Tip for Beginners
In the US at least, Real musicians never pay the retail price at a music store. Michael's reference on strings started me thinking about the way we buy strings, accessories, and even instruments. Professional musicians are known at local shops and are often accorded a courtesy discount often as high as fifty percent. (The markup on musical merchandise is very high.) If you sometimes play at local bars or hire out for parties, make some cheap posters and ask your local music store to put them up. Make business cards and leave them at local shops. Volunteer to give the odd free public demonstration at your local music store; it brings in customers and helps the business. The owners will repay you in professional discounts.

Another way to save money on strings is to buy them in bulk. When I was performing I always bought by mail order and never fewer than a dozen sets. You can save a great deal of money this way and not have to worry about boiling your strings or otherwise extend their lives artificially.

Of course if you are studying with a teacher who is also a working professional, he or she may be able to supply you with necessary accoutrements at a substantial savings as well.

      - Mark