I am an avid reader and always have been. As a kid, I would get as many books out of the library as I could at a time, and because I couldn’t decide which one I wanted to read first, I would read two or three books at a time. One of the things I dislike the most about being at school is that I never have enough time to read for fun. But I try to make up for it over the summer. For example, in the month or so since I’ve been home, I’ve already read eight books, and some of those in less than a day.
Unfortunately, my reading habit can get expensive. When I walk into a bookstore, I can spend hours there and will inevitably leave with one or two books. Used bookstores and garage sales are even more of my weakness, since I convince myself that because the books are cheaper, I can buy more of them, and end up spending just as much as if I was buying new books. With graduate school and all of the expenses that come with it rapidly approaching, I’ve found some ways to save money, while still getting to enjoy as many books as I want, and wanted to share them with you for today’s Tuesday Tip.
- The library is your best friend. Head to your local library and you can get a library card for free and borrow books to your heart’s content. This is something I don’t do often enough, but I plan on frequenting the library this summer and as soon as I move, plan on finding the closest library to my apartment and getting a library card. When borrowing a library book, you can read whatever books you want and as many as you want, without any expense to you. And if you stumble across a book you love and can’t live without, you can always buy it later.
- Used bookstores and yard sales are a great place to find books for cheap. Especially at yard sales, people are just trying to get rid of boxes of books they’ve had sitting around, so don’t be afraid to strike a bargain. Also, used books are just as good as new ones, and personally, I love them a little bit more for their wear and tear.
- If you have an e-reader such as a Nook or Kindle, check out this great website, BookBub. All you have to do is give them your email and they’ll send you a daily email featuring discounted or even free e-books! They aren’t always the most popular books, but they’re good reads, and I’ve found some books that I’ve absolutely loved through BookBub. I have like 20 or 30 books waiting on my Nook for me to read that I’ve downloaded. Even if you don’t have an e-reader, you could probably download the Kindle app to your computer and get the discounted books that way, if you don’t mind reading on your computer.
- Swap books with your friends! Find a friend who has a similar taste in books to you and borrow each other’s books. It saves money and then you and your friend can spend some quality time discussing the books you’ve both read, and you can discover some great books that way too.
I hope this post helps my fellow book worms out there save some money and find some really good books to curl up with this summer! Do you guys have any ways that you save money on books? Leave a comment below and share your ideas!
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