Value In Gaming

Being frugal has been a "hobby" of mine for awhile and it's probably always relevant, no matter what time period we're in, to say that things cost more than ever and it's good to save some money here and there. I've had this in my drafts for a very long time but want to finally make this page live since I can't really think of more to add at the moment but do intend on adding to this over time.

Let's get the most obvious ones out of the way:

1. Waiting to buy newly released games. Duh. Turns out being patient can save you money.
2. Emulation. Also duh. 
3. There is almost always some sort of publisher sale going on any digital storefront every week. There is also some sort of sale seemingly every few weeks like a winter sale or spring sale or a summ- you get the point.
4. Buy used games - as long as there is physical media, at least.
5. Or just buy any and everything you want at any time you fancy it because why not? Like JG Wentworth said: It's your money and you need (to spend) it now! 

Now onto ones are maybe a little less obvious 

1. Focus on your backlog - Of course not everyone has a ton of games they've bought they still haven't played or finished (if you are one of these people, I commend you) but if you're like me, you've got a backlog. I'd say well over half the games I play each year are ones I already own. Spending money recklessly in the past on things that you end up never actually using is frugal? Look, I'm as surprised as you.
2. Don't rush - Taking your time to really explore and absorb a game you are enjoying can be a great way to obviously extend your playtime which in turn causes you to really get your money's worth out of a game.
3. Set a few games a year as "Day 1 buys" - Perhaps this goes more along with a general rule in finding value in gaming but with most new games costing 70+ dollars now, I find myself limiting the amount of brand new games I buy. I try to look ahead and see what games/franchises I really have an interest in and for those ones I am willing to pay full price so I can experience them as soon as possible.
4. Replay Games - Maybe this is a me problem since I have a pretty large backlog (as well as limited time to play games these days) but I always kind of feel pressured in a sense to play a new game off my shelf. Replaying games is a great way to save money and to really extract the most value out of a game. I think as I get older I'm in less of a rush to get to new games, I'll get to them when I get there.
5. GameFly - This section is sponsored by GameFly. GameFly "Keep as long as you want, no late fees!" There is pretty much always a promo going on for new customers so it's very possible for you to beat a few games within your free time period. And after that, for 20 bucks a month for the basic package that includes new releases, if you're able to beat a game within 3 months you have still saved yourself some money compared to buying a new game. Obviously there are drawbacks with shipping time and new games being available but you, precious and frugal reader, can do your own research on that and decide if it's worth it to you. And I would never (and am contractually unable to) say anything critical at all of GameFly because at GameFly you can rent AND own your favorite games TODAY!