A Blog About Being Poor During 2011: Year of the Video Game

I spend less than 10 dollars at the grocery store every week and a half. I ride a bike everywhere, pay for rent, pay out-of-state tuition, and my parents cannot afford to give me any money. The last game I bought was Magicka, and I still feel pretty rotten about that (decent game, but I shouldn't have bought it). I'm not trying to reel in pity from anyone, I'm just saying that it sucks to be poor. All I play is Minecraft. Any of you poor?

I spend less than 10 dollars at the grocery store every week and a half. I ride a bike everywhere, pay for rent, pay out-of-state tuition, and my parents cannot afford to give me any money. The last game I bought was Magicka, and I still feel pretty rotten about that (decent game, but I shouldn't have bought it). I'm not trying to reel in pity from anyone, I'm just saying that it sucks to be poor. All I play is Minecraft. Any of you poor?

The year of the video game, every year since 2007?, I'm poor too but because I'm leeching from my dad so I have to invest carefully the money he gives me on gaming, I can't go and buy every game the week it comes out, I wait weeks or months for price cuts or get them pre-owned.

Yeah, I'm a college student that doesn't get a whole lot every month.  A good chunk of it usually goes on groceries and gas.  I'm kind of hurting after Record Store Day last week, but I just have to be careful.

Indeed, duder, indeed. I'm sitting here entering contests to try to win a copy of MK, due to an extreme lack of recent disposable income. This week in releases has been *rough*. Thankfully, I got cart blanch to a friend's copy of Portal 2, so I at least played that.

I've got too much money and not enough time. My backlog of games is ridiculous.

" I've got too much money and not enough time. My backlog of games is ridiculous. "

" @keyhunter said:

" I've got too much money and not enough time. My backlog of games is ridiculous. "

I'm kinda in the same boat.

This thread is making me feel the rich white man's guilt...and I'm not even rich.

"

My wife and I live paycheck to paycheck. We own our house, well, the bank owns it, but I really can't afford new games and a bunch of entertainment. I haven't been to a movie since The Dark Knight. I scrape a little cash together to buy games on the cheap, so that helps. I got a new/old HDTV from my wife's sister, so I ain't complaining. In truth, I feel very lucky.

" All I play is Minecraft. "

I'm glad I have a sweet job that pays well and enables my gaming habits!

AMERICA!

I am definitely going to have to get a job on campus next year to pay for all these games this fall. The list of games this year is insane.

It sucks being poor man. The best thing I would suggest is to save up your pennies for the Steam sales and buy yourself some great games when they sell stuff for like $1-$10. Or start pirating. If you are one of those pirating is evil! folks, just keep a list of all the games you pirate, then when you can afford to go buy them buy them. Buy two to make up for it in interest if you got a really bad concious.

" I am definitely going to have to get a job on campus next year to pay for all these games this fall. The list of games this year is insane. "

" @keyhunter: 

I guess that's the dual-edged sword. Sure, I've got enough money to buy the games, but I'm spending most of my waking hours at work.

"

" @Chaser324 said:

" @keyhunter: 

I guess that's the dual-edged sword. Sure, I've got enough money to buy the games, but I'm spending most of my waking hours at work.

"

I'm the opposite. Got all the time in the world, but no money to buy games. Of course when I get a job, and hell freezes over, I will then be like you and have the money to buy the games, but no time to play them. I need to get me a seasonal job that pays real well. That way I can have the best of both worlds. "

Your time will come, just keep hanging in there, I feel as if less fortunate gamers appreciate getting games much more than others and spend more time and actually play them.

I do use my own money, but have had little job time and really need to get one.

Me...ehh I have all the time in the world seeing I have another year of high school and then college to go through and I still don't play the dozens of games I have, but I feel bad for doing so and go one at a time.

However the only reason I have so many games is because those were bought cheaply, however I do purchase majority of new releases and then sell them on ebay with neutral cost after ridiculous deals I can find in Kmart.

Not super poor but definitely can't buy games whenever they come out. I've been using the steam sales along with trading in games at gamestop. Got some games for free because of trade ins.

