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Financial Considerations for Ghost Hunters
by
Melissa Martin Ellis
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- Ghosthunting doesn't have to be expensive
- Consider asking clients to cover travel costs
- Your most important tool is common sense
- Click here for The Everything Ghosthunting Book
You are probably wondering what entering this field will cost you financially.
Credible investigators usually operate as nonprofits and do not charge clients for their investigations. Some investigate cases with their own finances or with money collected from donations and sponsors. You might consider making local investigations free of charge, but ask to be reimbursed by your clients for your hotel costs and travel expenses if you have to travel long distances.
Opinions differ widely and there is a heated debate among paranormal investigators as to the ethics of allowing clients to reimburse traveling expenses and other costs. Some will not charge a client under any circumstances, while others will only accept payment from an organization and never from an individual.
If you want to build your ghost hunting toolbox, try to acquire equipment as your budget allows and keep an eye on it when you’re in the field. You should keep your investment in equipment to a minimum until you are totally sure that your interest in the paranormal will continue. Investigators have shown significant results with less expensive equipment, so don’t let the cost of the more expensive items discourage you.
Here is a list of essential equipment:
- A flashlight and extra batteries. It is not at all unusual for a flashlight to go out during an investigation. Some believe paranormal entities cause modern devices to stop working. The theory posits that entities try to manifest by drawing energy from their immediate environment and will often drain even brand new batteries A first aid kit. As you’re walking around in old buildings in pitch darkness, be prepared to deal with a few scratches, bumps, and scrapes. $15.
- A notebook and pencil or pen. Old-fashioned writing devices are vital for keeping track of observations and sequences of events. $8.
- A watch. Invest in an old-fashioned wind-up watch that doesn’t run on batteries. If possible, get one with a second hand. $35.
- A tape recorder. It can be either analog or digital, but it must have an external microphone that can be placed away from the recorder to minimize static and noise. $30.
- A camera. It can be a digital or film camera. Bring extra camera batteries. Used film cameras are available on eBay and Amazon.com for around $50. Digital cameras start around $80.
- An EMF meter. This new ghost hunting tool measures the electromagnetic field in the area. Around $80.
- A cell phone. They often don’t function well in paranormal hot spots, but bring one anyway. The pay-as-you-go kind are around $30.
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