Authored by Jeremy Siek in Video Games 
Published on 12-15-2008

If you are a gamer like I am you may have spend hundreds or thousands of dollars in order to feed the gaming habit. I want to get the newest and latest game or system and it eats up a big percentage of my income. I have found over the years that there are many ways that I can save money on my gaming and I would like to share some of them with you. If you play your cards right, you will find that you are saving a lot of money.

The great thing about saving money on video games is that you get the same exact product for less money. When saving money on clothes or shoes or some other thing that you would buy, you would be saving money, but most of the time by purchasing a product of inferior quality. When saving money while buying video games, you are buying the same game that the other gamer bought from the same company.

I make a challenge of getting a game or system for less money. I am now getting to the point where I won’t get a game or system unless I can get it for a bargain. I urge you to try this, because I pick up most of my stuff for below retail and I still am pretty up to date on my games.

There is nothing more annoying than to purchase a game and then not like it. We are paying lots of money for these games. I like to rent the game before I buy it now. There are a lot of video stores that also rent video games. So if you want to try out a game, or can’t find it for a discounted price you might want to consider renting it. Video game web sites are also starting to rent games and there are some pretty good pricing plans out there.

Always take a look at the disc before purchasing. Not all people are gentle with their games and you will want to inspect for any damage that may have occurred. Ask the seller if you can see the game in action to make sure it works if you have any doubts.

But how do you save money?

• Buy from your friends. As my friends get tired of their games I pick them up for a reasonable price. It is a win win situation because they want to get rid of the games without the hassle and I get to pick up a game for my collection.
• Going out of business sales. It is a rough economy out there and some businesses are closing their doors. It is a sad thing to see but getting great bargains at these sales helps out the business owner. They need to get rid of the merchandise.
• Holiday sales are a great way to pick up games at below retail. Stores want to pick up profits this year and you are sure to find all of your favorite games at good prices.
• The longer you wait after a game has been released the cheaper it will get. Last years releases are going to be in the clearance sections of the store. If you wait, you will see the title you want in the clearance section too.
• eBay is still a great place to find bargains. I can always find someone who is trying to get rid of some games for a cheap price, or someone who is trying to up their rating by offering some games for super low prices.

Keep your eyes open. Cheaper video games are plentiful if you take your time and use patience when deciding whether to purchase the game. Is it worth that price now when you know that historically, the price will go down drastically.