The holiday season is well underway, and everybody is preparing for Christmas. The lead-up to the holidays can be a challenge for many who are squeezing their budgets to survive holiday expenses when buying presents for their loved ones and organizing fun activities for the long-awaited Christmas break. If you’re excited to use your free time during the holidays to play games, these tricks will help you avoid the shopping frenzy and save money on your favorite hobby.

1. The Holiday Season is Sale Season

From Black Friday and Cyber Monday through Christmas and New Year’s sales, the holiday season boasts a ton of sales offering large discounts. Most online game stores and retailers are running attractive sales right now, with more to come until early 2024. These are usually the biggest sales of the year when retailers drop prices by up to 90%. Both old and new titles can see attractive discounts during this time. Make sure to keep track of the current sales and wishlist whatever game you’re looking to buy to be notified when it’s on sale. By subscribing to the outlets’ newsletters, you’ll be notified of any sale they might be running. No matter if you’re playing on PC, mobile, or console, you’ll surely find a ton of games on sale right now.

Sales are a great way to save. However, they come with a hook: It can be tempting to load up on games when they’re on sale and buy much more than you’re actually able to play. Do your best to have restraint and only buy games you will actually have time to play this holiday season. There will always be sales again in the future, so there is no need to buy a year’s worth of games.

2. Buy Pre-Owned Items

Before and even more so after Christmas is a great time to buy pre-owned items. Many people sell games and gaming hardware to make space and money ahead of the holidays, giving you plenty of options to buy used items at a reduced price. However, if you’re looking for gaming hardware, and you can hold off until after Christmas, you might be able to strike even better bargains. As many people might get new gaming hardware as Christmas gifts, more used consoles and peripherals will be for sale once all the gift-giving is done. Buying used games and hardware is a great way to save money, support other gamers, and shop sustainably.

3. Keep an Eye Out for Promotions and Bonus Offers

Online gaming platforms regularly run all kinds of promotions and bonus offers, and even more so during the holiday season. Keep an eye out for game bundles, special sign-up bonuses, extended trial periods, and special deals to get more bang for your buck. Take advantage of online video game deal trackers such as Fanatical, Humble Bundle, and GOG.com to find the best deals and bundles for video games on various platforms.

The same goes for when you’re playing traditional games in your browser online. Some experts focus on showcasing the best-rated real money casinos online that don’t just offer a safe gaming experience and large game library, but also the best welcome bonuses and free spin promotions for players. If you like playing traditional casino games for real money online, make sure to take advantage of these bonus offers to make the most of your gaming sessions and wagers.

4. (Re-)Play Old Games

Probably the best way to save money on games is by not spending any money at all. So, before you go on a game shopping spree, take a look at your backlog. Most of us have games within our game library that we haven’t even touched yet. Have a browse through the games you already own, and you might find a great title you’ve completely forgotten you had. That way, you can have a brand-new gaming experience without spending a dime. You might even come across a title you have played before that you would like to re-experience again. Many games have high replayability, allowing you to have a unique experience every time you play through them. Ticking games off the backlog is a great way to save money.

The holiday season is a great time to enjoy your favorite hobby and jump into immersive game worlds. Take these tips and tricks to heart to easily save money this holiday season and get more bang for your buck this Christmas.