Geek culture is becoming increasingly popular as the years pass. With the extra popularity comes new merchandise that every fan feels they have to have. This wouldn’t be so bad if the items didn’t sometimes come with a hefty price tag. Nonetheless, May sports a few geeky holidays worth celebrating, especially if you’re looking to get your hands on some of these collectibles. This doesn’t mean you need to break into a cold sweat and configure how much money you have to spend though! Rather, check out these tips and let May’s geek-tastic holidays inspire you and show you that frugality and geeky can go hand in hand if you know how to make the most out of these celebrations!
1. Deals
When it comes to collections, May is the best time to do some shopping. Throughout this month comic book stores as well as other geek and pop culture shops will have plenty of deals for you to cash in on. The best thing you can do is plan your shopping experiences strategically. For instance, if you love Star Wars then May the Fourth is the day you should be shopping around. This holiday isn’t quite like others, in the sense that when it is over the merchandise will go right back to normal price instead of hitting the clearance bin. Anyone who may be looking for something other Star Wars merchandise, might want to check back the week of Geek Pride Day. This is a great holiday for finding some rare items at an affordable price or just picking up a few booster packs for your favorite game. Make sure to follow your favorite shops on their social media pages in order to know who is hosting sales!
2. Craft
One of the best ways to channel your inner geek is to get to crafting. Who doesn’t love making something special that was inspired by a geeky character? It doesn’t matter which holiday you’re celebrating as there’s a little something for everyone to try out. For instance, if you want to check out something new then you may want to try cross-stitching or needlework. You can easily find beginners kits that feature an assortment of characters to strike your fancy. If you’re skilled with a pencil or paintbrush then try to create a fun sketch or painting with your favorite characters or you can simply make your own! Creating a comic book with all of your own ideas and drawings is a great project to celebrate all of the geeky things you’ve come to love. You may even want to print out coloring pages for the kids so they can show their support too. Another great project for the whole family is to make characters out of rocks or recycling, such as an oatmeal container. If your crafts are good enough then you may want to consider selling them to other fans or simply show them off in the home!
3. Food
Nothing says celebration quite like food, right? So, of course you’ll want to pull out some geeky recipes to make the holiday even more fun. When it comes to May the Fourth you may not want to miss out on trying the iconic Blue Milk from Star Wars. It’s easy to make and great for the entire family. Other geek inspired recipes will need a little more creativity on your end. For instance, you can make cookies and decorate them like your favorite characters. A themed cake is also a must have for anyone planning to host a party! Another fun idea is to cut food into geeky shapes. For instance, if you have themed cookie cutters this can work on a variety of different foods like fruits or sandwiches. You can also use letters to spell out some of your favorite things to geek out on. If you’re good with cutting items without a cutter then try to use a knife to create the characters you and your kids love. You may also want to consider planning a meal around some of your favorite stories. For instance, you can have an Elven night complete with special breads and other treats. Or, you can try out having some astronaut food for lunch. The options are endless and you can probably find a lot of inspiration online!
4. Movie Marathon
One of the cheapest ways to celebrate your favorite geek holidays it to host a movie marathon or two. May the Fourth is the perfect day to relax in your favorite Star Wars pajamas while watching all six of the movies. Don’t forget to throw in the new trailer and a bit of discussion to keep the day even livelier. You may also want to gather some of your favorite superhero movies or sci-fi and fantast picks. Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings are popular marathon choices, but X-Men, the Avengers and other films that have a successful reigns are also great if you’re trying to appeal to an audience. If you really want to mix it up, ask your friends to bring over their favorite obscure anime movies. Of course, you may want to check to make sure they’re age appropriate if you have children participating. You can even have your guests bring themed food to make the day even more fun!
