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There are plenty of hobbies out there that are less affordable than gaming, but when you’re at college, money can be really tight. If you’re looking for places to scrimp and save then your hobbies are a good place to start. Always buying the latest games, collecting consoles as though they’re going out of fashion, or treating yourself to that new expansion pack a little more regularly than you ought to be, could all be contributing to your lack of funds. Thankfully we’ve got some tips that can help you to save money on your gaming hobby without even realizing that you’re doing it.
Sign Up For Mailing Lists
If the majority of your money goes on game purchases then this tip might be the only one you need to save up for your next college degree. There are all kinds of game providers, with Steam one of the most popular for the sheer volume of titles available, Green Man Gaming a hit amongst bargain hunters, and Origin with fans of EA titles. Whichever one you use, it’s well worth signing up for their mailing list. All of these providers and more hold regular sales in which you can snag discounts of up to 90% off. They don’t want to keep these sales a secret and there’s nothing more frustrating than buying a game at full price when it’s hugely discounted the next week. Save your purchases for when they’re on sale. You’ll absolutely be told about sales on the mailing list, but you might also benefit from some members-only perks. Often those on the mailing list are given exclusive access to content or an extra percentage off on sale items. These perks all come totally free of charge, you just need to hand them your email address. Of course, when it comes to the biggest savings, using some common sense and waiting until events like New Year’s Day sales or Black Friday is always going to yield results.
Choose Your Console Wisely
The invention of cross-platform gaming has meant that titles which you could previously only play on one kind of console, you can now play on multiple. Some of the best titles are now available for people to play on both Xbox and Playstation, which might seem like an insignificant change, but this means that it’s no longer necessary to own more than one console. Often, the biggest outlay for gamers is buying the console, so reducing this cost by half means big savings. Of course, the other big benefit to cross-platform gaming is that games are usually available on PC, too; all of us will have a laptop or PC for completing college work, so there’s actually no need for a console at all. You can keep the savings and put them towards something else, or you could treat yourself with a game or two – it’s entirely up to you.
Become a Bargain Hunter
There’s nothing greater than rediscovering a game which you’d forgotten all about. The blast of nostalgia as you watch the opening credits is almost as good as the final moments of the fiendishly tricky boss level. There’s been an enormous resurgence of interest in retro gaming lately, which is great for those who want to save a little money on game purchases. Titles that would previously have been left to gather dust in someone’s attic are now being sold for a couple of dollars a piece at garage sales, or on eBay. What’s more, almost all consoles are reverse compatible, so you can play older titles on new consoles. If you’re unsure of where to start your search then eBay is a great option. You can search from home on your PC or phone and, the more you look, the more titles you’ll remember. If you’re lucky enough to be living in a big city then checking out your local goodwill store is another great way of snagging a bargain. There are sometimes absolute treasure troves full of old titles, so you could have a dozen new-to-you games for the price of just one brand-new release.
