Money for Games.

Being 16 means I don't have money for new games. Or any games in general. The last game I got was Red Dead back in June, and that was because I traded in MW2. I do have a job interview next week, but I really wanted to get Halo reach! My parents NEVER buy me games.

Do you trade in games to get new ones? Are you just rich? :P

Or do you wait for the price for it to go down?

I really hope I get this job :(

I work and I plan which games I want to buy in the future. When I know what I want and it has a few months before it comes out I put like twenty bucks a month down on 'em and have them paid off by the time I get there. Doesn't hurt the wallet as much since it's spread over.

I love games but drives me crazy how expensive they are. I wait until a game price drops unless a game I just must have. As much as i hate waiting got to do it... and i have a job lol. I wont trade in my games. They give you a wimpy handful of dollars and turn it for huge profit. They can kiss off

In Australia, where I live. It's usually $120 for a new game. Sometimes $99. The cheapest for a new game here would be $84!

In Australia, where I live. It's usually $120 for a new game. Sometimes $99. The cheapest for a new game here would be $84!

agentdandb

Wow, do you guys get ripped off, or do you get ripped off?!?!? It's £40 for a new title over here, and they're gradually phasing in £50 standard titles. I know that one pound roughly translates to 1.3 dollars us, so i don't know how that translates to australian dollars.

[QUOTE="agentdandb"]

In Australia, where I live. It's usually $120 for a new game. Sometimes $99. The cheapest for a new game here would be $84!

cain19822004

Wow, do you guys get ripped off, or do you get ripped off?!?!? It's £40 for a new title over here, and they're gradually phasing in £50 standard titles. I know that one pound roughly translates to 1.3 dollars us, so i don't know how that translates to australian dollars.

We do get ripped off, but the American dollar is stronger to the Australian dollar. So (I think) it would work out the same. Just sounds more expensive. But I think an American $60 converts to $90 or $100 I'm not entirely sure, but it's something like that. And the game shops have to pay alot of money to get the games here as well, and Australia gets everything last. :( agentdandb

And you guys have that draconian ratings board. Move to the US. :P

I wait until Black Friday and buy in bulk unless I just can't wait.

[QUOTE="agentdandb"]We do get ripped off, but the American dollar is stronger to the Australian dollar. So (I think) it would work out the same. Just sounds more expensive. But I think an American $60 converts to $90 or $100 I'm not entirely sure, but it's something like that. And the game shops have to pay alot of money to get the games here as well, and Australia gets everything last. :( airshocker

And you guys have that draconian ratings board. Move to the US. :P

We don't even have a R18+ rating here. Left 4 dead 2 nearly got banned, but our version was edited. HEAPS! It would be cheaper to import games. But I usually wait to birthdays and christmas. Assassins Creed Brotherhood, my most hyped game. Comes out 2 days before my 17th birthday, if I don't get that (I will) I will rage it....BAD :P agentdandb

Just don't /ragequit life. It's not worth it. :P

Well i worked during the summer but not now during the school year so I understand the feeling. For me its just about being a smart shopper. There are always great deals going on that you have to be on the look out for. I rarely spend full price on a new game and always get deals on used games. That and well ebay is a great way to get older games for dirt cheap.

I've been working since the week I turned 16. Flipping burgers is an easy place to get a job. If you're that strapped for cash just rent games instead.

I've been working since the week I turned 16. Flipping burgers is an easy place to get a job. If you're that strapped for cash just rent games instead.

IzzieWaru

All people need is patience and they can get games for dirt cheap.

All people need is patience and they can get games for dirt cheap.

craigalan23

[QUOTE="craigalan23"]

All people need is patience and they can get games for dirt cheap.

agentdandb

I trade games that I don't even play anymore, and whenever I buy new games it's usually pre-owned.DBIZMO

[QUOTE="IzzieWaru"]

I've been working since the week I turned 16. Flipping burgers is an easy place to get a job. If you're that strapped for cash just rent games instead.

agentdandb

How the hell does a 16 year old make $14 an hour? Is it just a couple of hours a week?

[QUOTE="agentdandb"][QUOTE="IzzieWaru"]

I've been working since the week I turned 16. Flipping burgers is an easy place to get a job. If you're that strapped for cash just rent games instead.