5. Dress Up
If you love geeking out on characters then dressing up is one way to show it. A lot of people love saving their Halloween costumes for these events, which makes it even cheaper to celebrate the holidays. Try dressing up and going to a movie, dinner or to an event that shows appreciation for your fandom! Of course, cosplay is becoming increasingly popular too! Although this may not be as frugal as digging out an old costume, it can be on the cheap side if you know how to use the right materials. Recycling, especially cardboard, are some of the best items to use to make a cosplay costume without spending a lot of money. You should also check out your closet for old clothes. When you have an idea of the supplies you need you may also want to check out the thrift store for cheap solutions. Once you’ve gathered all the supplies, enjoy the process of making your costume and think of all the geeky pioneers you have to thank for such an experience!
6. Visit a Convention
Spending a little time at a convention is a great way to show off your appreciation for geek culture. Check your local community posts to see if there is going to be a convention near you during the month of May. Generally, tickets aren’t incredibly pricey so you should be able to get a full weekend pass at a price that won’t make you feel squeamish. Of course, you may want to keep in mind what kind of convention it is. For instance, there are many comic conventions that are quite broad and will allow you to check out a variety of things. However, some conventions are very specialized, such as Star Trek, anime and etc. If you’re not into any element of the theme then don’t waste your money. Instead wait it out and get tickets for the next event that strikes your fancy. While you’re in the convention try to keep to your budget at all costs, or avoid the shopping venues altogether. Instead, enjoy some of the panels and check out cosplay shows to keep the day as frugal as possible.
7. Try Something New
In order to fully appreciate the geeky holidays you may want to try something new to further your range of knowledge. One of the best ways to do this is to go into a comic book store and look around until something catches your eye. When you have an idea of what you want to try pick up the first in the series, cash out and leave. This will help refrain you from buying items you would normally buy while also helping to keep you on budget. You should only pick up one copy as you don’t know if it will be a love at first sight reaction or if it’ll be a total flop in your eyes. You can also do this in a book store! Just make sure to keep your purchases low and you’ll be right on track with your budget.
8. Play Games
Enjoying games with your friends and family is a perfect way to celebrate geeky holidays. If you have a Dungeons and Dragons group, or other role playing games, try to get together with them and enjoy some well-deserved time in a fictional land. You can also get together to play cards, themed board games or any other game you think of, including those you make up yourself! Retro videogames are also a great way to celebrate that will help you walk down memory lane while also giving the newer video games a break. These are also really fun to get the kids into!
9. Go Outside
Getting some sunshine will make you feel great about being a geek and all of the fun holidays you get to celebrate because of it. One of the more common ways to have some fun while celebrating is to join a larping group. There should be many emerging during the month of May in order to show appreciation for the holiday, so you can always join whichever group follows your interests. All you have to do is throw together some costumes and fake weapons and you’re good to go! You may also run into some lightsaber battles while you’re looking for something to do. This will probably be more common on May the Fourth, but if you miss out on this day then keep a look out. Finally, a simple game of quidditch with friends and family may also make your holidays feel all the more special! Not to mention, it’s easy to DIY a quidditch court from items found in the home!
10. Read
Of course, one of the best ways to show off your inner geek is to take some much-needed time to catch up on your reading. It doesn’t matter if you’re into the classics or can’t wait to dive into the next big young adult novel, opening a book is such an amazing way to celebrate. You can even plan your reading schedule around the holidays. For instance, pick up a Star Wars novel for May the Fourth and then move on to Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy by Douglas Adams to celebrate Towel Day. There’s a whole lot of options to choose from and you don’t even have to spend any money to enjoy this aspect of being a geek. Try to read those to-do books that have been collecting dust on your shelf, or spend some much needed therapeutic time at the library. You may even start a group that reads to children or the elderly in order to give back during this time of the year!
Celebrating all of the geeky holidays can be a whole lot of fun that gives you a lot more confidence in the person you are. Although it may be tempting to pull out your credit card during this month of amazing holidays, you can easily refrain by participating in one of these activities. As the holidays began to pass, you’ll be glad you had a frugal game plan to keep your from over-doing it!
