1. See if you can sell some things you already own and aren't using. That could help you finance your next purchase. Some people's trash are other people's treasures! I have had some success with Facebook's Marketplace and eBay over the years.
Also, since you are mentioning retro games, see if you can find alternatives that would be more cost effecient than the real deal. I know this might seem like boring advice, but I have been collecting video games for almost 20 years now and I think my perspective can be relevant for you. For example, there are many avenues available today that I would personally recommend over owning the real stuff:
- Emulation, it's totally free and is usually accurate enough to give you an equivalent experience
- Everdrives, made by Krikzz (
https://krikzz.com/), are cartridges than you can plug into original consoles and run ROMs from an SD card. Impossible to tell the difference between a game played from an Everdrive and a real cartridge
- The MiSTer FPGA, which uses the same technology as Everdrives, but can replicate entire consoles and arcade cabinets. You can even connect it to retro TVs with the right adapter. If you're thinking of deeply exploring the rabbit hole that is retro gaming, I would keep this option on the back of my mind. This is how I do all of my retro gaming. See
https://felixleger.com/posts/2020/10...e-mister-fpga/
The reasons I don't recommend investing in genuine retro consoles and games in 2024 are:
- Once you've had your fun, in 10+ years you probably will think about selling them to get your money back. Retro games are expensive and often grow in value, which makes them seem like an investment. However, selling them is a journey and takes time to find the right buyer. See
https://felixleger.com/posts/2021/03...rding-project/
- As retro video games age, they need to be maintained in working order. Parts can be difficult to come across. This is great if you are interested in learning how these machines are made and work, but you have to be ready for it.
- Games such as Earthbound are popular among retro enthusiasts, and for this reason it is tempting for sellers to sell a bootleg copy as the real deal. Make sure you know what to look for before buying so you're getting what you think you're getting, otherwise you'll have a difficult time selling at market value, unless you rip off another collector (I don't recommend it!)
If you have any questions on the topic of retro collecting, feel free to reach out directly, I would be happy to assist on that front and prevent you from making the same mistakes I made when I was beginning.
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2. Have you had a discussion with your parents about their stress levels around money? They might have suggestions for you about what would help them. By the way, many adults struggle with money because they were never taught how to think about money. Education is the best recommendation I can make here. If you want to help your parents on that front, the best way might be to look for reliable sources of information. Gaining money is one thing; knowing how to use it right is a whole other thing! If you find the material below relevant, share it with them and try to have discussions on those topics.
One of my favorite resource for learning how to think differently about money is Ramit Sethi's
I Will Teach You To Be Rich. He also has a popular podcast on the same topic (
https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/podcast/) that my partner and I listened to together many times before going to bed.