IzzieWaru

How the hell does a 16 year old make $14 an hour? Is it just a couple of hours a week?

OK, I work full time, but i also have a heaping mound of bills to pay. Rent, car insurance, gas, electricity, gas for the car, food, credit cards, cell phone, cable, internet, and whatever else i get hit with that month. Between me and my fiance we make enough money to come out of a months worth of bills with a lot of money left over, that is if she wasn't engaged to me. I have impulses, and i give in to them. If i'm in a store, and i see something i want, i buy it. plain and simple. I don't have the ability for some reason to say "ok, i want that, it will be there next month, ill save a little every week for a month and jump on it then." It is a sickness, i'm not even joking. I have a million hobbies to, video games being only one of them, so I'm spending money left and right, and thats not a good thing, so about a month ago my fiance hits me with an ultimatum, i either need to learn to walk away from these impulse buys, save up, and go back, or i can only trade games in from now on. I am anal about my things, i love my stuff, i work hard to get it, and i don't like giving it back, so i don't trade in. So lately i've been saving. Now, at your age i had already been working for 5 years, i got an off the books job at age 11 (i am not suggesting working off the books, it is against the law and dangerous) and i didn't really have to many bills back then, so id go and spend my money like it was going out of style. Now this may be a perverbial case of the pot calling the kettle black, but take it from me, you want to save your money, figure out and plan which games you want months in advance, and save for them. If you trade in games, there will come a day you will wish you had that game still to play it. also i'm not trying to plug anything but if you want deals on games craigslist always has deals. Good luck on the interview, and sorry for the essay i just wrote, its 3:10AM and i cant sleep lol.

OK, I work full time, but i also have a heaping mound of bills to pay. Rent, car insurance, gas, electricity, gas for the car, food, credit cards, cell phone, cable, internet, and whatever else i get hit with that month. Between me and my fiance we make enough money to come out of a months worth of bills with a lot of money left over, that is if she wasn't engaged to me. I have impulses, and i give in to them. If i'm in a store, and i see something i want, i buy it. plain and simple. I don't have the ability for some reason to say "ok, i want that, it will be there next month, ill save a little every week for a month and jump on it then." It is a sickness, i'm not even joking. I have a million hobbies to, video games being only one of them, so I'm spending money left and right, and thats not a good thing, so about a month ago my fiance hits me with an ultimatum, i either need to learn to walk away from these impulse buys, save up, and go back, or i can only trade games in from now on. I am anal about my things, i love my stuff, i work hard to get it, and i don't like giving it back, so i don't trade in. So lately i've been saving. Now, at your age i had already been working for 5 years, i got an off the books job at age 11 (i am not suggesting working off the books, it is against the law and dangerous) and i didn't really have to many bills back then, so id go and spend my money like it was going out of style. Now this may be a perverbial case of the pot calling the kettle black, but take it from me, you want to save your money, figure out and plan which games you want months in advance, and save for them. If you trade in games, there will come a day you will wish you had that game still to play it. also i'm not trying to plug anything but if you want deals on games craigslist always has deals. Good luck on the interview, and sorry for the essay i just wrote, its 3:10AM and i cant sleep lol.

sillyseaotter

The best advice I can give is get a job. I got employed at Walmart at age 16, and I have been with the company ever since. I am now 22 and am a Department Manager (Of? You guessed it. The Electronics).

You can always go for something cliched too! Rake leaves. Shovel snow. Mow lawns. All are ways to get at least a little cash. :)

The best advice I can give is get a job. I got employed at Walmart at age 16, and I have been with the company ever since. I am now 22 and am a Department Manager (Of? You guessed it. The Electronics).

