Quick Tips to Save Money on Books

If you’re looking for some easy ways to save money on books, then you’re in the right place.  Books are so expensive.  Whether you’re looking for bestsellers or classics, anime or easy readers, learn these quick tips and save yourself some big cash.

Buy an E-reader

Digital books have saved us thousands of dollars. I have a good friend with a Nook. She loves it because they can share the kids can share their books from one device (account) to another. In our house, we have Kindles and each person sets up their own reading account.  We don’t like to share so we have several that float around.

Get the best savings by signing up for Kindle Unlimited. You get access to all Kindle materials (books and audio books) for $9.99 per month.

I also use the Kindle App to read from my books on my iPhone. You can download a Kindle reading app to read right on your laptop computer if that works best for you. All your devices sync so that you can pick up on your iPhone where you left off on your Kindle.

The best thing about the Kindle is the Free Time feature for kids. This lets you set up accounts for each child. You can limit their game usage and even set it up so that they have to reach a certain time reading before they can even access their fun apps. Kindle Free Time has saved me so much time and made it easy to help my kids read more.

Take Advantage of the Prime Lending Library

If you have a Kindle and a Prime account then what I’m about to say is going to change your life. You can borrow books for free with the Prime Lending Library.

With Amazon Prime, Kindle owners can choose from more than 800,000 books to borrow with no due dates.  Titles include current and former best sellers. You “borrow” one book each month and then return it when you’re done to pick out your next title. You can only borrow one book in each month, but you can return it 6 months later (or longer) if you want. Check out all the details here.

I’ve used this feature to preview books I’m considering buying in print. This way I’m not out of pocket anything and I see if it’s material I want to invest in before buying.

Buy Used Instead

The best way to avoid paying retail on books is to find them used. I’ve purchased used books on Amazon from various sellers. Always check out the reviews for that seller to make sure that they have excellent reviews and delivery option that meet your needs.

We have amazing used book stores around here. Our favorite used book stores buy, sell, and trade books, magazines, and many other media.

Ask your friends to find the cleanest store. Used books can be dusty and carry mildew if they’re water damaged.

Also try to find a store that has a generous donation history. Used book stores should have policies about donating unsold materials (they get tons of duplicate copies) to hospitals, schools, daycares, and municipal libraries that could use some book donations.

Fall in Love with the Library

Yes, go to the library.  In most places it’s 100% free.

If your town doesn’t have a library you might pay a very small fee to join the library in the next town over.  Sometimes if you work or go to school in another town they’ll let you join their library for free.

The library is our very best way to save on books (and videos).  My kids love having their own library card and checking out books that they picked out.  Our library also lets citizens request books that will be purchased in the future.  This is an excellent way to read the books you want and share great reads with the entire community.

Make sure you set an alarm on your phone to send you an alert when the books are almost due back.  This option is only going to save you money if you don’t rack up late fees with overdue books.

Swap Books Online

I stumbled on Paper Back Swap a few years ago and it’s a easy way to save money on books.  You list the books that you’d be willing to give away to someone (they swap more than paperbacks – hardbacks, audio books, etc).  When someone requests one of your books, you ship it to them.  When they receive your book you get credit to use to choose your own book from any user’s account.  There are over 4 million books currently available to swap on their site.

You can browse by genre or see titles listed by New York Times Best Sellers, Newberry Medal Winners, Pulitzer Prize Winners, and more.

My favorite part of PaperBackSwap is the wishlist.  Even if no one has listed the exact book I’m looking for, I can place my name on a waiting list.  When I’m next in line, I’ll get notified the moment that book is listed for swapping.

It’s really easy.  Check it out here.

With these easy tips you can save money on the books you need, want, and love!  A combination of these works best:

• Use an e-reader
• Borrow free from Amazon Prime
• Support a local, used book store
• Dust off your library card
• Swap with other online book lovers