Be patient, wait for sales and pricing mistakes. I've put away some very good bulks for cheap thanks to the chaotic mismanagement over at P&C/CI. Also, jarred bulks don't usually fetch good prices here on PipesMagazine, especially if there's not much age on them and you may find some deals here. But you do need to be a bit obsessive about watching the sites, checking prices, and be ready to jump when deals hit.
Pipe tobacco, like everything else, has skyrocketed in price. It wasn't long ago (pre-COVID government economic sabotage) that the most you would pay for a pound of absolute top-shelf bulk was $50. Even Germain/Esoterica was only $70. Many members here will tell you about paying half that, or less, in their pipe smoking lifetime. It will only continue to rise. I foresee $100/lb in the next few years. So, if you really see yourself enjoying a pipe in the future, now is the time to buy. Well, actually, yesterday, last week, month, year, decade was the time to buy, but......
EDIT: I should add that if there is a pipe club near you, join it and participate. At our club, people give away stuff all the time. A member just gave away five or six tins of the Tsuge blends because he didn't care for them. If there isn't a pipe club near you, then start one!
