If you have been eyeing up an Amazon Kindle or a Barnes & Noble Nook, but were hesitant on the price, you might want to read this post. An eReader can be frugal, if you know a few things.
Figuring out what your goal is with an eReader may save you some money. For example, if you just like the capability of reading electronic books, you many already have everything you need with your computer, smart phone or mobile device. eBooks in the pdf or EPUB format can already be downloaded and read on these devices, and there are several ebook apps available, for the most frugal solution of all.
If you would like to have a separate eReader, take a look at the different options and decide what is most important to you. You’ll save money by choosing a device that uses wifi instead of a device that uses 3G service. With wifi, you won’t be able to download books anywhere, just where there is wifi available. Just load your books while at home, and of course most public places such as restaurants offer free wifi service.
To save even more, opt for the new Kindle with ads. You’ll save $25 if you get a Kindle that swaps the typical screensaver for one that has an ad on it. There are no ads when reading a book.
You can also save money by buying a refurbished eReader. Woot had a Kindle for only $88, and you can often find used eReaders on classified sites.
The other major way to save money on an eReader is to load it with a lot of free books. You can get a number of classics, plus many new and current books. Publishers sometimes offer new books for free or for low price in order to drive them on to the “best seller” list. Then when the books make it to the list, they start charging for them.
Some eReaders also let you swap books among friends, and there are several eReader book swapping sites you can join.