November is one of the biggest months for video game releases as publishers try to make their way onto holiday wish lists with big titles such as Gears of War 2, Mirrors Edge, Call of Duty, Brothers in Arms, Little big Planet and many many more. Even picky gamers can easily spend $300-$400 to snap up just the highest rated games, let alone any of the casual games set to invade store shelves in the next two months. With so many releases it is no wonder that the GeekDad at WIRED came up with 5 ways to stretch your gaming dollar this fall.

GeekDad offers the following 5 ways to save money on games this holiday season.

1. Know your release dates and what games you can wait to buy.
   
2. Read reviews to avoid the crud that many developers shovel out this time of year.
3. Play the demo; nothing helps you separate the wheat from the chaff quicker than hands on time.
4. Trade in and or buy used games, even new release used games are $5 cheaper.
   
5. Join a gaming community, which exist solely to help others find cheap video game deals.
   

These are some excellent ideas for saving on games. I've already prioritized my game purchases for the rest of the year, planning to pick up Mirrors Edge on launch day while waiting until after the holidays to snag a used copy of Gears of War 2. With the prevalence of demos and reviews these days there is no excuse for making an uninformed game purchase, even as a gift. While we are talking about gifts, let me be one of the first to say, "there is no shame in giving a used game as a gift, after all, used games play the same as new ones!"

SlickDeals reports that "Gamestop offers a Free Used Game withl your purchase of 2 used games (with code GSB2G1). The lowest price game will be the free one. This is valid in store and online both."

Another thing: if you like the idea of having a video game system but haven't wanted to spend the money, GameStop is also offering refurbished Nintendo GameCube systems for $30! You can get used games for under $10 and, with the coupon code, walk out with a GameCube and three games for less than one Ulysses S. Grant.

Picking up something used isn't just good for your wallet, it's good for the environment too (since you've likely kept another gadget out of landfills). While the decision to purchase used electronics is laudable from an environmental standpoint, there are many factors to consider before you head out to get a used laptop from someone you found on Craigslist.

Sustainablog.org took a hard look at what's important when buying a used laptop and came up with a, "10 Step Guide to Buying a Used Laptop That Works".

This is a really handy resource that covers many details that you likely wouldn't think about if you are used to buying your laptops new. A few highlights include:

• Where to buy it.
• Is the screen in good condition?
• Check all the ports.
• Test the hard drive for errors.
• Check the battery life.

I'm a bit of a geek but if I would have purchased a used laptop last week I can guarantee I wouldn't have taken all of these precautions and I'm sure at least one of them would have come back to haunt me. If you're looking to pick up a used laptop you'd be a fool not to use these steps as a checklist.

The only thing the list left off was to make sure you check the price of a new machine before you buy since in my experience many sellers overestimate the value of their old computers. When you couple this tendency with the sinking price of laptops these days it may make more sense to buy new, especially if you pick up one of the super cheap laptops on Black Friday.

If you or your kid is new to college this year you've probably heard horror stories about book costs from your friends who have already crossed the archway to higher education but fear not! WalletPop is providing you with some great ways to save money on textbooks. The first part of our series covered 5 ways to avoid purchasing a textbook, while still doing all of your homework and reading. This post will help you find the cheapest version of the textbook out there.

As you'll soon find out there are many other places besides the campus bookstore to get your textbooks and companies are finally beginning to offer textbooks in new, exciting and of course CHEAPER ways. The following list will help you locate cheap copies of those books that you need to buy because borrowing just won't cut it.

This video has been around for a while but Rob Gruhl does such an excellent job at explaining how to purchase a car that it is well worth your time even if you aren't in the market just yet. Even though the focus of the talk is on how to buy a new car, you can easily adapt most of this advice to the used car hunt as well. I've lamented my last car purchase on WalletPop before and I wish I had watched this video before we set foot in the dealership last year.

My favorite piece of information from this video is to remember that you as the buyer have the power when you go into the dealership. There were numerous times during out purchasing that we thought things were iffy but we didn't walk because we got too attached to the car and forgot that we held the power in the transaction. Something that I don't think most people realize when they go in to purchase a car is that, unless you are buying a first edition Dodge Charger, there are thousands if not hundreds of thousands of almost identical cars out there for you to purchase.

I wish we had remembered that when we went shopping, instead I got in the mindset that this is the only one we will ever find in our price range and began justifying this and that to ourselves, eventually purchasing the car and getting suckered into GAP insurance and dealer financing. Both of which we ended up switching within a month and saving a bundle. Remember, "If you're doing it right, you'll feel like an ass."

Check out our previous coverage on "How not to buy a car" by Zac Bissonnette