Video games are not my area of expertise.  When I was a kid I used to love Castlevania, Tecmo Bowl, and Contra; then I wasted hours in college playing Mario Kart and FIFA Soccer in between classes and just hanging out in the dorms.  I haven’t really played many new video games or computer games since then, I know, I’m getting old.  My college roommate did bring over his Wii a few months back and we got in a few hours of Mario Kart, I started off strong but then my thumbs got sore and he beat me every time : ) 

I know not everyone’s like me and that many people enjoy a daily dose of video games, especially in the cold dark winter months.  So I thought we’d cover some ways you can save money on video games. Fortunately, a reader named Allison was kind enough to send over some tips on ways you can trim your gaming budget:

Rent, don’t buy. If you buy brand-new games at retail, you’re paying top dollar, and you don’t know if you will love it enough to play it all the way through.  Sign up for Gamefly (Netflix for video games) for a low subscription cost. (Click here for a Free Trial – use coupon code TENDAY)

Buy used titles.  Check out the cost of the games on eBay or Craigslist for sometimes half the cost.

Stream titles direct.  Games-on-Demand services offer one of the best bangs for the buck.  Services like GameTap and Verizon Games offer more than a thousand titles, including casual, classic and even some hardcore games.  The cost-per-hour of play on these subscription-based services is extremely low and can serve multiple people.

There is such a thing as free gaming. Several websites offer free-to-play action and casual games. Sega has a new website, Play Sega and GameTap currently lists more than a hundred free games on its website.

Thanks to Allison for the gaming tips!  Any other ideas or suggestions?

These tips on saving money on video games are part of the series on saving money on entertainment.  So far we’ve covered how to save money on your television bill,  save money at the movies, save money eating out, and save money on movie rentals.

Renting a movie to watch curled up on a warm couch is a favorite weekend treat on cold winter evenings. Saving money on movie rentals is a matter of balancing new releases and older movies, title selection, and convenience.

Free Movies

You can rent free movies from most public libraries. In my experience the selection of titles will vary from poor at many smaller, older branches all the way up through pretty decent at newer, larger libraries.

You might not be able to find the latest blockbuster but the library is pretty much guaranteed to have some old classics alongside some newer run DVDs.

The convenience factor of picking up a movie from a library is similar to dropping into a video rental store.  You still have to drive there and sort through the movies, the main difference is selection and how recent the movies are.

Cheap Movies

Next to free movies from the library, renting a movie for a $1 from Redbox is the next cheapest option.  Currently RedBox has over 10,000 locations around the US, you’ve probably seen one out front of a McDonalds or local grocery store in your area.

The movie selection isn’t as in depth at RedBox as it is at a movie rental store and the titles are a little older but the price is looooow.  Some people complain about choosing a movie through the kiosk interface but RedBox does have a website where you can go ahead of time to browse the titles, watch previews, and even reserve a movie online.  They call the process “Pick a Movie, Pick a Redbox, Pick it Up”.

In terms of convenience, you still have to drive somewhere to pick up the movie, just like a library or movie rental store, but if you can combine it with a weekend trip to the grocery store that at least saves you some gas money.

New Movies

If you want to see newer release movies and are willing to pay a little more then you can go with a movie rental store or online movie rental.  Sometimes local video stores can be a little cheaper than a Hollywood Video or Blockbuster it just depends on the store.

In Store Movie Rentals

The most expensive option is to walk into a Blockbuster or Hollywood video and rent the latest release.  The title selection will be pretty good, but the convenience factor is still similar to the library or RedBox, you still have to get in your car and go out to rent the movie.

Online Movie Rentals

Both Blockbuster and Netflix are now both selling set top boxes that allow you to download movies to a digital box in your home.  You have to make a big investment up front to purchase the hardware but then the movie rentals are only a few bucks.

In terms of the convienence factor these new boxes, the Roku Netflix player and Blockbuster MediaPoint, are pretty slick, you don’t have to leave your house to rent a movie.  The movie rental prices seem pretty decent, of course the downside is you have to pay all the money up front to buy the set top box.

Of course, both companies also offer their online DVD rental services where you visit their website, select the movies you want to watch, and they’re delivered to your home.  I’ve used both Blockbuster Total Access and Netflix to rent movies online for pretty cheap.  Both services offer a free trial period to let you test out the service, you can use the links below to get a free trial:

• Blockbuster 2 Week – Free Trial
• Netflix 2 Week – Free Trial