Blog: Gaming on a budget

Gaming is a great hobby, with so much variety and breadth. Niche titles, global communities and hundreds of ways to buy them all.

The thing is, it can be a pretty expensive past time, too! It’s all well and good having a console or PC, but those games and subscriptions for online services ain’t free.

Running a website like this, to try and go through as many games as possible, means quite a lot of outlay, too. Sure, on the odd occasion someone kind sends me something for free, but it’s very rare.

So, I buy games quite often. But there’s no way I could afford to buy everything at full retail all of the time. The odd pre-order here or there for something big and triple-A, that’s it though. Everything else is dependant on a few specific sites, to find the best deals on everything.

Below is a list of the best places I’ve found to help save money on games and hardware.

Postabargain.co.uk

This is the site that I’ve used the most over the past few years. Often pointing me in the direction of a couple of other sites in this list.

Originally a community-sourced hub of gaming bargains online and in shops. You can go to the site, search for the game you’re looking for, and it’ll list cheapest prices that have recently been submitted.

Honestly, it’s such a simple idea, and nice and straightforward to use, postabargain as saved me a fortune (and cost me a fortune, because of all the games I’ve bought…..).

Whenever I’m in the market for a game, this is absolutely the first place I visit. Of course, I always sense-check against other places too, but nine times out of ten, this is where I get my gaming bargains.

The twitter feed is excellent (easily the source of many impulse buys!), and I’ve tried to submit a few bargains over the years.

It looks like the community element has died-off a little, which is a real shame. Hopefully the site keeps going, it’s been so invaluable to me, and no doubt many many others.

Frugal Gaming

Very similar to postabargain, albeit a little cleaner and more modern in presentation.

If I can’t find a game for the price I’m looking for, frugalgaming.co.uk is my second port of call.

Again, always up-to-date, easy to use and a decent presence on Twitter. I’ve bought plenty of games through here, too.

With the addition of product reviews and a YouTube channel, the site seems to be growing and providing an all-round service for the consumer. I’m a big fan, and I’d highly recommend giving it a try.

cdkeys.com

I was dubious about a site that sends you a scan of a digital code to your email. Moreso, because of the cost of the games on there!

cdkeys.com is a site that both postabargain and Frugal Gaming have continually pointed me towards. Time and time again, I’ve picked up a digital copy of a game for a fraction of the price you can get it for elsewhere.

With an additional 5% off for a like on Facebook, you can’t go wrong.

Sometimes, the prices are a little expensive, but if you catch them in a sale you can get some really good deals.

If you’re a PC gamer, I feel like you stand to gain the most here, but console gamers can get some sweet deals, too!

The Game Collection

Another one of the sites that appear time and time again on lists for bargains. thegamecollection.net has saved me a fortune, too.

Excellent customer service, super-quick delivery and a great social media presence.

There’s always a bargain to be had here, too. I’m a massive fan of The Game Collection and will continue to use them at every possible opportunity.

Pre-orders tend to come in slightly cheaper than the average site, which is always an added bonus, too!

eBay

Hardly a great surprise, and it isn’t a small business like some of the other sites. So I’m always a little dubious about using it.

Let’s be honest though, if you’re looking for something, anything. Well, you’re likely to find it here.

People take the mick with pricing, sometimes. And the apparent market for the tin cases of limited edition releases never ceases to amaze me. Dodgy account-sharing, digital codes, new and used physical copies.

It’s all here, and honestly, I’ve had some great bargains here. Buying games that others sometimes don’t stock, or only sell at full retail price. eBay has definitely saved the day a few times over the years, and it can’t be overlooked.

CeX

Always a good place to drop-in if you’re on the high street. I’m not sure how many stores there are across the country, but you can buy and sell games here for pretty reasonable prices.

Better still, their website is great to price-up and check stock.

You don’t always get the best deals here, but sometimes you can find some gems. I’d say most of my Wii U collection has come from here, Amiibo’s too!

Of course they offer films and phones etc, but here my focus is games.

Loads to look through, massive selection of consoles and peripherals, too. In a world where we all want to go digital, or get things delivered straight to the door. We sometimes forget about the high street, which is why places like Grainger Games died off. Let’s hope CeX holds out, because this is a great place to go and get a bargain!