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
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