You don't have to here's how
If you haven't looked at the total cost of new computer or video games and gaming systems lately, you might be in for a shock. Today's games and gaming systems can run from a modest $30 to a whopping four hundred dollars or more. For the loving mother of a game-obsessed teenager, the costs can be astronomical and nothing short of terrifying. Fortunately, the cost of purchasing quality PC or video games (including the systems they run on) can be significantly reduced once you know what to do and where to look.
One alternative to financing gaming with a second mortgage is to "grow old". By "aging" we mean buying games and gaming systems from the past month or year. If you could just admit one truth that we all know but can never face, you could literally save hundreds of dollars in an instant. The truth is, unless you're a millionaire, none of us can afford to buy the latest toy on the market. The ugly fact behind this truth is that within a relatively short period of time (say 60-90 days?) this latest toy will be replaced by a new and improved system which in turn provides access to what was required in the first place - at half the price! So take care and have some patience. In about three to four months, you will save a huge amount.
When it comes to PC games, you can also do better if you upgrade the games rather than the whole PC. It can take a year or more for a game company to release a new version, and chances are the upgrade doesn't require new hardware—it just requires a new payment. Remember that the gaming industry can't keep up with the computer industry either (nobody can), so there's no need to panic or worry. Focus on keeping your game up to date rather than your system. Only in rare cases, such as if your computer is archaic to begin with, will you need to upgrade the hardware. Shop smart you can get a new sound card, joystick or graphics card on sale. But if you have a high gigahertz processor and Direct X 9 installed, it will work for you for quite some time.
Here's a great idea that probably won't take as much effort to convince young people to do as you might think. But to reduce the cost of playing, perhaps a group of families could join and share the finances together. Depending on the number in the group, the cost of a new gaming system - and the 5 or 6 most popular games - could be reduced to 20% or more of their original cost.
And with game consoles getting smaller and smaller, there's no reason why a group of families can't get together every week or two to swap gaming space in their homes. That way, the kids in the neighborhood can enjoy a new system or two on the market that they would otherwise never be able to afford, and they can enjoy them without their parents having to shoulder the burden of financing them themselves.
Since kids generally play games together anyway, a group effort of this kind satisfies the gaming appetite at a significantly lower cost and keeps everyone happy.
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