I second what Lija said above. Having a pet IS a luxorious hobby, in other words, it usually costs a lot of money in order to provide proper care. Having that said, if you are willing to spend some money, I would recommend getting a Bearded Dragon. Most of them are very docile and has higher tolerance for handling. A cheaper reptile alternative that no one has yet mentioned is the corn snake. The ease of relatively undemanding care, smaller size (for a snake), and mild temperament also makes it a nice reptilian companion. *oops Daniel totally mentioned corn snake. I didn't read that post til now so my apology.*