Three Money-Saving Strategies for Book Lovers

Books are expensive! I use a handful of money-saving strategies to find the used and new books I crave. Here they are:

Paperback Swap is my favorite. This website has a large membership, so the pool of available books is huge. The site has lots of convenient features, too. Create a wish list and get in line to request your favorite books as they are posted by other members. Search by title, author, subject or ISBN. Look at a map to see where you have shipped books and where your books have come from. I've traded with book lovers in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico from my North Carolina mailbox.

The process is simple. Post your available books. Every time a member requests a book and you send it to them, you receive a credit to use when you request a book from a member. Your only costs are postage to mail your unwanted books.

Through the wish list feature I've found some books I would never have found locally at my used book stores. I've also posted books I thought would not interest anyone else, only to have them snapped up almost immediately by a grateful member. The network is large enough to be really useful. Members also rate books and write reviews, so you can know what you are getting before you make your book requests.

Ed McKay's is a great resource for readers in North Carolina. With four locations in central North Carolina, this chain has been around for decades. I have gone to the Greensboro location for over twenty years and enjoyed friendly service as I traded my used books for "new" books, music, and movies. Ed's is a favorite place for area homeschoolers and the local college students, since they carry textbooks for the local universities and have a large selection of educational resources.

Wherever you live, seek out the used book stores. Get to know the staff and become a favorite customer. If you are looking for something special, they may be able to help you.

Goodwill and other thrift stores are sometimes a source for books, although it is through serendipity rather than design. Occasionally someone will unload a box of wonderful books, but the selection is generally not inspiring. I will sometimes find a book, however, that I know is on somebody's Paperback Swap wish list. I pick up the book for a dollar, post it, and mail it to a member for credit toward a book I want.

Bibliophiles will always find a way to get the best reading matter. Finding used book values is good for your mind, good for your wallet, and good for the environment. Compile a list of books you want to read, then see how many you can acquire for less than retail. Try these strategies yourself and let me know if you find any amazing deals.

1. Review Books and keep them for your home, school or church library.

2. Support your local library's Friends of the Library book sale. Get books for your library while helping the public library get new books for you to borrow.