I love to read. I have a bit of a fetish with books. If I buy them, they almost always have to be hardbacks. I can’t stand softcovers. And once I’ve bought a book, I have a really, really hard time ever letting it go.
If you average 1-2 books a month and you buy them new, it can become quite the spending habit. Some hardbacks are $29.99 or more. So, in recent months I’ve tried finding better ways to find reading material. Blogs have been a big part of that. What a wealth of knowledge they represent. But when it comes right down to it, I still like a good old fashioned bound book to read. Whenever possible, I try and wait long enough for a few used copies to pop up on Amazon before buying a book. This can make for a nearly 50% reduction in costs.
The other day it dawned on me that I was clearly missing the forest for the trees. I hit myself upside the head and called myself a few choice names. L-I-B-R-A-R-Y. Silly. I can’t recall the last time I was in a library. Psssttt! It’s free too!
So, from here forward, if I really need a book because it’s by my favorite author, then I’ll scrounge around and find the money to buy it. Else, I’m getting it at the library.
What methods do you use to reduce reading costs?
[tags]reading, books, library, read, book, frugal tip[/tags]
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
If a book is very recent or very popular, you can place a hold on it using the library’s online system. That way, you’re in a queue, and when your turn comes to borrow the book the library will call you and hold it at your local branch so you can pick it up.
That is an excellent tip Claire. Thank you for adding it!
i use barnes and nobles as a reading library!
i also just checked out 7 books from the local library.
I also have an amazon.com card that rewards you with money to spend on amazon.com
Bookcrossing folks trade books. I borrow books from friends with extensive collections. I have a good track record so they don’t mind lending to me. I try to return books in 60 days whether I’ve read it or not. Sticking to that rule helps. I can usually borrow the book again if I didn’t finish or find more time to read it later. In return, I usually buy a book for my friends as birthday/Xmas presents or let them borrow mine.
Being a huge reader, friends and co-workers know that gift cards to bookstores are welcome presents. I once got a bonus card from work for Blockbuster and I had to tell the manager that I didn’t own a TV. She turned around and gave me a card for a bookstore instead and subsequently all my management thank you’s were bookstore cards.
Library. Love, love, love the library! Find a library in an affluent area. You will find recent bestsellers waiting on the shelf because most of the people in the area will buy their own copy. It was amazing to swoop in and find a copy of The Confusion waiting during the first month of publishing!
Udell’s Library Lookup!
I posted about it last week, but in short you install a bookmarklet for your local library’s catalog to your browser’s toolbar, when surfing Amazon/BN if you see a book you like, you can click the bookmarklet for your library, if they have it you can reserve it for your branch, like Claire mentioned.