Affordable Reading

May 20, 2024
4 min read

As of this year, things are more and more expensive with not enough it seems to go around. (Am I preaching to the choir here?) With four kids of my own, namely two under 10 and two teenagers, I get how things are expensive. Sometimes it's even cheaper to eat out than it is to feed everyone at home with a good, healthy, home cooked meal!

Right now, my family is in the process of trying to sell our home in hopes to use the resources we have to pay off debts and reduce the amount of cash that comes in the door then goes right back out again. Once the house sells, we are going to move full-time into a fifth-wheel and start saving to build our dream home - once my husband and I can agree on the exact design, that is! In the meantime, our budget is tight. And all of my beloved books are packed away and I'm on strict orders to not buy any more books.

Which is totally fine. Because I know now is not the season to be going into the local Barnes and Noble and coming out with bags full of books! Even if it was, I probably wouldn't be going into Barnes and Noble and dropped hundreds of dollars on the books I need to fill my mind.

So, how do you read so many books in an affordable way?

Here are just a few ideas, that I use regularly, to get you started:

1. Get a library membership.

I cannot stress enough how a library membership is invaluable! Not only does my local library have books, but they also have e-books for my Kindle, which if you remember from my post about finding time to read, I love my Kindle for those nights when I need to read in bed without disturbing anyone's sleep.

And, did you know? If you have memberships from libraries in other states, you can borrow e-books from them too. This is an amazing opportunity as sometimes your local library may not have an e-book available but another library might! Now, if you live in Alaska, like me, unfortunately this isn't as reasonable seeing as how there are no other states nearby, but if you are able to, get a membership from multiple libraries then hop onto the free app Libby to find your needed e-books!

Another amazing thing about libraries, at least in Alaska, is that you can borrow books from across the state. So if I go into the library here in my city and I don't find the book I need but another Alaska library has it, I can still borrow it. They will ship it to my local library so I can pick it up. How cool is that? I don't know if this is the case for libraries outside of Alaska, but you can ask your local librarian to find out.

2. Visit thrift stores and recycling centers.

Thrift stores and discount stores are great places to find some good books at a great discount. My local Value Village makes it easy to find books as they sort them into different categories. I've even found a box set of clothbound Charles Dickens books there for only $25! These are $60 if you get them on Amazon or from Barnes and Noble. That's nearly 60% off the original price, if I did my math correctly.

Another great place to check for books is the recycling center. I know this may be the last thing to consider, but a lot of recycling centers receive books and some sell them back to the public for a huge discount. My local recycling center offers paperback books for $0.25, hardback for $0.50, a bag of books or $2, and a box for $5. Talk about a steal! Call your local center to see if they off a bookstore!

3. Buy a Kindle and get Kindle Unlimited.

Lastly, I cannot recommend enough to get a Kindle or Nook. These are seriously my favoritest invention ever!

I know I have mentioned them before in my previous post about finding time to read but here are some of the reasons I highly suggest getting an e-reader:

You can read outside without killing your eyes - say hello to no glaring white pages!
You can read in bed without disturbing those sleeping (great for my fellow insomniacs!)
They are lightweight and can go anywhere, no more lugging around books!
You can have more than one book with you wherever you take it (great for when you need a break from those more thought-heavy books).
They are, typically, cheaper than print books.

Now, I know a lot of people may debate between Nook and Kindle. I personally do not have a Nook. I have a Kindle and I personally love it because of Kindle Unlimited. Here are some perks to Kindle Unlimited:

You get access to thousands of books - for free!
You get discounts on books a lot.
You collect points to earn free books.

Now let's talk about those free books in that first point. I'm not talking about those books that are smutty or lame. I'm talking things like classical literature, Bible studies, novels, and so much more! Here are some books I borrowed from Kindle Unlimited just this month:

Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst
Your Teenager is Not Crazy by Dr. Jeramy Clark and Jerusha Clark
On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior
Redeeming the Six Arts by Brent Pinkall
The Nature Instinct by Tristan Gooley
The Aenid by Virgil
Fifty Stories Retold by James Baldwin (for Little E's school)
When Crabs Cross the Sand by Sharon Katz Cooper (for Little E's school)
All About Sharks by Jim Arnosky (for Little E's school)

Another great option is to download the Kindle or Nook apps. These can give you the same great benefits as the e-reader without purchasing an e-reader.

4. Borrow from a friend.

The last option I recommend is to borrow from a friend. Friends are the most valuable resource we have, so let's not leave them out!

One idea is to start a Smart Mama book club! You can each buy a different book from the season's reading list then borrow them from each other or tell each other where to find them (library, Kindle Unlimited, Nook rental, etc).

Just remember to return the books when you're done! : )