<BEGIN RANT> 
 
Ive been gaming since I was ... oh I dont know 5...  Way back during the awful Atari days..  Hell , even my parents owned a Coleco Vision, though at the time I had absolutely no idea what the hell it was, nor how iconic it would become. 
 
Fastforward to today, I bought a house about a month ago or so, and while its an awesome feeling.. I hate not being able to by all of the amazing games that have come out this year...  
 
Games like Assassins Creed Brotherhood, or NFW: Hot Pursuit,Super Meat Boy, Pacman CE DX,  CIV V, SC II, just to name a few. Its not always the easiest thing in the world for me to just go out there and spend all sorts of money on games, after all I've got a wife, and kids and obviously bills , which is where pretty much all of my money goes.  Disposable income these days is hard to come buy, and I end up just getting games that a large portion of my friends are playing i.e. BLOPS, or the game that just keeps on giving.. SSFIV.    
 
I guess in the end, its kind of like that classic Toys R Us song..  
 
  

Completely understand man.  Up until these last few months, our gaming purchases had slowed WAY down over the last few years.  Keeping the bills paid is typically more important than getting the latest video game.

" Completely understand man.  Up until these last few months, our gaming purchases had slowed WAY down over the last few years.  Keeping the bills paid is typically more important than getting the latest video game. "

Sorry to hear that. At least you are being responsible and not spending all of your time and money on games instead of your family.  I'm nearing the end of high school, I better enjoy it while it lasts :(

Ya it sucks. If you have the willpower to do it though, always be a year behind games and you will be able to get 3-4 times as many games as you are getting now. Or turn to PC gaming where in with the exception of a few outlining publishers, all new games are anywhere from $10-$30 cheaper then then console versions, and they all seem to have a very short turn over for going on sale on Steam.

Do you have a significant other and kids? If not, this is just the tip of the iceberg (assuming you're headed towards the SO/kids combo). At that point, time becomes the precious commodity more so than money. I find myself with the money to buy games now, but realizing that I won't have the time to finish them. 
 
Anyway, I'd say that you should spend time fixing up your house. Unless it's brand new, there's always stuff to repair or improve. That usually costs money, too, though.

" @Burzmali said:

" Do you have a significant other and kids? If not, this is just the tip of the iceberg (assuming you're headed towards the SO/kids combo). At that point, time becomes the precious commodity more so than money. I find myself with the money to buy games now, but realizing that I won't have the time to finish them.  Anyway, I'd say that you should spend time fixing up your house. Unless it's brand new, there's always stuff to repair or improve. That usually costs money, too, though. "

How about you read his fucking post you stupid fucking moron? 
 
" after all I've got a wife, and kids  "   "

" @Burzmali said:

" Do you have a significant other and kids? If not, this is just the tip of the iceberg (assuming you're headed towards the SO/kids combo). At that point, time becomes the precious commodity more so than money. I find myself with the money to buy games now, but realizing that I won't have the time to finish them.  Anyway, I'd say that you should spend time fixing up your house. Unless it's brand new, there's always stuff to repair or improve. That usually costs money, too, though. "

How about you read his fucking post you stupid fucking moron? 
 
" after all I've got a wife, and kids  "   "

" True enough.  My time and money have both turned into valuable resources not to be squandered; marriage is no joke.  I find myself either getting Game of the Year editions of games a year later, or getting games discounted through Steam.  My iPod and Kindle spending were kind of crazy for a while there though.  It may not neccessarily be a bad thing, at least for me.  Having less time and money makes me more conscientious about what I buy and play, rather than dropping cash down on anything shiny enough to catch my eye for a few minutes. That's why I love the quick looks so much.  Seeing real, honest footage of a game in action, rather than a PR-prepped montage, is invaluable in my purchasing decisions. "

" @Burzmali said:

" Do you have a significant other and kids? If not, this is just the tip of the iceberg (assuming you're headed towards the SO/kids combo). At that point, time becomes the precious commodity more so than money. I find myself with the money to buy games now, but realizing that I won't have the time to finish them.  Anyway, I'd say that you should spend time fixing up your house. Unless it's brand new, there's always stuff to repair or improve. That usually costs money, too, though. "

How about you read his fucking post you stupid fucking moron? 
 
" after all I've got a wife, and kids  "   "

Yea..being an adult sucks. I have two little kids..I only get the gaming time between when they go to bed and when I need to go to sleep..maybe 2 or 3 hours of free time to enjoy gaming, my wife and any other leisure actives.

I'm right there with you man.  Although like some other posters have mentioned, for me it is more time than money.  I have pretty much abandoned RPGs. 
 
I think you already figured most of it out though.  I try to stick to games my friends/family are playing so I can play with them.  Sort of combines social time with gaming time.  I usually set it up that I have the one "current" game, and then one other game that is a bit more, say casual, that I can pop in when I have some free time but that doesn't ask a ton in return.  
 
For example, I have gotten away from RPGs, mostly because if I put them down for a month or so, it is too much of a pain to re-learn them, not because I won't finish them.

That's why I emulate :P.

Yeah... I'm 20, work for eight bucks an hour, and have to dump 90% of my cash into school. I managed to play about 15 games this year, and missed out on a lot. Lucky I was fine with playing WoW most of the time, and saved some cash that way. This year though, I've only got 8 hours of school per week, so maybe I'll have some more free time, and spare cash.

It's people like you that remind me to wear a condom. Sorry, I love kids, but I'm not making that kinda money right now. And yo, games.  
 
@Video_Game_King said:

" That's why I emulate :P. "

Well I understand what is going on.  I have a little one and know that spending a good portion of your money on your kids and bills.  I take advantage on deals and such to get my gaming fix or I just save up enough before the new game comes out and buy it on day one the game comes out.  I do also buy games that have high replay value and keep my balls from aching to much from staying behind everyone else.  I keep up on my gaming news through various gaming sites and my Game Informer subscription.  When my son gets older and interested in gaming, it will be good for me.

" Ya it sucks. If you have the willpower to do it though, always be a year behind games and you will be able to get 3-4 times as many games as you are getting now. Or turn to PC gaming where in with the exception of a few outlining publishers, all new games are anywhere from $10-$30 cheaper then then console versions, and they all seem to have a very short turn over for going on sale on Steam. "

While I have the income to blow on games, I have to reinforce this post. I’m making a resolution to not buy many games at launch next year (with a few exceptions) as it seems games drop in price rapidly these days. I’ve kicked myself over buying some games for $60 only to seem them drop to $30 or lower. Amazon had some ridiculous lighting deals during Black Friday. Just get out of the mindset that games must be bought and played at launch and you can get some great games at insanely good prices if you’re just a little patient.

This is why I'm sort of afraid of the future.

I'm right there with you, man.  Working on my masters while also trying to pay the bills == not as much time for video games as I used to have/

Well, it's not like you have a ton of money when you're a kid, either.

" Well, it's not like you have a ton of money when you're a kid, either. "

...  i hate those kids "

I know how you feel dude. Hope you have a happy new year too.

" This is why I'm sort of afraid of the future. "

it is why you shouldn't reproduce and get married :P 
 
yeah, it must suck to have a family and not being able to play like you use to.