Good prices or alternatives to PS Vita memory cards

For quite a long time now, I have wanted to grab a Playstation Vita. There are some great games that I would love to have. I'll note that I don't want the PSTV due to compatibility issues along with a general preference for handheld gaming. I'm more than willing to pay the ~$200 for the Vita....but then the price of memory keeps putting me off. $300 is not a good price for a handheld, especially since I can now grab XBOne's or PS4's for close to that.

So the question comes down to: Is there any way to offset the cost of those memory cards? This can include sales on Vita cards or even using good off-brand solutions; I just want a Vita that can download more than one retail game.

Nope, welcome to the biggest drawback of owning a vita.  There are no off-brand options, absolutely zero.  Sales on cards are few and far between, and even then their still overpriced(usually 70 to 80 for a 64gb and 50 to 60 for a 32gb w/sale).  Unless you get uber lucky and find some on clearance or something at a store, maybe a cheap second hand one.  Your options are really limited.

I'll tell you right now you'll want the larger cards, especially if you more digital when it comes to your games(especially with PS+).  The smaller ones aren't really even worth the time or effort.  It's a hard pill to swallow, but we've all had to.

If you're more than willing to pay the regular price of $200 for a Vita, then you can look for sales on the handheld to offset the card cost.

I got my aqua blue Vita on sale for $170 and a new 16GB card for $15 (returned a refurb 8GB for $9). It was easier to for me to find discounts on the Vita itself than its cards.

I'm also trying to buy more physical Vita games. Play them and then trade-in or sell later.

Very much YMMV, but I had good luck at a local used media chain store. (Disc Replay). I got a 32gb for $20. Sad to call that a good deal, but it's the best I found. Good luck.

Thanks for the advice. I'll probably take Parker's idea and get a small card until something very random comes my way. It helps that my most must-have games are retail