Love playing games? Who doesn’t! While there’s nothing quite like passing an hour or five this way, it can quickly become an expensive hobby. If you want to save yourself some pennies, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s how to save money on gaming.
Go to second-hand game shops
Spoiler: Games are not cheap. Of course, you could spend £50 on a brand new version of the latest FIFA (and, let’s face it, you probably will!) but most of the time you should be a little more frugal when it comes to your game shopping.
The odd £50 here and there may not sound like a huge investment but that cash adds up seriously fast. Before you know it, you’ve spent hundreds and hundreds on a load of stuff that you don’t actually use.
Rather than making that mistake, it’s worth considering getting second-hand games instead. There are a few ways in which you can do this. Of course, the risk here is that you may not be able to get the exact game that you want.
That’s something that many people will find quite hard, especially if they have their heart set on something in particular. Still, if you spend a good enough time looking in stores and online too, you should find that there is a wide variety out there. Here are some places to try:
Cex
Needless to say, one of the biggest second-hand game retailers in the country has to be Cex. When you pop into one of their shops, you should find that there is a broad array of cheap and cheerful ‘used’ games. They have a seriously wide selection, which means that you should have no problem finding something that you want to play.
What’s more, if you want to get even more of a bargain, you could take some of your old games there with you and trade them in. Often enough, you can get cash value for them, but if you’re willing to spend it in the store, you will ultimately get more value in vouchers. While you’re by no means going to get a load of cash for your old games, you may get enough to make a difference when you buy new ones.
Gumtree
When you’re thinking of where to buy games, Gumtree may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, you could well get lucky when it comes to this site. (Of course, this is very much location based, and so it depends where in the world you are!) Looking at the buy/sell or even freebie sections could be the way to bag yourself some super cheap games in no time at all.
Sometimes, people sell things in bundles, which means that you get a load of stuff for a low, low price. For example, you may find that a person gives away a whole load of games because they have a new console. While you won’t find brand new games this way, you could get the odd bargain.
Game
Did you know that Game has a ‘used’ section? If you don’t want to pay over the odds for games, it could be worth looking at what they have to offer. When the biggest game hits stores, it’s obviously not going to be in this section, but give it a month or so!
Many people buy new games, play them, and quickly get bored. That’s why you can sometimes find relatively new games in the ‘used’ section of the shop. If you’re willing to wait it out a little, you may just find that you end up paying a fraction of the RRP for the year’s biggest game. Patience is a virtue.
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Or just try looking in charity shops
Alternatively, you may find that you get some real bargains looking in charity shops. Often enough, people overlook this option as they assume that the shops are just full of musty old clothes. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, many charity shops have a book and games area. You can sometimes find old games and even consoles in there.
Why not spend a day or so looking in charity shops near you? While you may not find games that you want to play, you could find some that you want to trade in for money. Also, if you’re willing to go a little old school here, you may find a retro console for next to nothing! Original consoles could sell for more online, and so they could be worth snapping up when you see them.
Swap old games for money
If you can’t quite afford that brand new game, here’s a sneaky way to make some money for it. Many gamers have stacks and stacks of games that they simply never use. Over the years, you may have collected a whole load of these things and all they are doing is collecting dust. So, why not sell them for some cold, hard cash?
There are a few different places where you can get some money for your used games. Of course, you can go to Cex on the high street and take the game with you. There are also websites that let you trade your games for money. Some of the best include Music Magpie, GameXchange, and WeBuyGames.
Note: You will not get the highest price when using these sites, but you can ensure that they will sell. If you want to make more from your old games, you should try eBay. It will take longer, but you’re likely to get a better bidding price.
Get PlayStation Now
Love old school PlayStation games? You’re in luck. One of the best services you can get at the moment is the PlayStation Now subscription. The service is a little like Netflix but for games. There’s a library from which you can choose and you actually stream the games as you play them, which means that you don’t need to waste time downloading them.
You can use the subscription on PS4 or even just your PC, which means that the games are super accessible wherever you happen to be. At £12.99 per month, it’s cheaper than buying a brand new game each month. Plus, you get a 7-day free trial to see whether the service if for you or not. Nothing could be easier.
So, what games do you get? Well, the subscription service has new games on it all the time, which means that the library changes quite often. However, there are more than 500 games to play so you’re sure to find something you enjoy.
Some of the modern highlights right now include Red Dead Redemption, WWE 2K16, and Alienation. If you like classic games, though, there’s a whole lot to love here. You’ll find gems including Sonic games, Saints Row, and Tropico 5. What more could you want?
Join your local library
If you thought your local library only had books, you were oh-so-wrong. For a long time, libraries have stocked videos and DVDs, but many have a new branch of things available. Yes, you can borrow many video games from your library at the sweet price of nothing.
You should already know this but it’s 100% free to sign-up at your local library and it should be easy enough to do. Just head to the place and take some form of ID along with you. They should give you a temporary card right away and then send you a permanent one in the post just a few weeks later. Simple.
Once you’ve signed up, you can start borrowing things right away! If they don’t have just what you want, feel free to talk to the librarians and ask them to order what you need. (While they may not always get what you want, it really does pay to go ahead and ask!)
Check out eBay or Amazon
Of course, two of the most obvious places that you can buy cheap games are eBay and Amazon. The two shopping sites make it extremely simple to find just what you need. Since both allow external sellers to advertise things, you should find that there is just what you need at a decent enough price.
When you’re looking for an affordable game on Amazon, all you need to do is use the search bar to look for it. After you’ve clicked on it, you should find that there are a few buying options. Click the ‘Buy used’ option and you should find a bargain
On eBay, the sellers will already be offering used games. Rather than getting into a bidding war, which can be costly, be sure to use the ‘Buy it now’ filter. That way, the price that you see is the price you pay! Search for whatever game you’re after and see what comes up here. Again, you may not find the latest games here, but it’s worth looking on the site all the same.
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