The U.S. economy is in a recession. People are still losing jobs, out of work, or seeing their hours cut back. However, it isn’t just the United States in trouble, the world economy is suffering quite badly as well.
With the global economic status out of whack, people now have a reason more than ever to save money on purchases and for rainy days. Gamers are included, even this time during the holidays in which hit titles are released.
Thus, here are 10 ways for a gamer to save money not only during the holidays, but throughout their entire gaming life.
10. Do not invest in warranty you don’t need
Paying for unnecessary warranty on electronics is a bad idea. As technology evolves, older devices lose their value, meaning the additional warranty Why would someone pay Sony monthly for warranty, having it eventually eclipse the worth of their system? With the money paid to Sony for their warranty service, one could use the cash to purchase a new PS3 or PSP if the current one malfunctions, giving a new standard warranty cycle with the new purchase.
9. Bargains and Discounts
Retailers such as Newegg and Best Buy have discounts and bargains on video games and gaming related items, especially during the holiday season. It doesn’t hurt at all to shop around for bargains and discounts on things. In fact, Toys R Us just recently had a discount on PlayStation 3 slim models, slashing prices by 16%, bringing the prices down of Sony’s black box to something a bit more affordable.
8. Sell your online instead of local retailers
On various websites such as Ebay, you can get more for your games and gaming systems. People list their games for sale and potential buyers bid on them, and the person with the highest bid after the timer runs out, wins the item. Generally, one ends up getting more for their items on Ebay than stores, especially rare or high-in-demand items. Stores purchase from you to profit, and thus buy for less than the item’s true value. However, Ebay allows you, the seller, to profit by charging low fees.
7. Do not subscribe to magazines and services you don’t read or use
Are you guilty of subscribing to gaming magazines and not even reading half of the issue when it arrives in the mail? This is a sign of a poor investment. If there is an issue that you absolutely must own, then buy that book specifically. If you do not read the magazines you are paying for, consider cancelling your subscription. This can be applied to most other subscription services.
6. Buy PSN games
Don’t like the thought of paying $60 for a game? Have you considered buying games on PSN or the PlayStation Network? Though these games may be shorter and significantly cheaper, they are still good games regardless. Games such as Stardust and Limbo are fun and have often been received well with positive review scores. You could purchase many PSN games for the same $60, and you would be supporting smaller independent studios at the same time.
5. Purchase off brand accessories
Just like when shopping for grocery, one should contemplate off brands. Off brand accessories such as chargers and cords work just as well as the brand ones. They just do not look the same or cost as much.
4. Do not trade in
Many gamers like to trade their games in for store credit, which is basically putting down money on a in-store account to use other games. This is a rip off. Stores like GameStop are in business to profit and will only give you so much for your items. It is more beneficial to sell your games somewhere else that offers more money and then, if you prefer to buy your games there, go back and purchase the title you want. The only exception to this is if the store offers a certain ‘bonus’ for trading-in and even those have terms and limitations.
3. Sell games that are collecting dust
Do you or someone you know have a bunch of titles on their shelf taking up space? Are these titles this person has not played in over a year? You or your friend should consider selling those games. There are people out there that like to buy older games and some are willing to pay a high price. Who knows what that old PS1 game on your shelf is worth.
2. Purchase online instead of in store
Stores such as Wal-Mart and GameStop sell brand new video games for top dollar, including PlayStation 3 games which are $60 brand new. If you do not even like the thought of paying $60 for a brand new game or just like to save money, consider buying video games online. A short while after the release date, a brand new title can be purchase for $40 and even lower! Hell, sometimes you don’t even have to wait, the games are already lower than $60 online at release! Ebay and Amazon are the front runner sites for purchasing gaming items online, but there are plenty of other sites out there.
1. Wait for price drops
Patience is a virtue and it also will help you save money. The number 1 way for gamers to save money is to wait for price drops. This works on games, systems, you name it! If you don’t want to spend $250 on the PS Vita in Feb. 2012, wait for a while and Sony may drop the price. In some cases, the upgraded and slim models come out at the dropped price and are actually better than the original model. This practice works mostly on games, where titles like Heavy Rain are sometimes re-released with DLC and other content, but at a lower price. However, the only flaw with this the wait, as sometimes it takes a long time for a price drop. Years have passed and DualShock 3 controllers for the PlayStation 3 are still very expensive.
There you have it, those are the top 10 ways for gamers to save money. Remember, spend wisely during this holiday season. Make your money stretch so you can buy 2 games instead of 1!
Happy Holidays!
Aritcle written by by Shawnee Lee