Money and Sacrifice: When A Game is More Important Than Anything Else

My wallet. Note it's emptiness.

Everyone knows that playing video games is an expensive habit. It goes without saying that video game companies always have one hand on our pulse while the other is going through our wallets. But I don't think anyone really thinks about how it feels to be forced to sit back and watch the medium roll on without you because you just don't have the cash to keep up. 

It burns, just in case you don't know.

There are good deals out hidden in the world: reward/loyalty programs, trade-ins, online discounts, friends and family, really cool thrift stores...It is possible to save a dime; you just have to know how to shop around.

And there's always the most difficult option: good ol' fashioned sacrifice. Nothing's better than deciding that a shiny new video game is much more important than anything else your money could go toward.

My sacrifice tends to be personal copies of books for school because as an English major, I can pretty much find any book I need at a library or free online. Plus, there's always a helpful friend willing to let me share/borrow/buy their hand-me-downs. It gets a bit tougher when exams come around, but there's nothing foresight and good planning can't handle.

Of course, this money-saving method can go too far. Let me tell you, I have watched people choose games over bills and it never ends well. You have to maintain some sort of responsibility, unless you want to be rolling in debt. I wouldn't recommend such things but to each their own...

So, have you ever gone without to get the top game on your wish list? Do you have any go-to ways to save money or do you usually bite the bullet and pay the full retail price?