Saving Money On Books

I've always been a bookworm, and love to have several on hand I have not read yet. Lately I have noticed all the e-readers, Nooks, Kindles, and such on the market and thought it would be handy to have one when I couldn't get to the library, such as 2 years ago when we were snowed in for a week.

Today, while at the library I noticed you can now check them out, the same as a book. What a good way to try one out before you buy, or to have someone hospital or bedbound to be able to load with their favorite books without getting out. Our library and Amazon.com have a fairly large selection of books you can download for free.

You can also download the computer software for free that will let you download the e-books onto your computer for free. No gas to get to the library! And, you don't have to worry about over due books and their fees.

By April from NW, MO

I love reading books and spent a fortune in used book stores. Then I developed a back problem and could not leave the house. I started ordering all my books and DVDs from the library, my library had a program where they mailed all the books directly to my home, free of charge.

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You may not consider the purchase of an ereader as frugal but in my case, it is. Our "local" library is 60 mile round trip. Then the books have to be returned. Consequently, I've not been able to enjoy reading a book in several years.

My reader was cheaper, because it is a refurbished model. Having had it less than a week, I've found there are numerous web sites whereby one can download freebies.

Our Canadian libraries loan ebooks for two weeks, if one has a Sony. An annual subscription works the same as regular books. My little reader fits into a large pocket, and accompanies me everywhere. I love it.

By joan from Ontario

Love to read? Have you noticed the price printed on books these days? Yikes! Here are some tips to get great books for less.

Tips for a frugal bookworm.

• the library: The first thing to do if you are looking for books is go to your local library. Even if they don't have what you want, you can usually request it and they will notify you when it becomes available.

• garage sales, yard sales, and rummage sales: By far the cheapest place to buy used books. You never know what you will find, but I always seem to find great stuff. Including popular titles, recipe books, thrifty books, and do it yourself books.

• used book stores: If there is a specific book I am looking for, a large bookstore like Half Price Books or a local equivalent usually does the trick. You can also bring in your old books and get credit towards a purchase. Some book stores offer more credit than others so be sure to call ahead and make sure it's worth it to bring your books in.

• book clubs: This is not a bad way to get new releases, especially if you tend to read the best sellers. Read the fine print, though. Shipping and handling charges can be surprisingly high with some of these services.

• books online: There are a lot of great sources for inexpensive books online. All major book stores have bargain book sections. Also, eBay is a good source for books, but always be sure to factor in the shipping charges that the seller has.

• quick links:

• Barnes And Noble Bargain Books: Click Here

• Amazon.com Bargain Books: Click Here

• Half Priced Books Click Here

• eBay Books Click Here

Start a book exchange: Do you have friends or family with similar book interests? Start trading books with them. You can also set a aside a day to discuss the books you are reading and make it a fun, social event. It can be a lot of fun.

Join a book trader club and get books for free. All you do is mail the books you don't want to other people and order the books you want to read from the books listed on the websites. The sites that I use are BookMooch.com, PaperbackSwap.com, TitleTrader.com and FrugalReader.com. If you love to read, try it! So far I have traded about 30 books!

By Roberta from Deltona, FL

Satisfy you love of reading without breaking the bank. Below are some tips to help you save money on books. Feel free to post your own ideas in the feedback forum below.

Used Book Stores

We have 2 local stores that will give store credit for paperbacks that you bring in. You leave your books on the counter on the way in, and they tell you how much credit you have. Then you pick out your selections, bring them to the counter. This way, I have a steady selection of new and used paperbacks to choose from. Customers can also choose to purchase books, all at a lower price than new.

By AnnMel

Book Round

We have a book round at work. About every 6 weeks, those who want to participate bring a book they have read with their name in it. Each person takes a book, reads it, puts their name in it or on a book mark, then passes it on to another member of the group. We then meet again and pass the book to another person. This continues until all have had a chance to read the books, then we start with another round! It is so much fun and we enjoy the time together to have coffee and just talk! The original owner of the book gets it back to donate or trade for another at the used book store. Cheap entertainment!

By Mara

Thrift Stores

Goodwill Stores

Goodwill stores in my area have good buys on books and last day of the month they are usually half-price, also Salvation Army stores. I love to read and have most of mine have been from these places plus used bookstores.

By Ruth

Thrift Stores

Try Thrift stores! I have bought like new hardbacks (popular authors and recent editions) for as little as $.99. I try to go once a week as they are always getting more in stock!

