You haven't and here's how:
If you haven't noticed the cost of new computers or video games and gaming systems lately, you may be in for a shock. Today's games and gaming systems can run from just $30 to as much as four hundred dollars or more. For a loving mother of a sports-crazy teenager, the cost can be astronomical and nothing short of frightening. Fortunately the cost of buying quality computers or video games (the systems they run on) can be reduced significantly when you know what to do and where to look.
One option for funding a gaming quest with a second mortgage is to "go old." By "outdated" we mean buying games and game systems from the past month or year. If you can accept a truth we all know but don't face easily, you can literally save hundreds of dollars in an instant. It is true that unless you are a millionaire none of us can afford the latest toy in the market. The **** behind that truth is the fact that for a relatively short time (60-90 days?) in the first place - at half the price! So get old and have some patience. In about three to four months, you will have made tremendous savings.
When it comes to computer gaming, you're better off upgrading the game rather than the entire computer. It can take a year or more for a gaming company to release a new version and, likely, the upgrade doesn't require new hardware — it just requires a new payment. Remember, the gaming industry can't really keep up with the computer industry (no one can), so there's no reason to panic or worry. Focus on keeping your game running instead of your system. Only in rare instances, such as if your computer is initially out of date, will you need to upgrade your hardware. Shop wisely and you could nab a new soundcard, joystick or graphics card on sale. But if you have a higher GHz processor and Direct X 9 installed, you'll be fine for quite some time.
Here's an idea and one that probably won't take as much effort to convince young people as you might think. But to curb the cost of gaming, perhaps a group of families can get together and share finances. Depending on the numbers in a group, the cost of a new gaming system - and 5 or 6 of the most popular games - can be as low as 20% or more of their original cost.
And as gaming consoles keep getting smaller and smaller, there's no reason a group of families can't band together and trade gaming space in their homes every week or two. That way kids in the neighborhood can enjoy one or two new systems on the market that they might never have bought otherwise, and they can enjoy them without their parents alone bearing the burden of funding.
Given that children usually play games together, this type of group effort satisfies the craving for the game at a much lower cost and it keeps everyone happy.
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