I love browsing through the bookstore. There is just so much there. Before my frugal living days, it wouldn’t be odd for me to walk into a bookstore and emerge an hour later will a pile of books and $300 less in my account. Did I mention that I love books?
Of course now I employ other strategies to feed my book habit, such as trading with friends, going to book sales, hitting the library and using paperbackswap.com. But one thing I miss about those spending sprees is discovering new books and pouring through the glossy bestsellers. The bookstore always has the latest new things, and not visiting it puts me behind on what is actually out there and available.
So, this is what I do to get those new books and best sellers for free. I still plan my bookstore trips, but this time instead of a credit card, I take a pen and pad. After I shop through the bargain section (I can get some really great deals) Whenever I see a book I’d really like to read, I jot down the title and author or the ISBN number.
Then I plan a trip to the library or the library website. I check out the books from the library for free. And in the case where the books are not available because they are best sellers, I take advantage of waiting lists and interlibrary loan. I’ve never had to wait more than a few weeks for even the hottest bestseller.
One downside, that is actually a good thing for me, is the fact that the “hot” books often cannot be renewed, so I am forced to read them within the three-week checkout time. This is a good motivation to get through my reading!
If after reading a book that I have borrowed from the library I find that I can’t live without it (usually a reference book, or a book that fits into my collection) I can always go back and purchase it later, when it is not so hot and has been discounted.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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