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Don't spend hundreds to play console games

How to Save Money on Console Games

by Alina Bradford

Ten-Second Summary

If your kids get tired of console games quickly, don't waste money buying new titles. Instead, rent the games.
Gaming fanatics purchase games the day they're released, beat it, and sell it back to a gaming store. The gaming store will then put the game back on the shelves as a used game for a much cheaper price.
Round up your old games and return them to your favorite gaming store for store credit towards your next gaming purchase.
Want some Wii and PlayStation games at rock bottom prices? Consider buying games from older versions of the console.

If your family's like mine, they love video games. We have an X-Box, PlayStation and Wii players that are constantly clamoring for new titles. These titles often cost around $60 a pop. Since we're on a budget, I have found ways to get console games at a fraction of the price.

Game Rental

If your kids get tired of console games quickly, don't waste money buying new titles. Rent the games from sites like Gamefly.com. With Gamefly.com, you pay a low, flat fee of $8.95 per month. You keep the game as long as you like without any late fees, there's free shipping, and you can rent as many games as you like during the month.

Used Games

If you simply must own your console games, you can purchase a new game within weeks of the release for a much lower price. How can you get great savings so quickly? Gaming fanatics will purchase a game the day it's released, beat it, and sell it back to a gaming store. The gaming store will then put the game back on the shelves as a used game for a much cheaper price. One of the stores to find used games is GameStop and GameStop.com.

Trade-Ins

When you tire of an old game, don't just let it sit around collecting dust. Round up your old games and return them to your favorite gaming store. Most gaming stores have some kind of used game program that allows you to sell your old games for store credit or cash. You can use the store credit towards your next gaming purchase, or you can save your store credit until you have enough to get a new game for free.

Old Console Games

Want some Wii and PlayStation games at rock bottom prices? Consider buying games from older versions of the console.

The Wii console is designed to play Game Cube games as long as you use Game Cube controllers instead of the motion controllers. You can pick up games and controllers at most gaming shops for a few dollars each.

Backward compatible PlayStation 3 will play most games that were made for the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2 without needing to buy old controllers. Not are all backward compatible. Check before buying. Old PlayStation games are only a few bucks each, so you can build a massive collection of these classic favorites.

Using old console games on your new console will make you feel like you have two consoles in one. This is a great option for families that include old school and new school gamers.

Auction Sites

On auction sites like eBay, Overstock.com and Amazon, you can find wholesalers auctioning brand new games at low prices. These are my first stop shopping sites for Christmas and birthday gift games because you can usually find the exact title you want at a low price. No need to roam gaming stores!

Using these tips, my family has saved hundreds of dollars on console games. We rarely pay full price for a gaming title and my gamers stay happily occupied.

Alina is a full-time writer and artist that is currently living in North Texas. Feel free to visit her website at AlinaBradford.com

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