You can always go for something cliched too! Rake leaves. Shovel snow. Mow lawns. All are ways to get at least a little cash. :)

Zophar87

I've got a job interview next week :) I can't shovel snow..because it doesn't snow in Australia! :Pagentdandb

Best of luck with that and I hope it goes well for you. However, even if it doesn't snow there, that still leaves two options! :D

Gaming isn't an expensive hobby at all, compared to other hobbies. I just buy whatever games I like the look of, really. If there ever is a month where there's enough out I can't afford all the games I want (hasn't happened yet but you never know!) and pay all the bills I have to pay, I'll just prioritize and pick up the ones that are most important to me first. :)

[QUOTE="agentdandb"]

I've got a job interview next week :) I can't shovel snow..because it doesn't snow in Australia! :PZophar87

Best of luck with that and I hope it goes well for you. However, even if it doesn't snow there, that still leaves two options! :D

I kind of like these generalized topics here in GameSpot. Reading through these responses makes you realize how many people are in your shoes, that it is not even funny...

Yeah, as someone above me said, gaming is not as expensive hobby as some other ones out there. Man, i used to buy designer clothes for enormous amounts of money every month, even though i would barely wear them, plus with all the schooling and gaming i did, i did not have time to go out and show off my clothes to clubs and stuff...

Now, i am more content of staying home (i sold all my designer clothing by the way), with my loans paid off and i am enjoying gaming. I could buy any game i want on day 1, however after the financial stupidy i was enduring before i learned to be more reasonable. there is only 2 or 3 games during the whole year that i would buy on a Day 1. Majority of the games i buy 3 4 months later for half price or lower. It is what i call "financial prudence"..Plus having that extra 30 bucks in your savings, in case you need them for an emergency or to take a girl out or something, is better than paying 60 bucks for a game that will be $ 30 in 2 months...

Remember: 1st law of Business Finance: CASH IS KING

I love gaming and until a year ago I was a buy it new beat it soon buy another new. After a few years of marriage and life taking over I don't get to play as much. I recently started waiting. It's taken about 6 months but I'm in a position now that most games I want are older, so new would be price dropped and used would be cheaper. My plan is only to buy a couple new, Reach will by my last new one this year, and most likely will be my last purchase this year as Christmas is coming and I like to have a wide variety of prices on my lists for family.

Hopefully you get that job, but remember to be patient and do like others suggested, if it has to be new pre order it and pay it over a couple three months so it doesn't hit the wallet so hard. It has nothing to do with being rich, we all have lives that come first and games just aren't cheap.

I have two jobs, have been working since I was 15.

But I'm pretty sure most of us are a little older than you dude. That may be a reason its easier for us to buy games :)

Well i hope you get this job!

Usually I just wait a couple months after a game is released, and then head on over to ebay and buy it cheap there. I was able to buy Red Dead Redemption new a couple days ago for 30 bucks.

I have a job but I'm a bit frugal when it comes to my game buying, so I usually just wait until there's a major price drop or I can just get it used. Sometimes I even wait until the used price drops. Rarely do I get a game brand spanking new on launch.

i only really look to buy 2-3 games each year that being fifa and nhl. maybe pro evo. those games i always make sure i have money for. anything else like red dead or something special like GTA i try to get abit later anyway. if i dont have the money, i sell the games to my local stores. thats the only solution. if you really want this game find the money by trading in or doin a job for someone. it sounds really bad but it works in the long run,fella.

I'm not rich, but I don't have much in the way of expenses, either, so I can usually buy new games that come out. I teach at the university that I'm doing my Master's at.

I'm 17 (currently finishing up my HSC and final year of school), so not much older than you at all. Thankfully I have a part time job and the majority of the time when there's a game I REALLY want, I can afford it. So I hope you get the job, if you haven't already.Similar towhat many people have said already, I'll see a game that I think will be really good when it's a few months from release and plan to buy it.

As of a couple months ago I had preordered Halo Reach, Fable 3 and Assassins Creed Brotherhood, having wanted to buy them since they were first announced.At the time I promised myself I'd only buy these games and it has taken a lot ofrestraint to walk into EB Games every once and a while and notbuying the good looking games I see on the shelf.

But it's still really good and I'm really looking forward to Fable 3 and AC Brotherhood and hopefully I'll have more money by then lol.

Yeah games in Australia are priced through the roof! They cost so much money, that's the only problem. I wish i lived in America :P.

But to get my games, i usually save as much money as i can (from doing little jobs here and there) and my parents will just put the rest of the money onto the game i want. I also usually get the games i want, so it's all good i guess :P