Feb 22 2008
Honey, your book habit is ruining us financially!
Do some of us buy too many books? Do you find yourself having books in your personal library that you have never read? Are you running out of space for all of your books? MSN Money listed 10 ways to save money when buying books. Here are a few of my favorites:
Avoid New Releases – Do you really need it now?
Share – Just like it says, share your books with your friends!
Frequent your Public Library
Explore Used Bookstores
You can see the entire list here.
Via MSN Money
Send to Kindle
Feb 22, 2008 @ 12:02:33
We’ve moved three times in the last six years. My boyfriend’s patience has decreased a little each year. (“You can NOT have 5,000 “keepers”!) But now that the number of books littering the apartment is nearing 2,000 (my books purchased before the moves are still boxed in the garage), I don’t think the puppy-dog eyes are going to work much longer, and I’ll be dropping off large boxes of donations at the library again.
Feb 22, 2008 @ 12:10:18
Do they have “Husband staring at you with evil eyes every time the credit card bill comes in”? That always helps me save money. ^^;
And if you think regular books are bad, you should see the expenses with manga added in.
Feb 22, 2008 @ 12:21:39
**staring at Jan**
Yep, it sure is. I just bought Ito’s Uzumaki vol.2 and 3. And the series I keep up with: Vampire Knight (must read), Blood Alone (must read), Bleach, Naruto, now Crimson Spell..siiiiiigh
Feb 22, 2008 @ 12:23:56
Between my books, my son’s comic book/graphic novels and the incredible growing dvd collection (not surprising I’m running a TBW (to be watched) pile there) it’s a wonder we’re not in the poor house. :-/
Feb 22, 2008 @ 14:25:42
yes, I do. I need that book now.
Book swapping and used bookstores have helped reduce my overall spending but there are still books I can’t wait for.
Feb 22, 2008 @ 14:35:29
There ain’t such a think as “too many books”–and the man who suggest that within my hearing will not be invited over ever again. See how easy it is? *grin*
And Joy, I’m with you–some books you just have to read the second they come out. Or before, it at all possible *grin*
Feb 22, 2008 @ 15:47:38
My husband put me on a $40 a month book budget. For my own good, he says. Mostly because when I first discovered Nora Roberts, I ran through almost her entire backlist on Amazon. Besides the expense, I didn’t get a dang thing done for about 6 wks. So I am now budgeted so I don’t neglect all of the regular stuff I have to do. Sigh.
So I plan a lot, and am only spontaneous when my favs aren’t releasing all in the same month. (Have to save up for July!)
Feb 22, 2008 @ 15:57:52
Ah, the budget, great idea Jackie. I wonder why that was not on the list? I had to develop a book budget for Jane but for some mysterious reason it never seems to be effective for more than a month or so. Any advice is welcome.
Feb 22, 2008 @ 16:19:56
My husband keeps trying to put me on a book budget. I just go out and buy them anyway. *g*
And I need all new releases right now. I am terrible about waiting.
Feb 22, 2008 @ 19:28:21
But…it’s my patriotic duty to buy too many books, isn’t it? ;-)
Feb 22, 2008 @ 20:00:59
My book purchases, year round, still add up to less than dh’s rounds of golf during spring and summer.
Feb 22, 2008 @ 21:37:22
Keishon, I love Bleach!
Buying books is my one vice, and it’s cheaper than smoking, drinking, buying shoes, whatever. I think my husband gets off cheap, really. Despite the 13 bookcases…
Feb 24, 2008 @ 01:48:52
You’re asking the wrong crowd, Ned. We’re all foxes being asked for suggestions on how to protect the henhouse in this case.
Feb 24, 2008 @ 10:31:17
Janine,
Thanks for putting a smile on my face this morning!
Feb 24, 2008 @ 10:43:34
Anytime.
Feb 24, 2008 @ 13:29:08
Having a comic/graphic novel addiction on top of anime/manga and books is even worse. I used to spend $40-55 a week on comics. I finally cut out the majority and only get trades on special occasions. I just couldn’t justify the cost of comics in the long run when getting trades was cheaper.
