14 May

Written by Kathryn Vercillo on May 14, 2010

The price of books seems like it keeps going up as more and more people turn to the Internet for their information. However, it is possible to find books for free or to get them at a very low cost. More importantly, books themselves actually have the potential to save you money. They provide entertainment, education and escape without costing you as much as many of your other options for these things will cost you. If you learn how to get books on the cheap and then you learn how to use those books to save money, you’ll be well on your way to being a frugal reader.

5 Tips for Saving Money on Books

  1. Use the local library. Your local library is the best source that you have at your fingertips for getting free books. As long as you don’t turn your books in late or lose them, this option for obtaining reading material isn’t going to cost you anything at all. Using the local library is also great because it exposes you to a diverse range of different book topics that you might not otherwise bother with. You might not want to pay to buy a book in a genre that you don’t normally read but you can get them for free at the library to see if you like them.
  2. Use other libraries as well. One of the biggest frustrations that people have with reading books from their own libraries is that selection may be limited. You will discover that you can find most of the books that you could ever want to read if you expand your options to include other libraries as well. Many libraries offer inter-library loans, which means that you can get the book that you’re looking for through your library if another library has it. Alternatively, head to a nearby university and look for the library there. Schools are packed with books and although you may not be allowed to borrow them, you can always do your reading on-site.
  3. Swap books with others. Trading your used books with other people to get your hands on their used books is a great way to get new reading material for just the cost of postage. You can swap books with your friends, trade them at local book swap events or find people to swap with online. There are online sites like PaperbackSwap where you list the books you have available and get credit for every book you list then you can use the credits to “buy” the books that you want from other people. Then there are direct-swap sites like SwapBot where you get assigned one or two people to send a specific type of book to and then you receive a book from them or someone else in the group.
  4. Rent books. It is becoming increasingly possible to rent books for a very low price. BookSwim is the first website that does this using a flat fee and delivering the books straight to your mailbox. However, you can find a few other book rental options (especially if you’re interested in textbooks). This model could take off in the next year or two and more options will be opened up.
  5. Choose secondhand books, clearance books and books bought at yard sales. If you do feel the need to purchase books to own then make sure that you make smart choices about buying books. Use discount codes, shop secondhand and look for good deals on books before making the buy.

5 Ways Books Save You Money

  1. Books are a free form of entertainment. The books that you are getting free or cheap end up saving you a lot of money on the cost of other entertainment. You can read books with your kids instead of paying to take them to the movies. You can read books in the park with a lover instead of going on an expensive date. You can stay home and read a book yourself instead of going out shopping or spending money in other ways.
  2. Books are a free way to get an education. Books also provide a free or cheap education in anything that you might want to learn. You can read books instead of paying to take many classes. You can read books instead of going to seminars. You can read books to learn skills instead of hiring someone to do things for you.
  3. Books let you escape to other worlds without traveling. Many people will find that their cost of travel goes down considerably when they allow themselves the pleasure of immersing themselves into a world of books. Staycations are increasingly popular and one choice is to cuddle up on your own couch with a great book about a faraway land. The book doesn’t have to cost anything whereas really traveling there could cost quite a bit.
  4. Bookstores make great cheap dates. Bookstores can provide excellent date nights that save you money in comparison to going out to dinner or a movie. Browsing through a bookstore provides a lot of fodder for conversation. Many bookstores have coffee shops where you can sit and talk. Bookstores may also host fun, free events like poetry nights and book readings. These can be great for dates. You hardly need to spend anything at all to have a great date ate a bookstore.
  5. Books provide tips and inspiration for saving money. Finally, you can use books to get more information about how to save money in other areas of your life. The more tips that you get, the better you are going to be at living a frugal life. Sure, you can get that information from the web, but you’re going to get a more comprehensive understanding of it by reading books.

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One Comment

  1. 1

    Freddy
    May 16th, 2010

    Good tips! In-addition, shop as early as possible. Visit a couple of shopping sites to compare prices before buying. Also try advanced shopping sites like Onewayshopping.com for school supplies.

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About the authors

Kathryn

We are Kathryn and Captain Frugal two money saving fanatics. Kathryn is a freelance writer living in San Francisco which means that she's had to work hard to maintain a frugal budget. Captain Frugal learned from a young age that a penny saved is a penny earned, he's made it his life's mission to beat "the system" a few cents at a time. "Living the high life is easy!" say's captian frugal, "all you need is a little creativity, to improve your lifestyle and still save money!

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