This edition of $60 a Month shows how a semi-impulse purchase can have a big impact and finds me questioning the value of Gameznflix in light of some recent shennanigans. Also, the big AAA title this month was meant to be a long-lasting addition to the library, but I’m already considering trading it away. Read on to find out why.
I had a discussion with a friend about $60 a Month and he suggested that the concept has merit, but it remains overwrought and unnecessarily complicated. As a result I continue to streamline and this first month’s report shall reflect that. Essentially it is now merely a breakdown of what new games I acquired and played and how good I did at keeping within my budget. No ratios, no scores, no complex rulesets: If something seems wonky or it appears that I’ve cheated in some way, call me out in the comments section. Let’s see if we can make this thing worth reading, hm?
If you happened to check last week’s Gaming Weekend you may have noted there was a $60 a Month tidbit included there. This week I’ve pulled the $60 a Month update out of the weekend wrap-up in order to clarify and adjust some of the rules as well as discuss the first budget gaming conundrum (likely of many) to pop up as this holiday’s buying season ramps up.
The beginning of August, which marks the first month of the $60 a Month experiment, is nigh. That means it’s time to evaluate some forthcoming titles and get a basic plan of attack going for the month ahead. Normally this post would also include a recap of how I did with the previous month’s budget, but since we haven’t begun yet, that will start next time. Meanwhile, hit the jump for what’s in store over the next four weeks.
Back before she was a media empire unto her own, I used to watch this weird little show on Food Network called “$40 a Day” in which an insanely perky woman named Rachael Ray visited various towns and tried to dine out for a whole day with just forty bucks. Eventually Ms. Ray became a household name with something obscene like sixteen different shows on the air, books, magazines and so forth and really wore out her welcome on my TV at least.
But this is not about Rachael Ray.
Granted, the premise of $40 a Day was kind of arbitrary: Obviously she was filming a TV show and we can safely assume she didn’t pay for her airfare around the country out of her own pocket so why she was limited to a couple of twenties was never adequately explained. But the idea of working within strict parameters and trying to make the most of limited resources appeals to me.
Enter gaming. I play a lot of games. When you boil it right down, every single one of my hobbies and pastimes is in some way or another related to playing games. But the one universal truth about games of all varieties is that they are expensive. When you consider my interest in video games, board games, role-playing games, tabletop wargames, collectible card games and even social games like darts and pool, it’s easy to see how quickly my paychecks can vanish when left unbridled.
So beginning next month (August 2007), I’m starting an experiment in the spirit of Rachael Ray’s show about dining out: I’ll call it $60 a Month, and I invite you to join me on my little quest.