While it’s true that freebies abound in SL, sometimes you just have to break down and spend money. The in-world currency is the Linden, often abbreviated as $L. A specific amount, then, would be $L100.
How does this translate into “real” money? That will vary by country, but as of this writing, $L2500 will cost you $10.95 in US dollars. To buy $L, open your dashboard, look for Linden Exchange, and click on Buy. There, if you haven’t already established a payment method, you’ll be walked through the entire process.
Of course, if you have a premium account, you already receive an allowance of $L300 each week, so if you like, you can simply save up your allowance. But if you choose this route, It will take quite a while to save up enough to buy a decent mesh body.
My body came from Maitreya, which is currently the most popular source. Its “Lara” body is extremely high quality, which is one reason it sells for $L2750, or just a little over $11.00 US. It comes with 5 different bodies, which you can modify to your heart’s delight.
Alli & Ali Designs is my favorite source for hair. Not only do they have a huge selection and reasonable prices, you can also find them on the SL Marketplace. In fact, I usually get my hair there, where many if their offerings sell for $L1.
Lara Hurley Skin completes my initial outfit with one of their free offerings.
Total cost? Less than $12.00 USD. The dress and shoes are available for free at Maitreya, but there’s a catch (but it’s a good one): you need to join the Maitreya V.I.P. group—which you can do at the store. Be sure to join the group before you buy anything; that way you’ll get store credit every time you purchase anything there. NOTE: this doesn’t apply to any of Maitreya’s offerings on the SL Marketplace.
So, for just under $12 US, you get the Lara package, a dress, three pairs of shoes, and a resulting store credit which comes to $L125—which you can then spend on a pair of panties!
Free to members of the Maitreya V.I.P. group
Oh—and the dress comes with a HUD (Heads-up Display) that allows you to change its color at the touch of a button!
And that, dear kittens, is it for today!’