Great list! I have successfully done all of the things you've listed. The only other thing I'd add is not to over look small games. There are some great card based games or smaller board games that might not have the table presence or awesome minis associated with the giant box games but still offer great play value at a much lower price.
Yes, there are lots of little games out there that offer big bang for your buck. A $15-20 card game that you end up playing 30-50 times is a much better investment than a $60 game you play 2 or 3 times. Putting $150 into a game can be a terrible waste of money, OR it can be a great investment. I've played Star Wars Rebellion almost 25 times at this point, and expect to at least double that number by the time I die (barring any freak accidents).
