Every avid reader wants to know how to save money on books. It is a sad reality that almost all books at bookstores are expensive. Yet we read many books only once and they just sit on the shelf quietly ever after. Borrowing books or exchanging ones you already read with your friends or even total strangers via websites focusing on swapping books can save you a fortune. Of course, some people insist on owning the books they read (cheers I am one of you). Luckily, it is possible to save significant sums on buying your own books too.
Used books
If you insist on owning the books, highest sums of money can be saved by buying used ones. Some bookstores have special sections for selling used books. Sometimes, libraries sell out their excess copies of less popular books as well. There are also special bookstores that focus solely on re-selling books. All these places offer great deals at least on some of the books. Of course, many great bargains can be picked at garage sales as well.
Whichever of the mentioned opportunities you seize, you can easily save over 50% on many of the books. Deals on older books and books written by less-known authors can be even better. I personally picked many second-hand books for as low as 50 euro-cents. Sure, most of them were written and printed long before I was born but they were all a great read. The most important part, money-wise, is that I bought more than 15 hard-cover books for price of one brand new paperback sci-fi novel (of course, paperbacks might be less overpriced in your part of the world).
Online bookstores
Some of the bookstores focus mainly on selling through the Internet. These usually offer discounts on all their books. Of course, these discounts are often only a few % of the usual retail price and are lower than what you will pay for postage in case you buy only one or two books. However, most online stores offer free postage, if you buy in bulk. You will not save as much as by buying used books though.
E-books
While owning an E-book is not as satisfying as having a shelf full of printed books, it saves space and money. Some E-books are even 50 or more % cheaper than their printed version. Of course, this is not the case with all books. Nevertheless, you can save a lot of money by opting for E-books instead of traditional printed books.
Exchange them
Another great alternative is to exchange books you do not plan to read again with people who haven’t read them yet. This can be done is several ways. Being a member of a book club and exchanging the books with other members is one option. You can also exchange books with your friends and family. In fact, exchanging used books for free has become so popular that there are websites with sole purpose of providing this service between utter strangers.
Borrow them from library or friends
Borrowing books is definitely the best money saver. Buying second-hand books can save you a lot of money, but borrowing all the books from public library is almost entirely free. There is usually a low monthly or yearly membership fee. However, that is all the expense you will have. Also, you do not have to worry about storing large numbers of books at home or transporting them in case you get to move to new house. Borrowing from friends and relatives is also a great way to reduce your book spending.
To conclude, reading can become a very cheap hobby, if you learn how to save money on books. Generally, borrowing most or all books from libraries and friends is the best option. However, you can save a lot of money buying books too. Usually, buying used books offers the best savings. Occasionally you can pick even new books in excellent condition at garage sales or from stores that specialize on selling second-hand books for very low prices. Though, you can choose a way of hunting bargains on totally new books as well.
Incoming search terms:
- how to read many books expensive (10)
To read a book is like entering into a new world of knowledge for me. Books are the real source of knowledge but sometimes we are not able to buy them because of their high costs and feel like a helpless person. I personally coped up with this problem by saving money on books and borrowing from my friends. A library membership is also a good way to read great books as we cannot afford to purchase each and every book we would like to read.
I have loved reading books since my childhood when I first learned to read story books in school.I had this hobby of buying my own books with the money that my grandfather gave me on every birthday.I would keep adding them to my personal collection and that interest continues till today.Today books are quite expensive and paperbacks are overpriced.Therefore we need to save money on books as you have rightly pointed out.I have bought used books many a time from the British Council Library located in my city whenever they offer a sale.Most libraries do have this periodic clearance of old books.As you have mentioned in your article,e-books save both space and money.Therefore I have also inculcated the habit of reading them when I am online.
I have been reading books since I was very young. I always wanted own them rather than borrowing them to save money. Therefore I always looked for them in the used book market, that served my purpose both ways. I saved money and I still have all the books I wanted to read. This way I am still reading the, whenever I want to.
We shall not forget that certain people like Leo Tolstoy or Ruskin and so many world famous authors have become immortal because their thoughts are still circulated. The author has beautifully illustrated regarding the means of obtaining the precious thoughts and books for reading in a very economic way and even forming friendship by mutual exchange, or cheap reselling or E-Books or online exchange. This will help for those who are thirsty to read, those who do the research work or some documentary work. Congratulazione to the Article.
Many site provide free e-book, comics, novel and so on to attrack visitors to come again to their site.
The best ways to save money to buy a book was trough the auction site, cause sometime with a small bid we can win it and owned that book.
That is why, auction site grow up fastest rather then ordinary online store.
Books are the true mirror of life and reflect the values of society. I always thought, reading them was like getting as much knowledge as possible. But The best way to read books and still save on them is to go for exchange program. I Bought some and exchanged those books with friends to save money and still read them whenever I wanted to.
Books are the windows to our imaginations. Children should be encouraged to read as much as possible as this enables them to be more creative and to experience all the world has to offer. Starting a book sharing library is one good idea that parents can do in order to save money on books. Another way I encourage reading books is by giving books as gifts whenever I can to children and teenagers. It saves the parents money and it opens a new world for their imaginations. Great article on saving money on books, I will have to share this with my friends and family too!
Books are inevitable in the daily growth and development of intellect. In reading books, one gets to develop himself as he goes along the path of growth. Unfortunately, it becomes expensive to be buying books while reading them usually happens only once. The money to be saved in buying books and owning them becomes hurting to the budget as time passes by. It is very fortunate however, that money can actually be saved without having to really purchase them. In fact, reading can still be possible without the pain of the expenses one has to incur. There are lots of ways, and these includes exchanges, or even free ebooks from the internet. The mentioned ways in this articles are definitely healthy for a reading enthusiast. I am one of those who are lucky enough to have come across this article.
This was a really great article. Thanks so much. It’s actually helped me with my college books. I’m a really avid reader on my own time but I can’t afford it anymore. Books are rising in price, and I have so many other financial issues. Ever since my library closed, I’ve had some real problems. I’m especially thankful for your part on E-books. Personally, I find them just as satisfying as any other form of reading.
Again, great article and thanks a ton.
Personally, I try always to save money on books, specially on my school books. Sometimes, the books come with Audio Cd’s that cost much and we are never going to use it. I always ask to take them off. For other types of books, I rarely buy one. Most of the times I borrow them from the library. I read and don’t have to pay nothing. I love to read. It makes my imagination grow. Everyone can read. Even the more poor people. There are many ways to do it without paying nothing or at least less than buy it.
I’m a book lover and I admit I have been spending lotssa money on buying books that are not available to borrow right on in the library or in my friends. Thanks for this saving money tips on books and some other additional ideas. I have a best insights that I can grab!
AS an avid book reader, I am always spending a fortune on books. It was only on the release of a new book that I realized that I did not have enough money to make the purchase. From then on I began my search for saving money books in a variety of ways. I had already realized the library and ebooks option. The switching books with a friend is a nice new idea for me. I hadn’t realized that this opetion was available to me. I thank you for providing me with a few more tips on saving money. I do want to make my summer reading a lot cheaper now rather than spending a good 50 dollars on books I might read once or twice. Very informative ideas you have written here. I will surely come back to recount your advice.