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Saving Money on Books

I am a reader. I consume books at a rapid pace, and I usually have two or three in progress at any given time. To feed my habit, I also used to buy a lot of books. I went on a new book buying moratorium back in August (see Can You Stop Buying Books? I’m Going To Try at my sister blog, SimpleProductivityBlog.com), and I have found that I have cut back my spending dramatically. But I still need a source for books.

Here are my five sources for free or low-cost books:

The Local Library

This is the biggest source of my books. In addition to having a large selection, online browsing and reservation, a large collection of e-books and audio books, the library can also get books from any other library through inter-library loan. The library is also a good source for magazines and newspapers.

Rummage Sales/Thrift Stores

These go by many names: rummage sales, garage sales and trunk sales are three that I have heard. Many people will put a stack of books out. This can be a great source for books, particularly paperbacks.

Library Friends

Our local library and art museum both offer twice yearly book sales. They take donated books that are not put on the shelves and sell them to the general public to raise funds to buy new books with. This is a great source of hardback and paperback books. These sales are put on by the library auxiliary or friends.

Swaps

I routinely swap books with two neighbors. One neighbor’s recommendation is pretty much a guarantee that I will like a book, and we often compare opinions on various items.

Freecycle

Our local Freecycle list will often list books. Freecycle is an organization that offers items for free, and the responsibility of picking up the item rests with the recipient. The other advantage of Freecycle is you can ask for specific items.

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There are many sources for low-cost and no-cost books out there. Search around, and you may find you will get out of the habit of buying!

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Photo by Dawn Endico

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