How to afford paintball
It's a miracle how people can afford this sport, honestly. Plan. Commit. Make sacrifices. Take care of your equipment and don't change it often. People are too tempted to run up ridiculous expenses getting 10 match ano'd 3 color Boomsticks, swapping Angels every time a new one comes out, getting that extra badass totally new Cocker though they don't need it and probably use it only 1/4 the time, dropping $500 on a tourney they can't or otherwise don't win, and spending more paint at the chrono target range than they do on the field just to show off their new trigger job that they paid someone else $100+ to do when they could have taken 20 minutes, an allen wrench or two and some teflon tape, and a little reading to do themselves.
One of the best players I've ever met that I've known for 3 years(though just a MSPA player for Phantom Regiment, he could have gone NPPL long ago, but instead stayed with his team and is humble beyond belief about his playing skills that could if he spent the time could wipe out any Am A team and some pro) has stuck with his EARLY, like in the 95 or 96 0000XX serial number range LED Angel with no milling or mods, same pack, probably same pods, same nitroduck tank from God only knows when, same Bushlan jerseys, etc. He just shows up to the field, only plays serious practice type games with good players that he will face in tourneys, doesn't shoot anything he can't hit (and he can hit damn near anything), and if he drops a game doesn't do the same stuff again to waste time, effort, and paint. He just shows up at our home field, politely greets all around him, plops down $30-70 for paint, plays his games, sits and talks with us, says goodbye, and leaves. He plays his games and does his job well in tourneys, is a good friend, and shuns the rest which though some is fun amounts often to being just worthless bull****. Keeping it to the essentials keeps it fun and keeps it affordable. He will probably play till his body tells him he can't--his budget is secure.
No schmoozing around lusting after the new stuff, no worshipping some twib that walks in with 5x as much money in their gear as he has, no dreamy and absurdly expensive plans to tour the country winning half a series and pissing away the rest, no "what ifs" about that extra BPS or 10 psi lower pressure.
Buy your paint as a team in bulk. Drink water from canteens filled at home instead of dropping $1+ per bottle times 24 or more a day. Pack sandwiches for lunch instead of $5 burgers. Carpool and share hotel rooms. If you must buy more gear get it used and/or at events. Play tourneys you can afford and expect to place or win. Don't play generic rec ball--play versus good teams and/or 3v3 and 1v1 to get better and not waste paint on Joe Newbie and his four ignorant friends he calls a team. Your paint should go towards accomplishing real goals, not testing your 2mm trigger job and painting the field pink/green/yellow. Show up to play with a serious attitude and have your fun too. Spend time with your team to get on the same plane of communication so you don't show up as 5 guys goofing off and lose when you should be moving forward and dominating.
Don't get sucked into scams, halfwits with no skills that get you shot, and money lusted salesmen that don't care if you pawn your grandmother's house and have her live in a tent to fork out the cash for that new chrome and diamond studded Angel trigger they're pushing on you. In short, plan and play smart.
