Now I know this may not be gaining cash, but it sure does save it! And saving means more cash in pocket. So...it is adding more money for other stuff!

Anyway, buying new is an awesome feeling, but very expensive. I have saved thousands of dollars by waiting a few weeks and purchasing games used.

Best places to buy used games and gear.

1.) Pawn Shops: I bought Halo 3 for $20 only 2 weeks after release from a pawn shop! And got Gears of War for $15.00! Not all shops are the same. Check around, sometimes small town pawn shops are even cheaper.

2.) Craigslist: I have gotten some great buys on Craigslist by posting in the "Wanted" section and naming my price. Including an Xbox 360 with 5 games for $120.00 over a year ago! Just be patient and check often.

3.)Amazon.com: I got my Microsoft Sidewinder Gaming Mouse for $24.00! The stores still had it for $99.00! I got one for my son also, both were refurbished and came with all parts and looked brand new! This is the place to get hardware if you do a careful search! See some examples below! The used price isn't shown, but these are great mice deals.

4.)GameStop and EB: Check the $19.99 & Under Game bins, there are some gems hidden there from time to time. And watch for the 50% off used sale they have all the time.

The cheapest of all is FREE!
There are some fantastic new free-to-play games out there.

Some of my favorites:

1.) Requiem Bloodymare: Great MMORPG with a unique Nightmare theme and good quality graphics and even uses ragdoll physics for cool death animations.

2.) Battlefield Heroes: EA Games has just released a cartoonish version of the popular Battlefield series of games and uses the free-to-play model. An excellent game even if you don't purchase anything.

3.) Dungeons & Dragons Online: A big name MMORPG going to the free-to-play model starting in  Sept of 09. I played this game when it was first released and now I will play it again!

4.) Free Realms: A new MMORPG released by Sony that I hear is pretty entertaining.

5.) Roblox: A great game if you love Legos and making your own content and sharing with others.

Using these suggestions will help keep your wallet stocked for other important things like Pizza, Mountain Dew and Energy Drinks.

It really has saved me tons of cash and allowed me to purchase far more games than I used to, even before the recession.

Hope it helps you all!