In these difficult economic times we all need to take control of our finances. Trouble is, saving and budgeting is DULL DULL DULL. How best to motivate an easily-bored gamer?

How about by making saving into a game? Takara Tomy's Wallet Saver is a handheld LCD game shaped like a purse that lets you enter your budget and financial details and then plays like an RPG. Every purchase you make in real life gets entered into the game using the stylus (you can even open up the 'purse' and store your receipts inside) and influences gameplay.

Stay within your budget and things will go smoothly, but conflict will arise if you go and waste your money of stupid purchases like, er, novelty LCD games.

Personal finance pocket RPG

Contact information for this author is not available.