Reading doesn't have to be an expensive habit. If you're a bookworm who moves through title after title — and can't exactly afford to shell out cash for all the exciting new reads [1] each season — we've got a few quick hacks to help you save money on books.
- Head to your local library. Let's get the obvious choice out of the way and simply suggest that a library card can go a long way!
- Try OverDrive. If you prefer ebooks or you'd rather browse from the comfort of your couch, OverDrive [2] features a catalog of over 2 million ebooks and audiobooks from libraries.
- Take the art of the book swap to the next level. Go beyond casually borrowing books from friends and establish a system to help everyone swap their favorite reads. For instance, you can add fellow bookworms to a shared Google doc where each person can catalog their libraries and sign up to borrow one another's books.
- Seek out coupons and online deals. Sometimes it's as simple as doing a Google search for book coupons to find daily deals. Another option? Sign up for newsletters from sites like Barnes & Noble to get a heads up on any discount offerings.
- Go for used books. Rather than breaking the bank on brand-new titles, browse for older, used books both online and at independent bookstores.
- Trade with co-workers. Seek out the book-lovers around your office and coordinate on which books you buy each season to help each other save on new titles.
- Choose free ebooks and audiobooks. If you aren't sure where to find free books [3], here are some good places to start: Amazon's list of free ebooks [4], Barnes & Noble's free ebook collection [5], and book-swap sites like PaperBack Swap.com [6].