By Lynn

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is a great place to buy bestsellers and popular titles. People donate them after they read them.

By SusannL

Magazine Exchange

Something I have been doing to save money on magazines is to take my used magazines with me to the hospital and exchange them in the public waiting areas with ones I have not read. My husband has to go to the hospital quite often so I do this when the time presents itself. It saves money and allows others to enjoy my magazines as well.

By cookiepom

Buy Used Books at the Library

I read a lot. Instead of buying books new. I buy them at the library used book store for 24 cents (or on the last Friday of the month at 2/25 cents.) When I am done, I donate them back. Lots of good recycling and donating to a worthy cause too!

By Linda

Garage Sales

Garage sales are another excellent place to get books. Sometimes you can get paperbacks and hardcovers for only 10 cents! Boxes of magazines can sometimes be had for $1 for the entire box. I usually getting lots of reading material in the summer this way. It's a lot cheaper than paying $10 - $12 for a paperback!

By Klawrence34

My whole family just loves to read. Currently, I probably have about three thousand books here at home. Those were purchased in my "stupid money mode". Now, I have stopped all magazine subscriptions, because they are available at the library, along with most books. The only books I buy now are from garage or library sales where I pay fifty cents or less.

By Gloria

Buy Online

Childrens Books

I have bought books for my son's required school reading, for as little as a penny! You can find new and used, and a description of the condition of the book. So even with the shipping charge, you're still paying less than by going to that bookstore in the mall!

By Lisa

Hardback Books

I use to buy all hardback books brand new, spending lots of money, until I discovered that you can buy used books from individuals at Amazon.com. You can just go to their web-site and find the book you want, then click on "New & Used" It will list all the New and Used books that people from all over the world are trying to sell. And at a MUCH cheaper price. It is awesome, you can do this with CD's, VHS, and DVD's. So you aren't buying from Amazon.com, just through them. I have never had any problems with this, and I have saved a TON of money!

By Crys7881

College Textbooks

To go along with Lisa's idea, I frequently buy my college textbooks from a website called www.half.com. Saved $200 last semester alone!

By Kelly

Selling Books Online

I sell books online, and some of the sites I use to compare prices are bookfinder.com and half.com. I sell on half, with the same username as here, and of course, look on eBay and other auction sites. There are some just for books. Google will put up a bunch on a search. I also am a member of the seniornet.org book exchange. There you list a book, send it and the person sends stamps or check for the postage. Thanks for that other site, I'm going to check it out.

Join the friends of the library in your town. Good discounts there too.

By Octoberbabye

Book Exchange Shelf

Both at my church and at the elementary school where I teach, we have an on-going book exchange shelf, where the books come and go. They are not expected to be returned to their original owners. I have also participated in chain letter type books exchanges, but you really take your chances on what you might get back!

Use the Library

Get the most out of your tax dollars. Use the resources at your local library. Most libraries have the latest books, DVD's and books on CD! I request the books online from our public library. If they don't have the book I want, they almost always will order it. They call me when the books are in and I pick them up. Best of all, it's free!

Buying and Selling Books

I buy books for $.10 or $.25 each, read them and then sell them back to the used book store for more. I usually get a credit at the store and buy books, videos, DVDs or CDs for myself or for my children.

By MaryBeth

Amazon.com and Half.com

It's fairly easy to save money on books. For new books, check http://www.amazon.com. Make sure you get enough to qualify for the free shipping, or your savings will be eaten up. If you're willing to take used, there are even bigger savings. If you're lucky enough to have a decent used book store near you, you can try that.

However, you can also try http://www.half.com or amazon's used book store prices. The longer you wait to buy a book, the lower the price goes, so I recommend waiting as long as you possibly can. Remember to factor in the shipping costs when doing your price shopping!

The best way to save, however, is to go to your local library and check the book out before making the determination to buy it. Or better yet, check out the hardback from the Library for instant gratification but wait to buy the paperback. By doing this, you can often save 40% or more off the price of books. And by using the Library, you don't clutter up your house with un-read books.

By Kathleen

Tips For Magazines, Books and Videos

Magazines:

One of our local libraries has a magazine exchange in the lobby - I used to get great magazines from there when I had a car.

