Saving Money on Video Games

My nephew's birthday is coming up and he made it very clear to everyone that he would like some new video games. I definitely want to get him what he wants, but it's no secret that the games are not cheap—averaging about $50 each. For well-meaning gift buyers, that makes it especially important to find a game the child will like and hopefully not tire of too quickly. (Of course, most children grow bored of playing even their very favorite game over and over—another reason why video gaming is such an expensive addiction.) Fortunately, there are solutions.

One of the best ways I found to save money on videogames is to buy used games on sites such as eBay and GameStop.com. Be aware that most used games are final sale. GameStop will also buy videogames back at a discount or give you credit toward other merchandise, which is worth looking into if you have games at home that your child (or husband, in my case) does not play anymore. Stores like Wal-Mart also often have sale bins full of games marked over 50% off.

Needless to say, these are all great ways to save money but they still don’t help if you have no idea which games the child wants or will enjoy after repeated playing. So after a little more research I finally came upon the ideal solution for all three game-buying considerations: price, choice and game fatigue. I got my nephew a subscription to Gamefly.

Gamefly is an online video game rental service that is similar to Netflix. Subscribers choose from more than 5,000 titles on their site (they have the largest selection available, including all the new releases and classics) and then GameFly mails your selections straight to your door. Subscriptions start as low as $8.95 per month and, best of all, shipping is free both ways and there are no late fees. You keep each title for as long as you want and they will send you a new game when you return the old one.

Of course, not everyone will like the idea of renting or buying used video games. If that is the case, do yourself a favor and check out our online coupons section at CoolSavings.com to see if we have any free shipping offers, coupons or discount codes available before you buy.

If you have any other tips about saving money on video games...please share them with us!