Original man cave ideas are tough to come by, especially if you’re on a budget. But saving money and designing an awesome man cave is possible if you know how to shop and know what to look for.
You don’t want to spend your life savings on a room you’ll use to watch the weekly game–but you also don’t want to build the exact same generic man cave every other has. Part of having a place to yourself is making it yours, after all.
Maybe this is part of your house redesign or your spouse’s dream.
The good news is you can do it without . Here are 8 cheap man cave ideas that will help finish your set up faster than you thought possible.
1. Do Inventory
The best way to save money on your man cave is to identify what you already own that’s going to go inside of your space. There may be some obvious things, like a TV or a sofa, but think about the little things, too. Maybe even do some spring cleaning of the garage or attic.
Before you worry about any other man cave ideas on a budget, see what you can come up with that would look good in your new space. Maybe you’ll surprise yourself by digging out something useful that will make your friends think your space is awesome.
2. What’s Your Space Like?
One more prep tip, then we’ll dive into some original cheap man cave ideas.
Unless you own a huge house with multiple empty rooms, chances are that you have one location for your man cave available: an empty room, your basement, or an extension room like a metal garage (Victory Buildings has some sweet ones if you’re in the market).
Consider your spacing-what do you have room for and what might not fit? Honestly, this is an overrated tip for saving money. You might buy too much furniture and realize you don’t have room for it, then have to resell it or be stuck with it.
Don’t take away from your budget by buying unnecessary things.
3. Thrift Stores Are Your Friend
Hey, don’t judge thrift stores. In terms of do it yourself man cave ideas without going broke, they may just be your secret weapon.
Here’s what you should do: make a list of all the thrift stores in your area and hit them all in one fell swoop. You’ll be shocked how much $100 to $200 can buy you and what people give away to thrift stores.
Seriously–furniture, TVs, movies, carpets. All the big things you need can be bought for pennies on the dollar at these stores. Hit them first.
4. Become A Master Craftsmen
If you want to make the process of building your man cave more fulfilling, considering building some of the elements of it. YouTube is home to hundreds of DIY workshops for building anything from desks to home bars.
You’re sure to find whatever you’re looking for in a video that’s less than twenty minutes long.
5. Discounts!
Search sites like Groupon and Coupons.com for discounts on some of your bigger purchases. You may be able to save 20% or more on items like TVs or couches by waiting an extra weekend or two for new sales.
Every dollar counts, after all.
6. Man Cave-Share
Here’s a funky idea for how to build a man cave on a budget: pool together cash with some of your buddies and build one together. Seriously, why not get the people who are going to use the space to help chip in?
The truth is, the person that owns the house should probably contribute the most. But you’d be surprised how many friends might be willing to chip in $50 for a minifridge if it means they’ll have a place to drink beer on Sundays.
Food for thought. I mean, Airbnb and Uber did it and that worked out, didn’t it?
7. Sports Equipment Decorations
You ready to kill two birds with one stone? Okay, here goes: garage cleanup and man cave art.
How? Use your old sports equipment to make furniture and decorations for your new pad. Hang picture frames from a hockey stick on the wall or use baseball bats to make something that stands.
You can easily repurpose stuff that has been cluttering the garage by looking at Pinterest or any other site. Just type in “sports decorations”.
8. Save Your Bottles!
Similar to number seven is the advice to repurpose your stuff. Just this time, you’ll be repurposing domestic beer bottles or saving up beer caps.
Seriously, you can make tons of fun man cave art and gadgets out of recycled alcohol vessels. Make a table out of beer caps, lights out of beer bottles, or crush up some cans and make something a little funky.
Even though you’ll lose your $.05 deposit, you’ll save a few bucks by getting thrifty with your leftover beer paraphernalia. At any rate, it’s a good way to set the done for what’s about to happen in the room you’re designing.
Man Cave Ideas, Wrapped-Up
When it comes man cave ideas, the key is to decide on what you can do given the space and budget that you have, then to get creative. Truly, you don’t have to break the bank to build an awesome man cave that your friends will love come over to enjoy on game day.
Some tips we recommend include going to thrift stores, building your own stuff using YouTube tutorials, and making “manly” art with things like beer bottles and old sports equipment. If it’s any consolation, every penny you save can go towards buying a slightly bigger flat screen TV.
For more frugal living and craft tips, check out our website. Good luck with your build.