August was a fabulous month for game releases (Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Agents of Mayhem, Everybody Loves Golf, Life is Strange: Before the Storm and Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle – just to name a few of the brilliant games to grace the gaming world lately) and we’ll see a fair few more before the end of the year. As exciting as it is to be spoilt for choice when it comes to new releases; it can also be rather overwhelming when the $$$ start to add up. So, here are my Top Five tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the years to get the most bang for my buck and to ensure that I can get my hands on some of my most desired new releases without completely breaking the bank.

Get the Best Price on Release Day
What?? I know, it sounds crazy right? But it happens more often than you think! Generally department stores like Big W, JB HiFi and Target will have a great offer for release days on popular new games. It’s a good idea to check the prices either online or in the catalogues in order to find the best price a couple of days prior to release – it’ll take you 10 minutes tops and can save you a fair few bucks.

Price Match
I never use to like price matching, but it’s one of the easiest ways that you can save some serious dollars. Not all stores will price match but more often than not department stores will have games for a cheaper price then speciality stores like EB Games. It’s also important to remember that even if you pre order a game at a store like EB Games or JB HiFi – you can still price match when you go to pick it up. All you need to do is know the price you want them to match it to and ask! Super easy and it can save you $4 – $10 easily!

Sales, Sales, Seasonal Sales!
It seems obvious… but I had no idea that there were so many seasonal sales for games. It’s a good idea to add any games you might want to pick up to your ‘Wishlist’ as generally when a sale starts you will get a notification to say when that game is on sale. If you’re a PC Gamer, then the Steam Summer Sales are a great time to haul ALL the games. PlayStation also has some awesome deals in their Summer sales too. I find a great way to stay up to date with sales is to follow the Platformer (is that a word… it is now!) on social media outlets such as Twitter, Instagram of Facebook.

Digital Copies
I love a physical copy as much as the next gamer, but I very recently dipped my toe into the pool of buying games digitally. There’s an array of sites that can offer gaming bundles for below average prices – heck yeah! This epiphany occurred when I recently discovered the Humble Bundle, where I picked up Dead by Daylight (a game I’ve wanted to try for a while now) for a very cheap $13.12AUD/$10USD. Another good site to buy digitally on the cheap is G2A who have an awesome selection to choose from. If you look around, there are plenty of sites where you can pick up popular games for an affordable price – just remember to check how reputable the site is before parting with your coin.

When all else fails – Gift it or Split it!
So maybe this last one won’t help you so much but I figured it might be worth mentioning anyway.

Gift it – Years ago I gifted a friend a steam game for their birthday, it had been on their wishlist for quite some time and they were super grateful to have received it as a gift. I’ve also purchased Steam gift cards and EB Games gift cards for friends and family who are avid gamers; as I can appreciate how handy it is to have one when you’re dying to buy a new game. Pro tip: EB Games gift cards have no expiration date, which makes them extra awesome – as you don’t have the annoying pressure to purchase something you don’t necessarily want in a set time period.

Split it – Another way that I’ve saved money in the past is by purchasing a 4 pack bundle and splitting the cost with 3 friends. This is especially useful with online multiplayer games as it kills two birds with one stone.

So there you have it, these are my Top Five tips and tricks for saving my pennies and gaming on a budget. I hope this list was useful in helping you save some money the next time you go to purchase a new game. Leave a comment down below to share what your tips and tricks are for gaming on a budget.