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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not understand how people afford to play video games

172 replies

Birra · 25/10/2014 16:50

Xbox, PS4, Wii etc. never been interested before but ds has been asking about skylanders so I thought I'd look into it.
I cannot justify that money, how do people do it?
And iPads, iPods?

OP posts:
JCDenton · 25/10/2014 18:10

I've spent £200 on gaming in the last year, I like to keep track, for probably about 400 hours worth of fun. Works out cheaper-per-hour than any of my other hobbies (other than learning foreign languages because that costs nothing), that's for sure. Yes, my PC cost a lot if you add all the bits together but then it means I don't need a tablet or laptop.

manicinsomniac · 25/10/2014 18:28

Weird question. Most people have money to spend on something that they choose. For some people that's gaming.

I 'can't afford' to buy my children games consoles/ipods/ipads/phones etc. We are a device free home (well, I have a phone and I borrow a tablet from work quite often). But that's not because I have no money. I 'can't afford' the gadgets because I spend insane amount of money on my children's dance, drama, music and gymnastics plus a small amount on school fees (hefty staff discount). Luckily all that means that we are never in the house for them to miss the gadgets.

Flibbertyjibbet · 25/10/2014 18:35

My sons are big skylanders fans. We were given their cousins old wii console 18m ago but I saw one today in cash converters for 29.99 we got the first skylanders game and portal about easter this yr for a tenner off eBay then they pooled their pocket money each week to buy 2nd hand figures. Last month Ds2 got a swap force starter pack - game, portal and 3 figures for £13 from Game. All the spyros adventure figures work on it. So you could get yr son fitted out with console, game, portal and figures for £43. Then extra figures are a few quid each now that a new game is coming out. My two get hours and hours of fun on it together and individually. Not much over the summer, but they are back into it now.

2 yrs ago I thought gaming was a waste of money but they get so much fun out of it that I now see it as money well spent. As well as teaching them to pool pocket money to get new figures, we also use the promise of a new figure as incentive for school work or behaviour.

What else is there to justify... For a few quid my kids are occupied, well behaved, and get all their homework done on time!

We are probably going to get them the new game for Christmas jointly.

JingleSpud · 25/10/2014 18:37

Because DH doesnt drink, he doesnt go out, he plays games. If we cant afford them, he doesnt buy them.

gamerchick · 25/10/2014 18:41

Well there you go then OP. You put money into flights and holiday homes. I would rather grate my face off than do holiday homes or get on a plane.

Horses for courses innit ?

Methe · 25/10/2014 18:42

I've got 3 playstation, an Xbox 360 and about 500 quids worth of games at the moment.

My whole wardrobe cost about £200 though..

I spend my money on things I like. I don't have to justify it to anyone Hmm

WoodliceCollection · 25/10/2014 18:43

Lol wtf, OP? You have a family holiday home, but are asking people how they afford games, for which a console is £50 off ebay and games are less than £10 if you actually look around and don't buy the newest ones until they are less fashionable. Not everyone has holidays or a holiday home. In fact, how do you 'justify' owning one?

YABU and amusingly daft.

fairgame · 25/10/2014 18:46

You can pick up pre-owned wii's very very cheap at the moment. Some are going for as little as £30!
Games are very cheap on ebay. It doesn't have to cost a lot if you are happy to have second hand.

Sparklypants · 25/10/2014 18:50

I sew. Fabric is ridiculously expensive and I have people asking me how I afford it.
It's the only 'thing' I do for myself (not counting all the books and ebooks I buy, they're a nessesity!) and I afford it by shopping around and saving for it.
I would imagine it's the same thing.

Original poster
Birra · 25/10/2014 18:55

I don't own a holiday home
My family does. I am very fortunate to be able to holiday there, for the price of a cheap flight.
Just for the record
I did say 'my family's holiday home'

OP posts:
2rebecca · 25/10/2014 18:59

Alot of people just play them on the computer, and with the steam sale or Humble bundles they can be reasonable. Compared to amusement parks like Thorpe park they're a bargain.

PiperIsOrange · 25/10/2014 19:00

I'm not bragging her but I have xbox 360 PS3 ps4 wii and a 3 screen pc ( that was extremely expensive)

Dh and I don't do holidays, I only buy clothes bags ect when I need them, don't go out for meals that often.

