You might have realized that reduce your gaming expenses have been higher in the past two years. That’s no coincidence. 

Research shows video game spending skyrocketed during the pandemic — likely because it was an easy mode of entertainment to jump into while practicing social distancing measures. Since no one could join their usual activities, they turned to their consoles and computers for enjoyment. 

There’s nothing wrong with spending money on your hobby, but it could be a problem when you have a tight budget. How can you reduce your gaming expenses? Here are five ways to do it:

1. Get Discounts

You might have noticed that video game prices are going up — the standard price is sitting at around $70 per game. That can put a big dent in your wallet. To cut down the expense, you should look into websites for video game deals to get discounted rates and budget-friendly bundles.  

2. Recycle

You can save some money by trading in your old games for new ones. You can easily turn your trash into treasure. 

3. Go to the Library 

You just might be able to access video games at your local library. You won’t need to spend a fortune — all you’ll need is a library card and the right console. 

4. Be Picky

Pick games that you know you’re going to invest time in. If you get bored doing the same thing over and over again, then an open-world game with plenty of side-quests is a great choice. If gaming is the way you connect with your friends, you’ll want to pick a multiplayer that your friends also have. You want to get your money’s worth. 

5. Fight Your FOMO

You can see that people have incredible gaming set-ups with expensive chairs, multiple monitors and matching accessories. You can spot them wearing the latest merch and pre-ordering products that haven’t even come out yet. 

Giving in to FOMO is going to push you to spend well beyond your means and put yourself in a bad financial spot. Resist it as best as you can and enjoy what you have. 

Why Should You Reduce Your Gaming Costs?

If you’re on a tight budget, you should try to reduce your gaming costs. It’s true that you can put more money into your gaming hobby when you don’t save, but that money is better left untouched. You’ll want to have it on-hand when something goes wrong, like your smartphone screen breaks or your car breaks down. You don’t want to have an empty savings account when something like this happens. 

What can you do if you don’t have savings? You could apply for a personal loan online. Personal loans are effective solutions when emergency expenses pop up because they allow users to borrow funds quickly and make repayments later on. 

Remember to search for personal loans available in your state. For instance, you should CreditFresh  if you live in Cleveland or Columbus. Not all loans are accessible across the county. So, check the availability first.

But it will be easier to avoid the problem entirely by shrinking non-essential expenses, like gaming, in your budget and collecting the savings. You can add these savings into an emergency fund and use them whenever something goes wrong. 

Gaming doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby. You can play video games every single day and still rake in the savings.