Has anyone used fondant lifters. They are very expensive. Is there an alternative? Thanks in advance

I use a piece of vinyl I bought at the fabric store. Roll your fondant out on it then flip the whole thing over onto the cake.

I use the wood pole (curtain rod) to roll my fondant to the cake. I use the unfinished one (unpainted), it's very cheap, you can find it at any hardware store. You can cut it to whatever your desire length.