DS is Asd and we get DLA for him, he is obsessed with skylanders, so he has skylanders giant, trap team and swap force in which we use his dla money for.

MrsMarcJacobs · 25/10/2014 19:00

Um, very strange thread.

Notso · 25/10/2014 19:01

So you are only happy to spend on hobbies or entertainment you feel worthy.
Your child/children should be allowed to develop their own interests and likes without being hindered by you. That doesn't mean you spend more than you can afford but it might mean spending on things you don't enjoy.

SuburbanRhonda · 25/10/2014 19:07

Semantics, OP.

You said "the family's holiday home".

Why would anyone assume you were talking about any other family than your own?

Original poster
Birra · 25/10/2014 19:07

Well that's why I'm asking Notso.

Ds is interested and I'm trying to figure out how to do it

OP posts:
Momagain1 · 25/10/2014 19:09

As Ghostylovessheep says: justify it to who? you can spend your disposable income however you like. If your kids really want a games system, then there is something else they want less, so they don't get that. Of course you, as parent, may decide "that" is more important and choose to spend your money on your priority, though if they leave whatever that is to gather dust, that seems a waste of money and a failure to prove your parental point.

others more up on the ways to pinch games budget pennies and how to organize it so it's your DCs spending their money rather than yours so I won't

We have ipads, and they fulfill many reading, entertainment and socializing needs for us and our son, especially as I didn't have a computer for the last year, just smartphone and ipad. Books, magazines, social media, games, research. It saves me space more than anything I suppose And allows me to put less effort and bag space when travelling. Which books, magazines, and games shall I take? All of them.

comfycushion · 25/10/2014 19:11

but £129 is a flight to my family's holiday home, so yes it's a holiday.

you have a holiday home... I have every console there is plus tablets kindle and i pads in my house.................. and hundreds of pounds worth of games
[ probably a thousand pounds actually]

you spend your money and i spend mine.

Original poster
Birra · 25/10/2014 19:12

Yes Rhonda, that's why I was trying to make it clear.

If it was mine I would have said 'our holiday home'
But I can see how it's ambiguous

OP posts:
MrsTerrorPratchett · 25/10/2014 19:18

You're a 'musical' family and see no issue buying instruments (some of the most pawned articles in the world). My DH is a computer nerd and engineer. See how our priorities might be different?

foreverton · 25/10/2014 19:20

My ds has just been bought his much wanted Xbox one by his dad (were not together ) as an early Xmas present as his Xbox 360 blew up!
He got fifa 15 and minecraft and within 6 days had smashed the controller (accidentally) and expected a replacement immediately, £45!.

His dad buys him very expensive presents but I think it's a guilt thing.
He's almost 12 but when he was 8 his dad bought him the latest iPhone, ridiculous, then iPad, PlayStation, iPod, the list goes on.

I feel sorry for parents of kids whose friends are getting the latest gadgets and they can't afford to do the same.
Unfortunately, my ds expects expensive things from his dad as that's what he's used to.

I've never been interested in being in competition with ex over presents, I spend a lot of time with him which he doesn't and is clearly over compensating for:(

Original poster
Birra · 25/10/2014 19:23

Yes, terry, that was the point I was making with that post

OP posts:
Purplepoodle · 25/10/2014 19:26

We are kind of the same. We just brought ds (6) as nintendo 3ds for his birthday, we got it second hand from Game with two free games think it's was about £80/£90 picked up some second hand games on eBay too and he knows Christmas will be just a couple of games as he got the 3ds for his birthday.

Artandco · 25/10/2014 19:26

What do you mean ' I can't work out how to do it?

You have just said a flight is say £130 each to the holiday home. Don't go once and you have saved £260+ for console..

Don't go twice you have saved £260+ again, etc etc

Momagain1 · 25/10/2014 19:27

Birra: if the question you want answered is "how do we get our 7 year old started in video gaming, without spending a fortune? he wants to play Skylanders." and chat might have been a better place to ask, thought I bet there are specific forums for gaming or budgeting that would have been even more helpful

You asked a very different question regarding people's overall spending habits and you asked it in AIBU, though that has resulting in some practical advice (GAMES stores, pawn shops, sales, ebay, and other used sources).