Skyrim is coming out though and my computer can't handle it. Need to get some money before then.

What do you buy at a grocery store that lasts you for a week and a half? The only thing that I can think of is ramen.

" @crusader8463 said:

" @Chaser324 said:

" @keyhunter: 

I guess that's the dual-edged sword. Sure, I've got enough money to buy the games, but I'm spending most of my waking hours at work.

"

I'm the opposite. Got all the time in the world, but no money to buy games. Of course when I get a job, and hell freezes over, I will then be like you and have the money to buy the games, but no time to play them. I need to get me a seasonal job that pays real well. That way I can have the best of both worlds. "

Move to Alberta and get into pipe trades. I only work 7 months a year, and then take like 11 months off. Everyone seems to be dieing of old age and retiring, so we need like 10 thousand more apprentices. "

Gaming will soon become a rich man's abode...

If it hasn't become so already, what with new releases costing $100 AUD.

Gaming is an expensive hobby, that being said I was able to get summer jobs mowing and doing yard-work to pay for games when I was a teenager. Now that I have a job I usually buy a game when I feel like it.

When i was going to college i had pretty good summer jobs so i always had a good amount of pocket money but between work and classes i didn't really have enough time. Now that i graduated but can't find a job i have infinite time but no money to buy games. The good thing is i still have a ton of games i bought on steam sales that i need to work through...i still need to finish mass effect 2...i'm a bad person.

I'm above the poverty line but below what is traditionally considered "middle-class". I have enough so that I can rent and indulge in a downloadable here and there, I almost never buy games anymore, no moolah.

" What do you buy at a grocery store that lasts you for a week and a half? The only thing that I can think of is ramen. "

Dude, you probably qualify for financial aid, its a beautiful thing.  I used to stress like crazy, then took out some loans and relaxed and saw my grades jump up.

" Dude, you probably qualify for financial aid, its a beautiful thing.  I used to stress like crazy, then took out some loans and relaxed and saw my grades jump up. "

Yes poordom sucks. I live paycheck to paycheck from 25-30 hour a week job that pays minimum wage. Steam is a life saver, I have a decent collection from only buying stuff when it's on sale. Got an arcade stick out of my tax return (Madcatz SE $40 woohoo). 

" @Axxol said:

" What do you buy at a grocery store that lasts you for a week and a half? The only thing that I can think of is ramen. "

Ramen and Ramen. No one believes me when I tell them that. I assume they think I must get too tired of Ramen. I do, for the most part, but I eat it as many different ways as I can. Usually, I save the seasoning packets for later, and Just add butter, eating them like pasta. That's honestly one of the best ways. The packets almost make me barf now, with the exception of Chili. That's the only good one.   

"

There's always Newgrounds. 

" @keyhunter said:

" I've got too much money and not enough time. My backlog of games is ridiculous. "

I'm kinda in the same boat.

This thread is making me feel the rich white man's guilt...and I'm not even rich.

"

Student loans is all I can think of, just don't take too much and find yourself paying it off for the rest of your life.  But my sis is in med school and she takes 50k in student loans every year and doesn't sweat at all because she knows she will be able to pay it off.  So as long as you know you will have a good career in the future, you feel secure taking some heavier loans.  Good luck! :)

" There's always Newgrounds.  "

Jesus christ. I got all kinds of depressed by reading this. If I land this translating job I'll buy you guys something. No kidding.
I'm 18 and living at home which costs nothing and I would be making $110/hour with this job.

I don't have enough money to buy what I want, when I want, but I can't exactly call myself poor. I can afford one or two (maybe even three) games a month if necessary. Still don't have a job though. Kinda sucks.

" I spend less than 10 dollars at the grocery store every week and a half. I ride a bike everywhere, pay for rent, pay out-of-state tuition, and my parents cannot afford to give me any money. The last game I bought was Magicka, and I still feel pretty rotten about that (decent game, but I shouldn't have bought it). I'm not trying to reel in pity from anyone, I'm just saying that it sucks to be poor. All I play is Minecraft. Any of you poor? "