How to Save Money as a Dedicated Book Lover

If you’re like me, you love books. I’ve loved them since I was old enough to realize I could read them myself. Over the years, I’ve changed tastes. I’ve bought, borrowed, and donated them. And I’ve definitely accumulated them.

But reading can get pricey. If you’re looking for ways to save money, cut your spending, and even make a little money, then maybe it’s time to take a look at your favorite hobby.

After my husband and I got married, he was shocked by how many boxes of books came along with that union. I was impressed I’d pared the collection down to only a few hundred by the time we met. Cue self-congratulatory back patting.

About a year later, we had a water leak in our apartment that created black mold in the walls. It so happened to be in the closet of the spare bedroom where we were storing most of my books. I was so sad to have to throw them away but they were goners, molded and water logged.

Interestingly, after the initial grief of losing them, I noticed I could hardly remember the exact books in those boxes. I realized that though I’d liked them when I’d read them, they weren’t necessarily the ones I couldn’t live without, read and reread often. Which led me to further evaluate my cumbersome collection and buying practices. Here are some suggestions if you’re doing the same:

Only keep the best of the best. Brutally look at your book collection. Will you really read that book again? Was it as good as you remember when you got it five years ago or have your tastes shifted? If you’re not sure, put it aside and read it again. If you’re not wowed by it, get rid of it. And remember, most books can be found on Amazon so if you have a really bad case of decluttering remorse, you can get it back again.

Sell what you don’t choose to keep. Now what to do with the ones you’re letting go. If you’re looking for the least amount of hassle, as I sometimes am, drop them off at your local library. They gladly accept donations. But if you’re looking to make some profit, here are a few options.

• Sell on Amazon. Depending on the book, there can be some decent profit to be made by selling your old books on Amazon. Obviously, dinged up, old Danielle Steele paperbacks aren’t going to net you much more than a penny but like-new hard covers of recent and popular books, textbooks, and box sets will do better. You’ll just need to open a seller account. Note the difference between the individual and professional seller, as it will be the difference between a small fee per sale or monthly charge.

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  Sell on Ebay. One thing I like about Ebay is the relative ease of setting up your account and selling things. I also like that you can sell an entire collection of books, say if you have the whole series, or even sell a hodgepodge of titles as a “book by the bag” option. There’s more variety and freedom here. Remember to price smart and think cheap on packing materials and shipping to not cut into your profit. My first sale on Ebay was a toddler’s jacket and after I shipped it, I realized I was only making about a dollar profit. Lesson learned.

• Trade in at your local bookstore. Though harder to find these days, locally owned bookstores often take trade-ins. You can get either cash or store credit for your old titles. It will depend on that particular store’s policy, but it’s a great way to get a little money back right away without the time and effort of selling online. And you can also replenish your shelves from their stock using your credit. Unfortunately, at the one near me, they only allow me to use 50% of my credit toward buying one of their books, thereby forcing me to go out of pocket. So not always a money saver.

Be frugal with the books you buy. Have you ever gone on a book buying binge? Where you’re clicking away on Amazon and not even realizing the bill you’re racking up? That 1-Click button is a killer.

Be strict with yourself. If it’s not a favorite author that you can depend on to always deliver, don’t drop $5-$10 on something you may not like. Try to wait until the price drops, borrow it from a friend, or see if your local library carries it. Speaking of which..

 

Use the library. Depending on the size of your city, the library system can be amazing. Not just for physical books but digital as well. I have an app on my phone called Overdrive and I download e-books and audiobooks all the time from the library. It’s convenient, easy, and free. The only downside is that you can’t renew more than once, but I do find that this keeps me from hanging onto a book for 3 months and never reading it, as I’ve been known to do with the physical ones.

Look for discounts. I’m signed up for a daily email from BookBub that sends me a list of books in the categories I like that are deeply discounted. Almost all are either free or $.99. I like this because I can explore something new without paying much for it and may just find something great. There are more expensive options as well, such as the bestsellers that will run more toward $2.99, but overall, worth checking your email for.

 

I hope these ideas help inspire you to go through your own book collection and save some money in the process. I know parting with books can feel almost like saying goodbye to a friend, but sometimes it’s better to have 10 best friends than 100 acquaintances. No matter what Facebook tells us.

 

Have you struggled with overloaded bookshelves, too? Any tips for paring them down and keeping your book-loving self on a budget? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

 

Need to turn inspiration into action? Ready, Set, Go!

1. Take a look at your collection and separate the titles you love from the ones that are okay from the ones that are still there because you can’t get a refund.

2. Check out some selling options before donating. Let’s try to make some of the money spent on those books  back!

3. Instead of buying next time, make use of the library and sign up for discount emails that will help you save in the future.