Gaming can get expensive pretty fast, especially with all the underhand tactics gaming manufacturers use to get players to pay more. If this is becoming a problem for you and you’re spending more than you can afford to on games, you will need to sit down and re-evaluate your budget. You should also know that there are plenty of ways that you can significantly reduce the amount of money you spend on gaming while still having fun. Here are a few tips for keeping your gaming costs under control when gaming.
Look for Refurbished Consoles
Lots of people are aware of refurbished electronics like laptops, but few are thinking about buying a refurbished console. By going for a refurbished console, you could get a machine that looks and plays just as good as new for a fraction of the price. You will also get a warranty if you buy the console from a reputable supplier.
Manufacturers like Nintendo will allow you to buy a refurbished console straight from their website and offer a warranty. Buying straight from the manufacturer will ensure that the machine has been refurbished using original parts and that your warranty will be honoured.
Look for Coupons, Deals, and Freebies
Another thing you could do is use coupons at every chance you get. You could use an app like Honey which will automatically look for the best deals when you’re shopping online. Another thing you could do is join newsletters or clubs. Sony and Nintendo both have special clubs you can join that will get you discounts on all of their products.
You could also look for bonuses or free-to-play options. If you’re into online gambling, then you could look at reviews for the best online casinos AU. These sites will rank online casinos on multiple factors including bonuses, which will facilitate your search. Freemium games can also help you save money, but it would be wise to check reviews for these games as well to see how far you can go before your experience is severely affected by not making in-game purchases.
Be Patient
If you can wait a few months or even years before buying a new console, do it. There’s really no reason to rush as gaming companies don’t suddenly abandon their old consoles once a new one comes out. So, you’ll still be able to enjoy high-quality games as last generation games on consoles tend to exploit the console’s full resources.
The price of consoles usually starts to drop after about two years, but it can drop as soon as six months after the release depending on the console’s popularity. So, if you can be patient, you could make some big savings. Another benefit of waiting before getting a new console is that it will allow you to avoid initial bugs and you’ll have access to a much larger selection of games once you decide to get it.
These are all ways that you can keep your cost to a minimum when gaming. It’s all about being smarter with your purchases, so take advantage of all the deals you can find and always look for a way to save.
Disclaimer: This content does not necessarily represent the views of IWB.