If you happen to be a fan of kpop idols, my best bet is you've spent some money on them. 

From buying albums during comebacks to buying official merchandise (including Kpop-exclusive stuff like membership kits or Season Greetings) to spending on other various activities like musicals, product endorsement, concerts, etc. That's the price you have to pay if your idols are currently active (but of course we wouldn't wish otherwise!)

Example of product endorsement in Kpop a.k.a fan's collectibles

Reality is that the business side of kpop is highly consumer-centric compared to the western entertainment. Speaking from experience, it's very easy to fall into the cycle of spending too much or feeling the need to get your hands on everything they put out, especially once you've started spending on them.

Getting the latest merch or albums can get very expensive once accumulated and often times, the satisfaction doesn't even last that long. 

Some may argue that they buy to show their support but if you're someone who cares about your future financial, let me tell you that there's better things to spend your money on.

The point of this post isn't to tell you why you should or should not buy albums, but it is to let you know that it's okay if you can't afford to do so. Let's not assume everyone is okay being pressured by the competition side of kpop.

If you are okay with not buying the latest album, why not opt for secondhand?

Since kpop is a fast-paced and competitive industry, many people buy albums in bulk for various reasons such as to collect albums or member photocards, boost albums sales or to participate in video calls and fansigns. However, such practice of buying albums in bulk have lead to massive wastage of physical albums.

Therefore, the next time you want to buy an album, try buying a bit later or buy it unsealed from a local reseller. Not only you are helping them clear off their unwanted copies, you'll also be saving so much due to the albums "losing value" once promotion period ended.

Sometimes, people also buy albums solely for the photocards then proceed to discard the rest of them. If you don't mind not having photocards, albums without inclusions are sometimes even given away for free! 

Example of photocards for a single comeback 😲

Head over to Twitter and follow some of your local Group Order Manager (GOM). Be sure to do your due diligence in ensuring the sellers are reliable before making any transaction with them. 

If you're from Malaysia, the hashtag #pasar<insert a kpop group name> allows you to find everything people are selling. Or you could even upload your own WTB (want to buy) tweet in case you didn't see the thing that you are looking for.

So in summary,
1. You don't really need the latest albums every time.
2. Albums are cheaper after promotion period.
3. Find your local resellers on Twitter for cheaper bargains.

If you're not a hardcore collector like me, this is one of the ways you could save up on your kpop spending too!

So, how's your #SpendingOfTheDay?