Let's start by going over my spending. I was once the type of gamer that would have to own all the latest & greatest games. I would impulse buy bargain bin games with alarming regularity, justifying the purchase due to the low cost. My wife and I began to notice that I would rarely finish games, sometimes it was legitimately because I lost interest in the game, other times it was simply because I was distracted by my latest and greatest game. This was my wake up call, I was buying games faster then I could finish them.
I have come up with a rules to live by when it comes to my video game spending.
Console Games
1) Do not buy a system when it launches. History has shown that many systems have issues that have not been resolved in testing, the high rate of failure among the first generation of XBox 360 systems is a fine example of this.
2) Consider buying a video game system when it has five or more games that you want to own, a video game system is a long term investment. If a system has many enjoyable games you will have greater opportunity to stretch your dollar by getting years of enjoyment from the system.
3) Trade games. When you are finished with a game that you will no longer play consider trading it with friends or trade it in for credit towards new games.
4) Think of the expense vs the entertainment value. When I buy a game I would like to get at least an hour of entertainment per dollar spent. If I buy a $50 game I want to feel like that I am going to get at least 50 hours of entertainment. If I suspect that a game is fun, but short with little to no replay value I won't buy it. If a game is long and engaging, or if it is short and has a high replay value it may be a great deal.
5) Have a library cap. I will own up to a specific number of games, once I have reached that cap I can only buy a game only if I trade another game in. This forces me to carefully analyze my purchases so I will not impulse buy any games.
6) Consider Renting. If there is a game that you expect to play only for a week or two, or if you want to try it before you buy it, spending a small amount on renting the game could be a good investment.
Computer Games
1) Play Free Games. If you own a computer and you have an Internet connection you can find a massive number of freeware and open source games.Freewaregames.net
2) Play "Mostly Free" Games. In addition to free games there are many games which are free to play but they have extras that you can pay for, often times the extra content is inexpensive and well worth the investment, the trick to this is simply making sure that you don't spend the small amounts frequently. Sample site
PuzzlePirates.com
3) Look for Dynamic Content. Many online games have frequent updates that add adventures and new features, this greatly boosts replay value. Sample Site Adventure Quest
4) Play Casual Games: Many of these games are inexpensive, have a high re-play value, and you can often try them before you buy them. Sample Site Big Fish Games
My final tip for all situations is to keep an eye out for great opportunities. Sample Site GetRichSlowly.org
The bottom line is this, a tight budget can still be fun as long as you are creative.
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