A guide to BDSM on a Budget
Ever since 50 Shades of Grey burst onto the scene in 2011, the kink community and all their little secrets has been brought to the front and centre of mainstream media. Everyone and their parents is at the very least slightly intrigued about what BDSM actually consists of. If you and your partner are looking to bring a bit of colour to your uni sex life, then read on to find out how you and bae can live out the life of Anastasia Steel and Christian Grey, while still sticking to a £40 a week budget.
Tying each other up.
If you’re in a steady job, earning decent money and are comfortable, then you could probably splash out on some silk ties to tie up your partner with. They do the job, but with an added touch of luxury. However, if you’re a uni student spending your maintenance loan on silk ties, then you might need to reevaluate your priorities. Toilet roll does the job, treat yourself to some of Wilko's own brand quilted rolls if you’re celebrating something. If that doesn’t do it for you, there’s always the option of attaching McDonald’s takeaway bags together until you’ve reached a good length. It’s a little rougher but hey, whatever you’re into.
Sensation play.
People that didn’t spend all their money for the week on a night out could try sensation play with feathers, or the gentle ministrations of a whip. But for the rest of you, there’s some wonderful headphones on offer for a quid in Poundland (they’re going to break within a week anyway, you might as well get some sexual pleasure out of them), and umbrellas going cheap in Primark. If you can perfect the wrist flick that shoots it out to its full length, believe us when we tell you that you'll look so cool. And if either of those don’t appeal, grab one of those t-shirts that got thrown at you in freshers. Roll it up and you’re good to go.
Spanking.
If bare hands aren’t kinky enough for you, then you may want to invest in a paddle. The real pros get these made out of rich mahogany and unicorn horn, but you can show your partner you’re sexy and savvy by picking up a pair of £2 flip flops from Primark. If you think these might pack too much of a punch for your sensitive skin, your local supermarket sells cucumbers for less than 50p. You could get organic, or you could stop pretending to be a bloody millionaire and make do with the cheapest one like the rest of us.
Blindfolds.
Like with tying each other up, you really don’t need blindfolds made of silk. No amount of money spent will be able to hide the bags under your eyes anyway, so you might as well play it cheap and cheerful. In the spirit of this, get the biggest bowl you own out of your cupboards and place it over your head. If you’re lucky, it’ll go down over your eyes and you’ll be in for a night of sightless passion. If your head’s a little too big - don’t despair. You can still fall back on tights, tissues or pillow cases. Experiment to find your favourite.
As with most things in life, if you don’t have a bank account with six figures, you’re going to have to compromise. It’s the same here. No self-respecting millionaire is going to be tying up their partner with McDonald's bags, or substituting a whip for a cucumber they bought in Tesco. But the best part of these ideas is that you can recreate 50 Shades at a fraction of the cost it took to make the film. And all whilst being far more accurate to the complex and misrepresented BDSM community.
But, because we are serious journalists and don’t want to leave you thinking that these are legitimate tips for getting into bondage, we’re going to give you a handy list of websites where you can find the best tips and products. The name does sound like the online version of Babestation, But the American Babeland site actually has some really useful info for those looking to get into BDSM. Their products are expensive, but as far as hints and tips go, these guys are stellar.
If I'm being honest, you really can’t go wrong with Lovehoney. They’re cheap, good quality, and each item has a handy video, showing you all the things you can use the products for. In a non pornographic way, obviously.