I, also asked a few neighbors if they could pass on magazines to me that they might be recycling. One lady exchanges magazines at the Senior Center and gave me some great ones to read and for crafts. (I'm looking forward to 50 & enjoying the Senior Center's book and magazine exchange!) My sister-in-law was putting magazines in recycling, so I asked and now she saves them for me (Better Homes & Gardens, etc.)

Some libraries have limited storage space and discard older issues of magazines. I'd buy them for 25 cents and sometimes get some for free when I volunteered there. I used to volunteer with Friends of the Library and bought all kinds of great books for my grand-nieces. We're in a prosperous area and have many donations and volunteers. We raised thousands every year to support literacy, children's programs and many other needs despite budget cuts... all by selling hardbacks from 50 cents to $1. Kids paperbacks are 3 for $1.

Free reading materials:

There's nothing like having a book, but there are a lot of sources of free reading materials online: Project Guttenberg and Bartlebys for books beyond copyright or samples of poetry. Also, a lot of amateur writers post their short stories and novels on-line or as free e-books. And there are lots of free e-zines on almost any topic.

For children's stories, you could also try library sites and also do a search on "storytellers" or "storytelling". Many professional storytellers post material on-line.

Videos:

I saw a lot of children's videos at the Catholic school thrift store. Videos are getting cheap as people turn to DVDs.

By TJDumplin

Online Trade Sites

The Book Cart

I use a website http://www.thebookcart.com. You can list your books that you are finished with and you can browse in the books that are available. This is how it works. If you order a book, it costs you $2.25 and is mailed to you by the person who listed it on the site. If someone wants your book the administrator of the site, Jack, emails you to let you know there has been a request for your book. He will give you the name and mailing address to mail the book. You will pay for postage and send it via Media Mail which costs $1.42 for a pound and you get a credit into your account from the site for $1.75. You can pay through Paypal. I sent them $20.00 in a check when I first started using them. I have about a dozen or so books listed there. So sometimes I get a credit and sometimes I am charged for a book I requested. I know that after about 2 years of participation, I still have a credit of about $12.00 and have sent out several books and requested several. I have found 3 or 4 Chicken Soup books, and many others. I have never been disappointed.

By Harlean from Arkansas

Frugal Reader

I joined a book trade online called "Frugal Reader". You just list a few of your books and then you can pick books from other members. All it costs is the little media mail postage and the books keep circulating, check it out! http://www.frugalreader.com/index.php

By Dianne

Paperback Swap

Check out http://www.paperbackswap.com. You might find this site helpful!

By Kathy

I always look at the bargain tables at the major book chains, like Barnes and Noble, for deals on books for presents - especially when they are marked down to less than $5! (They also have deals on journals, stationery items, CDs, etc.) A nice crisp book is always appropriate. (They have kid's books, too!)

By pam from Los Angeles

I stumbled onto a link on a website where you can get books for almost free. We have been listing books of ours that we want to get rid off and getting other books we do want. The only real cost is the postage for mailing a book to someone else. I am usually able to mail stuff media mail or first class, whichever is cheapest.

http://www.bookmooch.com

I also did a bit of searching on google where you actually trade books, videos, games, etc. You list items you have and arrange trades with others for stuff they have. Again, the only real cost is the postage.

http://www.swaptree.com

Most people know that libraries are a great way to save money on books. Another way to save money is a book exchange with friends and family. An easy way to do this is to set up an email list with everyone that wants to participate and post the books you have available to share to the list. It can be fun social event and also saves you money. You can set up free email lists at the following places:

• Google Groups http://www.google.com/groups
• Yahoo Groups http://www.yahoogroups.com

I am a book and reading enthusiast. My goal in life is to have a large library of books at my disposal. I can't afford list price on most anything so I have found several ways to get great books. The first and most obvious is check them out at the library. But you need to watch due dates as many libraries charge late fees and it doesn't give my shelves at home a boost.

So when looking to buy books, I will look at garage sales and thrift stores. There seem to be a lot of people who buy a book and read it once, then get rid of it. Amazon has used book dealers. You can get books for a penny. Most of the books I get with shipping, cost much less than buying them anywhere else and for being used they are in very good condition. Something else I do is trade with a friend. About every 6 months to a year I put a box of books together I don't want to keep and send them to her and she returns a box of books to me. These are great ways to save money on books!

By Crystal from KS

A great way to support your local library and find good deals on books is to go to library book sales. Most libraries have them multiple times each year and the prices are very reasonable. Plus, the money goes back into the library to support buying new books or community resources.