Jackie Gower - Books on a budget

The average book worm spends hundreds of dollars a year on their favourite hobby – often much more!  The good news is there are dozens of ways to save on reading your favourite books.  You don't need to go to a bookstore; in fact you don't even need an actual book these days!  Curl up with a good read this winter courtesy of some of these low cost and free ideas.

Get the best price.  I absolutely love browsing for literary gems in second hand book stores and op shops but if you really can't resist buying lovely new books, you can at least save a bundle by shopping around for the best price for them.  Websites such as www.book.co.nz compare all the prices and retail sites for you so you can be confident of getting a good deal.  However many avid readers swear by The Book Depository (www.bookdepository.com/) Although they are located in the UK, their prices are often unbeatable and they ship anywhere in the world for free!

Think smart on new releases.  Let's face it, most of us tend to read books only once before confining them to a shelf forever – or lending them out never to see them again.  Not only that, it's a terrible feeling to spend $25 - $30 on a book only to discover it’s awful!  Tempting as the latest new releases are from your favourite authors, you can save a lot of money by finding a smarter way to get your hands on them than buying hot off the press.  Ask yourself: 'Why do I need to own this now? Can I wait?'  Ask your local library to put it on hold for you and while you're waiting, check out the helpful and honest reviews from fellow readers on Amazon.com. 

Free books for your Kindle.  Many people have swapped physical books for e-books to read on their Kindle or iPad.  This is a huge saver compared to paperback or hardback versions and you don't have to worry about taking up valuable storage space either!  There are also plenty of sources of free books available; some recommended sites to join are www.pixelofink.com, www.weberbooks.com/kindle/ or www.ereaderlove.com.  There are great store deals on Kindle and e-readers all the time, or you can save around $70 on the usual price by searching online for 'reconditioned Kindles' which come with a full warranty.  Another great thing about e-books is if you start reading one and don't like it, you can simply delete!