One of the disadvantages of living in a consumer driven economy, is that every time something new hits the shelves, we have to pay a premium for it. It’s not cheap to be the first kid on the block with the latest toy. Marketing bills are expensive I guess. The good thing is though, that once a toy (like the Nintento Wii) has been around for a while, things get a bit cheaper. Take games for example. It is possible, to get some pretty good deals on Wii games.

If your a little patient, and don’t mind not being able to add to “your collection” renting games is a smart way to go. It’s an excellent way, to try out a title you may be hesitant to pay full price as well.

If you rent more than 3 games a month, it’s probably a good idea to check out the stores that rent games on a monthly membership payment plan. Usually for less then $25, you can play as many games as you can stand. When you’ve had enough slaying orcs, and would rather race a formula 1, then no problem. Just return the dead orcs, and jump into your favorite race car.

Renting games this way has a few pitfalls, but they are mostly outweighed by the advantages. Having plenty of titles to choose from, is just one of them. All the money you save, could go towards the next must-have console, or handheld gaming toy that’s just around the corner. If you do find a game you really like, most companies give you the option of buying it at a reduced price.

The major deciding factor that will determine if renting games is right for you, is the frequency of time you spend playing games. If you play more than a couple of new games titles a month, then you should really look into it.

While, everyone knows you can download games from the internet onto your PC, it seems a little less publicized, that you can do the same thing with your Wii. Their called WiiWare, and their usually pretty inexpensive. They usually go for less than $10. I think some owners are either a little reluctant to hook up their Wii to the internet, or just don’t know how. It’s actually pretty easy, if you already have wireless at home.

If you haven’t thought of my final suggestion yet, I’m a little surprised. Everyone should buy at least one used Wii game, just for the experience of it. Everyone gets bored of their games at some point, and could use a little extra cash for a new one. This is where you need to jump in. You can usually get a very good game for about half price. And, it’s better than stealing them from your friends when their not looking

OK, so one more suggestion here. Never, never, never wait in line to buy a Wii game. Only crazy uber geeks with no life would do that. The worst part of it all, is that you end up paying at least full price for the game. Just relax, wait a month or so, and I bet you save at least one third of the original selling price.