7 Tips to Get Games Cheap with Steve Logic

With tax season coming around and your bank account looking sadder than a kid who got Mega Bloks instead of LEGO bricks, I’ve compiled a list of things I do — or at least try — to stretch that dollar to keep gaming.

1. Wait for a Sale.
   
   Let’s be real. Who doesn’t love a good sale? I understand that we wanna play the games on release day so we can be a part of any conversation about it, but don’t fall victim to FOMO. Wait some time for a patch to come out, let all the bugs get fixed and for a game to drop in price. Plus, if you’re a PC gamer, the big sales they have on “Shteam” are crazy.

2. Use a Gaming Subscription.
   
   At this point, literally everything is a subscription type of service. I, for one, actually like this idea. As a Game Pass subscriber — read: the basic tier tho…I have too many ongoing subscriptions — I think it’s a great way to play games you missed out on and new games, as well. I had a PlayStation 2 growing up and only got to play a few Xbox games when I was around friends and family so I never got the full experience. Game Pass allows me to replay and catch up on the Halo and Gears of War franchises. For only $10/month! Remember: there’s collections you can buy for those, so make sure you weigh out your options first…

3. Sell Old Games.
   
   Before I get started on this one, let me clarify something: I know my cousin Deo is gonna read this and might feel upset about this tip. Mainly because he’s a collector and wants to preserve physical copies of games because we’re moving towards a digital only kinda space. But stay with me…
   
   We all have games that we’ve kept for really no other reason than we’re too lazy to bring them in for cash or store credit. Listen, we all know you’re not gonna play Hello Kitty Island Adventure 4 Turbo RE:MIX Edition. Go outside, touch some grass and sell it or trade it. BUT do take it to the right place. Find a mom-and-pop shop; I know they are harder to come by, but help out the little guys first. If not, there’s always GameStop. Or you could always use an online marketplace where people who are looking specifically for that game can complete their collection.

4. Play with Friends Who Want to Play with You
   
   This one might be harder to accomplish, but it’s possible. The reason I bring this up is because friends who enjoy playing games with you will always find a way to play a game with you. Whether it’s buying the game for you, finding a discount code for you to use or anything in between. They’ll make it happen.

5. Don’t Play with Those “Friends.”

I’m pretty sure we have all fallen victim to: “Bro, get this game we’re all playing.” So you think: “Oh, fa sho! The homies are all playing, Imma play too.” Then by the time you get the game and have time to play, you’re hit with a “Oh, we stopped playing that.”

“Y’ALL REALLY DROPPED $60 ON A GAME TO PLAY IT FOR A FEW DAYS TO JUST FORGET IT LIKE THAT ROTTING TOOTH IN YA MOUTH? TRAGIC.”

6. Buy from 3rd Party Websites.

This is mainly for PC players and it’s the main reason why I switched to PC gaming. (Sorry, console players.) There are always games on sale, and there’s always other places that have it on a better sale. Steam always has games on sale depending on the category, but when their summer/winter sale hits? It’s amazing. I’ve seen $60 games drop down to $9 countless times. And if the game you want isn’t on sale on Steam? No worries, you can also use Green Man Gaming or Humble Bundle who some times have better deals and with other things to offer even.

7. Some Weird, Frugal Stuff to Stretch that Dollar.

I really need y’all to hear me out on this one. I’ve been in situations where I needed to save anywhere I could. It’s funny to look back on now, but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.

So picture this: It’s two days until pay day, you have enough money for the game that you want but all you have to eat is cereal. Obviously, you think: “Oh, I can survive off cereal,” so you buy the game. After a few hours of gaming, you get hungry. Time for cereal, but before you think about grabbing a bowl, grab a mug. Why? We’re gonna trick your mind into thinking you have both a meal and a drink. Plus: we’re portion controlling…remember we got two days until pay day.

Now a few more hours pass. Guess what? Cereal again. This time we’re gonna use a bowl…but not without lining the bowl with plastic wrap first. This is because we already have a mug we have to wash. We gotta cut down on how much water we use so the water bill stays low. On top of that? We’re eating cereal with a fork so we can save the milk for the next time we eat cereal.

Remember: we play chess, not checkers. Always gotta be steps ahead.

Dinner comes around. Look, I get it. Having the same thing all day can get tiring. But this last one never fails: y’all ever have sleep for dinner? Technically, it’s a sandwich that consists of you, the bed, a blanket, maybe a pillow for that extra spice.

This last option is for comedic relief, of course. Please make good choices. Games can wait and you need to take care of yourself first…so you can keep playing.