How I Read Without Going Broke

I saw this cartoon floating around the internet a few years ago, and Drew and I decided it definitely described me.

But as I’ve started reading more and more, my book buying habit started causing problems. Not only did I not have room left in my budget to buy other things I wanted, but my bookshelves were overflowing with books. Like books stacked on top of books stacked on top of books. You get the idea. And unless I really, really love a book, I’m probably not going to reread it.

So last year I started employing a few different strategies to stop spending so much on books and control the clutter in our house.

Borrow Books from the Library

One day I was sitting on the couch mid-Netflix binge and thought, somebody should great this for books. Like a service where you pay a monthly fee, borrow as many books as you want, and then the service could also make recommendations based on what you’ve already read.

Then I felt like a complete idiot when I realized this already existed, it was called a library, and it was free.

Come to think of it, I should probably be ashamed to tell you that story…

Anyway, it wasn’t until last year that I actually embraced our local library. They offer print books and e-books and audio books through an app. I also get access to the catalogs of several other libraries in our state. This means it’s super rare there’s a book I can’t borrow. Plus, the due dates and fines force me encourage me to read my books in a timely manner.

Saves:
Money ✔︎
Space ✔︎

Buy Discount Kindle Books

My favorite book related blog, Modern Mrs. Darcy, sends out the best Kindle deals every morning to her email subscribers. I watch this list to score books I want to read that my library system doesn’t carry. Most are $2-$3.

One thing I love about this method is that Anne only lists the best rated and most highly recommended books. On other, far inferior lists, you have to search through a lot of crappy books to find the gems.

I’m primarily interested in Kindle deals, since that’s the e-reader I have, but Anne also includes Nook and Audible deals.

Sign up for the Modern Mrs. Darcy Great E-book Deals here.

Saves:
Money ✔︎
Space ✔︎

Ask for Books as Gifts or Gift Cards

Every Christmas I put a few specific titles and Barnes and Noble gift cards on my wishlist. (Barnes and Noble is my local big bookstore.)

When requesting a specific book, I always pick something that’s super popular and easy to find (think store displays or the end-cap at Walmart). This makes it more likely that the gift giver will purchase what I want. No sense sending someone off on a wild goose chase.

And I always ask for Barnes & Noble gift cards. I’ll usually end up with $50-$100 worth from family. This allows me to pick up pricer books I’d have trouble justifying on my own.

Saves:
Money ✔︎
Space ✘

Membership Cards & Coupons

I’ve been a Barnes and Noble member for years. And while, yes, this membership costs money, you get access to great discounts and coupons not available to the general public. I definitely save more than the $25-cost of the membership. Your discount code also works at the in-store coffee shop which almost justifies the membership cost by itself. (The playground at the mall is near B&N, and I definitely need a few espresso shots to sit in there some days. lol)

The caveat here is not buying a book just because you have a coupon. There are many months I toss them, expired and unused. But if there’s a book I want to purchase, I try to wait until I get a coupon in my mail or inbox.

Saves:
Money ✔︎
Space ✘

Other Ideas

There are loads of other ideas to save money while reading, like borrowing books from friends and family, using Little Free Libraries, and shopping your local used bookstore. The point is to find a few solutions that work for you and start implementing. Your wallet will thank you.

Happy reading!

Community is built in the comments!
What are your favorite ways to save money when reading?