Read more, spend less

My first money-saving tip is for those who enjoy reading but hate spending money on books never to be read again. Whether you prefer electronic books or hard copies, I got you covered.

For the e-reader:

I know many people still prefer reading physical books but we’re in the digital age and I’m all about my e-reader. It’s lightweight, compact and convenient for reading while riding the train. The only issue with e-books is that I don’t like paying for something I’m only going to read once, especially when I don’t have the hard copy to show for it. Behold, your local library… did you know you can rent e-books? I’ve been doing this for a few years now and never thought anything of it until I realized how few people know about it. Not only does renting books save money but it saves space. You can rent them as needed then they electronically float back into space after your rent period has expired.

I use the OverDrive app which connects to Amazon and my library. I can rent books from there and direct the download to my e-reader.

Take a look at your bookshelf. How many books do you have that you’re never going to read again? Then there’s the issue of how to go about getting rid of them. Books don’t hold their value so you can either sell them for next to nothing or donate them. This brings me to my next category:

For the hard-copy reader:

I was in Goodwill recently, shopping for a “Say No to The Dress” themed bachelorette party, because what better place to find such a dress? Anyways, after I found the one, I was browsing around and was amazed by the huge overflowing bookshelves. At a closer glance, they had tons of books that I've been wanting to read, all for $2 max! Best-selling books sell thousands of copies so it makes sense that some of them are donated. Buying used is eco-friendly, economical, and you won’t feel bad about donating them back where they came from since you spent the bare-minimum in the first place. 

-Mallory