 3d printing for free. Try to get a part-time job. Since it’s the summer, ask neighbors to mow their yards for money.
Some libraries will have 3d printers that can be used for printing the odd thing.
Look to see if there are any “maker spaces” near you (although they are more like to charge for access)
You may be able to get a cheap second hand printer on various second hand sites.
Realistically - get a job, that’s how everyone else affords this stuff 🤷♂️ (not sure how old you are - you may be able to persuade your parents to get you a cheap printer if your interested in 3d modeling etc)
Get a job and work for it.
Before I was old enough to drive, I mowed lawns and chopped firewood for extra money.
There are a lot of places you can get usable PCs for stuff like 3D printing for a lot less money. For most of this stuff, most decent-quality 10-year-old machines are fine - it doesn’t require a lot of computing power.
And if you’re near a Microcentre, you can often get Ender 3 (very entry level) printers for as low as $80 plus tax. It’s in-person only though.
But I think I very much like the idea of checking out your local libraries, which generally have computers and sometimes have 3D printers you can use for free or nearly-free. You’ll most likely have to supply your own filament, but you can get started on that for $20, so that’s something to think about.
You would also need a computer with your 3d printer as you just don’t feed printer with files from internet. (Actually, they are a few case where you can but it is very limited). As for your question: To save money, you need to earn money…
I get it, it sucks. Saving sucks too.
Keep an eye out for deals and freebies, especially locally. I’ve seen Ender 3s go for $50 and sometimes free when the user gets frustrated.
Don’t give up, save those pennies and keep hunting for deals.
The cost of a 3D printer is more than just a printer. Other things to consider are the consumables like filament, periodic replacement parts and a computer to do the slicing.
An idea on getting a low cost printer; The Goodwill Store in your neighborhood sometimes can have a 3D printer for very cheap; these are usually from hobbyists that lost interest in 3D printing and just wanted to get rid of the printer. Pricing may be $50 or less but may require repairs/parts.
A no cost alternative to getting started in 3D printing is to contact a local library or if you still have access to a school makerspace, to see if they have a 3D printer you can share time on - sometimes its free and sometimes its a low fee to rent the printer time.
Imma be real with you boss, get a shitty job for a month then quit. Even McDonald’s pays over $15 nowadays, they’re always hiring and as long as you show up they aren’t gonna fire you. 24 hours a week for 4 weeks will get you like $1,200 to just screw around with. 3 days a week is like $300 after tax.
Get a lawn mower and if possible a weed-eater. You gotta quote by house based on lot size and amount of trees and decorations etc. to now around but for a small residential lot with few obstacles mowed and edged you can easily get $25 in a cheaper area. Put $5 back into fuel and maintenance and you got $20 profit for probably 30 minutes of work. 10 of those is $200 which can get a cheap computer, occasionally you can find good deals at pawn shops. 15 more lawns and you got $300 which gives you plenty of options for printers.
Keep doing it and eventually you can upgrade to a riding mower and do more, larger lawns. If you can get any commercial properties you can get more like $75-150 for an hour of work.
