How to Find Good Deals to Buy Video Games Cheap

Ah, money. Hated enemy, yet cherished friend.. If only there were a way to keep our crisp dollars in hand while still getting our goods. While that’s nigh impossible, I can help with a few tips on saving money on video games, whether you’re buying that CD as a gift for someone else or trying to stretch your own deflating wallet. Here are three simple rules for saving money when shopping.

1. Be Patient. Never buy a game the week it comes out. Don’t even buy it the same month it comes out. Game prices drop very quickly after a short period of time-typically 30 days after the initial release-and that fifty-dollar price tag can quickly drop to thirty, or even twenty if you’re patient.

2. Shop Smarter. Don’t buy new. By this, I don’t mean games that came out recently – I mean rather that you should buy used games. Never buy from Wal-Mart; instead, buy from a video game chain that deals in used games, like EBGames or GameStop. You’ll get as much as half off the regular new price when you buy used, and all because they can’t get the tape that goes on the sides and top back on – you win in more ways than one. Also (refer to rule 1), be patient. This gives you time to learn from those who bought the game whether you should spend your money on it – word of mouth from a friend is one of the best ways to find out if a game is worth buying. Ifyou don’t know a sucker – er, have a friend who will waste his money on brand new games, then perhaps you should invest in a gaming magazine. Or you can just go to sites that publish game reviews, such as http://www.gamefaqs.com or http://www.gamespot.com. Gamefaqs has user-submitted reviews, and you can usually trust the better-written ones; Gamespot has more in the way of sneak peeks and a review or two at best. As you can see, they are good for different things, so check both out before buying a game.