Bookswaps/used bookstores that allow you to trade books (or anything else) for book credit is saving me money right now. It doesn’t work well on new releases all the time, but it does save me money in the long run and I don’t feel as much guilt spending money. Usually I use that to get the wholes in my collection of series or OOP books. Also, it is a great way of getting rid of books I never intend to reread or just don’t like. I need the bookshelf space for my other books obviously!
The only way I can avoid buying a book is to avoid bookstores when I know I am on a tight budget. It means that the library gets me instead. I also have to avoid the internet as any mention of said books get me all torn up about going anyway. *sigh*
Husband and I agree that when he buys a game, DVD, or computer related equipment, I get books. It saves on the whole husband getting mad at me routine.
Feb 25, 2008 @ 05:40:28
A carton of the cigarettes I used to smoke is about $40.00 now so it is good I gave up the habit and bought more books. Well ok when I gave up smoking a carton was only $13.00 but it still sounds good.
Feb 25, 2008 @ 12:31:02
Daggone it, I think my posts are getting eaten.
:OP
Oh well. Ned, after I hit send on the eaten post, it dawned on me that libraries are actually dangerous creatures. They open you to new authors.
And if that new author becomes a must-read author, then you run the risk of spending bunches and bunches getting a new author’s backlist. ;) That’s how I discovered Nora Roberts. Honest Illusions-my reading habits have never been the same since discovering NR.
Feb 25, 2008 @ 22:26:52
Interesting Shiloh. I never thought of that. I still think the budget thing is the best but I know of voracious readers where that could not possibly work. Maybe one should just spend more time on the internet to fill in the gaps between books?
Feb 25, 2008 @ 22:29:47
That B word is a naughty, ugly word and not the kind that gives a vicarious thrill. ;)
Hmmmmm. The web vs. books. Man, that’s a hard decision. But I think the books win.
:D
Feb 25, 2008 @ 22:31:56
The only decent way to fill gaps between books is other books, silly.
Feb 25, 2008 @ 23:11:58
I think the best way is to rationalize like DS. There are so many worse ways we could be spending our money. But the real problem is the storage. I mean, how freaking long do you really need to keep your books!!!! Maybe one should count the different type of book cases one owns. If you have a mish mash of more than 4 then it is time at the very least to purge some of your books!
Feb 25, 2008 @ 23:38:44
But…ah…what if I get rid of something crucial? I’ve purged before. Then realized I just couldn’t let go of that Linda Howard book, or that NR book, or that Lavryle Spencer, or that Jude Deveraux, or that LKH, or that Laura Ingalls Wilder, or that Mercedes Lackey. But I’d already given it away. So what’s a girl to do but buy it again?
:OP The DH finally gave up asking me to control my book habit.
Feb 25, 2008 @ 23:47:10
Sorry, Ned, you are a big book buying enabler. Not only do we go to the bookstore nearly every week, but you built a wall to wall bookcase for said books along with shelving in our basement for other said books. So all this noise about book budgets and book purging is “all hat and no cattle.”
Feb 25, 2008 @ 23:57:38
The change we seek has always required great struggle and great sacrifice. And so this is a battle in our own hearts and minds about what kind of home we want and how hard we’re willing to work for it.
So let me remind you tonight that change will not be easy. Change will take time. There will be setbacks and false starts and sometimes we’ll make mistakes.
And where we are met with cynicism and doubt and fear and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of the American people in three simple words — yes, we can.
Feb 26, 2008 @ 07:47:39
Ya know…if he’d been talking about much of anything except controlling book sprees, I’d be moved. ;)
Feb 26, 2008 @ 10:10:48
Ned,
Huh… forever?
Shiloh,
(I should just nod to pretty much everything Shiloh says) And what happens when you purge one of those out-of-print-impossible-to-find-except-on-eBay-for-a-ridiculous-amount-of-money -but-I-have-to-get-it-back-books, huh?
Feb 26, 2008 @ 11:09:28
Interlibrary loan is your drug. The librarian is your dealer. The library is your corner.