In hard economic times we all have to make sacrifices. However, no one wants to sacrifice playing video games. With that in mind I present:
5 tips on how to save money for Gamers on a budget.
Tip #1 - Save on Personal Grooming
One of the best ways to save money is to give up any hope of being well-groomed. Bitmobbers James DeRosa and Evan Killham save money by cutting their own hair. I say take it a step further. Stop cutting your hair, shaving your face and washing in general. The money you save can be used to buy WoW and have online social relationships to make up for the lack of human contact you will have by not bathing. You can also join the Bitmob Beard Club with myself and Davneet Minhas.
Tip #2 - Catch up on the Classics
The PSN Store and Xbox Live Marketplace have a wide variety of cheap games. Some of the members of the Bitmob community recommended I buy Suikoden from the PSN Store and it was only $6! This is a mammoth of a game and well worth every dollar. Flea Markets, Pawn Shops and Garage Sales are other great places to pick up cheap games. This will not only allow you to save money, but will make you a more knowledgeable Gamer as well!
Tip #3 - Save on Food and Drink
Coffee grinds can be used two or three times before the effects force you to run for the bathroom. Wine and Beer can be made at local brew-your-own businesses. Food can be found by foraging or visiting local Soup Kitchens or Food Drive Depots. Pigeons, squirrels, rats and large beetles can all be part of a balanced, budget diet.
Tip #4 - Post-orders instead of Pre-orders
The Orange Box came out almost 2 years ago for $70. You can now buy it for $20. Uncharted was $60 for a very long time, but now that game can be purchased for half that cost. Waiting to buy a game can save you large amounts of money. The only problem with this method of saving money is that some people think it is bad for the developers. I think what is worse for the developers is not having any fans who can afford to eat - let alone buy $60 games.
Tip #5 - READ BITMOB!
Nothing can save you money more than reading the amazing posts from great writers on a wonderful website. Playing video games is expensive, but reading about video games is economical! If you need reviews then Brian Shirk has you covered. If you want daily game discussion then look to Toby Davis. If you want articles about lesser known video game topics read the blogs of Jasmine Maleficent Rea. Bitmob has got your back.
Comments (26)
Right now I have been playing X-Wing, Mario RPG, FFVII, Railroad Tycoon 2, Traintown, Megaman 9, Zelda: Majora's Mask, Command and Conquer 1, and Quake Live!
I got all those games for less than $50! Never spent so much time actually playing games. I might never buy a new game again!
And I have honestly looked into it. So that would be #5 and still playing video games.
After ebaying most of the collection, I created a goozex account and started trading. It didn't take me long to rack up enough points to start trading for relatively new titles, and the point system is usually enough motivation for me to wait until a game's popularity dies down.
I do wrestle a little bit with the developer's not seeing a piece of the action when I'm enjoying their game, but it's a whole lot better than funding a GameStop exec's next boat. And, by trading, I'm letting someone else avoid contributing to the same 'blood money' fund, so I sleep pretty good at night, too.
And for the record I follow tips #1 and #5 - hence why I am always on Bitmob: I smell really, really bad!
@Jazz - Damn straight! Go socialism!!!
@Tommy - Yeah, thanks for the suggestion!
@Toby - Hornball!!!
I will check out Gmail..... I just got on Facebook to become a Fan of Bitmob, you know, in case people don't yet know I like Bitmob.....
Still haven't gotten around to a lot of the 3DO games... Do I hear Plumbers Don't Wear Ties calling?
@Lance - Suikoden II is 95% guaranteed to not come out on PSN. The translation is horrible, and there is even some text that remains untranslated. The whole game would probably need to be relocalized for PSN. Something Konami probably won't ever pay for.
To bad because it's like 8 times better than the original.
Coffee grinds can be used two or three times before the effects force you to run for the bathroom.
Brilliant!
I especially liked the Bitmob Beard Club, I think I'll be joining soon.
@Tommy - I am going to take you up on the loan offer.
@Cosmo - The Bitmob Beard Club now has three members!!!! Does Donahoe have a beard?
