Good Boner Habit - Plan Out Your Day One Game Purchases
Horizon Zero Dawn is an amazing game so far. It got great reviews all around, great graphics, gameplay, etc. I barely started playing it a month ago. I followed the development of it, and I knew I wanted to play it. However, I didn't want it that bad. It was not a day one purchase for me. It went on sale about a month ago at Best Buy for $29.99, so I pulled the trigger, because THEN it was worth it for me. I think it is crucial that you figure out which games are day one purchases for you. Let's delve into this a bit more.
Being a gamer can be an expensive habit. If all you play are short games, and you always want to play the latest releases, you need a lot of cash to burn. Compound this if you have more than one console, and you could be looking at $.99 Jack in the Box tacos as meals quite a bit if you don't plan well. You have to slow down, and plan out what you are getting day one, and what can wait. This is actually a good skill to develop for other areas in your life. Prioritization. What is really important to you, and what can wait. It is exciting to have a game day one that you've been waiting for, but what if one comes out this week, then two next week. Are you really going to buy all three? I've done it in the past. Just to have them, and play them on a whim. It is something that is hard to sustain.
Here is a good litmus test: think about what games you are going to buy in the next month. A few should immediately pop up. The ones that can't wait. For me for instance, I have Destiny 2 coming out on September 6 and Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite coming out on September 20. I want to play these as soon as they come out, so they are day one buys for me. If you have to look at a release calendar to see what games are coming out, chances are, you aren't that excited about them anyway. They can wait. The only exception to this is Collector's Editions, which can be limited. I have the Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Metroid Return of Samus Collector's Editions pre-ordered because of this.
The next step is to figure out exactly what length of time you should plan for. An easy place to start is to do it based on your paychecks and bills. I do it based on my credit card statement closing date, since that will dictate what my bill will be for the following month. ALWAYS make your best attempt to pay your entire balance, don't pay interest!(more on this in a future post). My statement closes the 17th of every month. So I know out of the four games I mentioned, I will have three of them on my bill for October. I know what to expect, I know it is a game heavy month. I have to hold back on any tech toys etc. I want to purchase until later. I know I won't be overwhelmed.
Once you have your choices nailed, it's time to look for the best deals and/or pre-order bonuses. I am not a fan of pre-orders, unless it's a collector's edition or you get something extra. Even then, wait until the last minute. Money is the most valuable when it's in your hand, not someone else's. Out of the four games I am getting this period, unfortunately only one has a bonus: Destiny 2. Pre-order at Best Buy, and get a $10 certificate after purchase. You qualify for it even if you pre-order on September 5.
The last part: if you pre-order, figure out when the company charges you. Don't get overdrafted! Best Buy charges when they ship, so does Amazon. Some companies charge as soon as you order, so your funds could be gone for a long time. Look at the terms of service with the store in question to figure it out. Save your money, keep it in your hands as long as possible! You never know when you may need cash quickly. Flash sales are a thing too now, so what if you don't have spare cash for those?! Of course, don't forget to use shopping portals when you can, get them store rewards points, etc. Go for that DP! Or TP! Stack that paper, because winter is coming. You know, holidays. That's what that means right?
Get boning!
