Near Zero Cost

A "zero-cost" or "near-zero-cost" project utilises the materials and resources that are to hand or readily available for "free" or for pennies.

Of course, there are very few resources that are actually free (in all senses) but at a resource centre such as the HackSpace there are many materials and donated items that are immediately available for use. This style of project development favours multiple-prototypes as better materials become available. This differs from a true "Instructables-friendly" project that requires materials that can be easily obtained from national chain stores like Hobbycraft, B & Q, or Home Depot in the USA.