Building a Home Library Inexpensively: Part 1

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I grew up in a family where money was tight. My family was frugal, we drove our vehicles till they fell apart, we wore second hand clothing, we gardened, we canned, but I remember we were also a family with a closet full of books.

Sure it would have been more frugal to stick to library books only, but having those books available to me 24/7 instilled in me a love for them. I may not have read as much as others when I was little, but I remember many a summer day curled up under the shade of a tree reading a book off the shelf.

Now that I have children of my own, and we are a homeschooling family I feel the need to make sure I also make owning a collection of our own books a priority.We have two book cases, one filled with non fiction books and the other with works of fiction. We also have a shelf full of comic books, and stacks of magazines lying around here and there.

I build our library frugally. Having books does not have to be expensive. If you are absent minded like me, it may even be done for less than what you pay your library in over due fees every year (okay maybe not less but some days it sure feels like it).

I originally planned this as a one time segment but when I started typing about how many different ways to save money on books, magazines and audiobooks the post became too lengthy, so make sure to come back the next few Fridays, to read part 2,  part 3  and part 4.

1. Yard Sales

Yard sales are my number 1 source for inexpensive books. In fact when I walk up to a yard sale they are the first things I look for.

Most soft cover story books are between .25 to .50 cents in my area. A current bestseller  hardcover work of fiction might go for $2. I usually come home with a stack full of books every community sale I hit.

Thrifty tip: If you have a stack of titles you want in your hand, total their value in your head and then haggle with the seller for a discount. I usually say “I have $5 worth of books here would you take $4” rarely do I get turned down.

2. Second Hand Book Stores

If I am looking for a particular title, I might head into a second hand book store. Prices are more than yard sales but still significantly cheaper than new.

Thrifty tip: Bring your own books you no longer read with you and trade them for store credit.

3. Thrift stores

Thrift stores vary from town to town as to how many books they might have. Prices will also vary from store to store as well as selection. The key is to drop in once or twice a month to see what is new on the shelves.

Thrifty tip: Often thrift stores will have a regular half price day. This is a great way to get your books for even less.

4. Kindle

Kindle edition books are often less expensive than their paper cousins but what I love about Kindle the most is the free titles.

I highly recommend getting yourself a free kindle app. account. You don’t need a Kindle to download the books (although my husband loves his kindle fire).

I love to read my free Kindle books on my netbook, through my kindle cloud reader account. I also download a few for on the go reading using the kindle app. on my iPod.

Thrifty Tip: 100’s of classic titles are free on Kindle. If you are not into classic titles, try punching in the words “best sellers” into the kindle store section of Amazon. What should pop up on your screen is a list of the “Top 100 Paid” as well as a list of the “Top 100 Free” titles right beside it.

The blog Money Saving Mom also lists great free kindle titles. I suggest checking out her free e-book page which can be found in the freebies and giveaway tab at the top of her site.

5. Second Hand Curriculum Sales

Even if you don’t homeschool you may want to check out the second hand curriculum sales in your area. They are a treasure trove of non fiction and fiction books. The prices will be comparable with what you will find in second hand book stores, but the selection for children will be better.

Thrifty tip: Often if you go during the last hour of the sale, you will find people slashing prices, since books are heavy and they don’t want to lug them all back out to the car. However, selection will be slimmer than if you go early, so it really depends on how badly you want particular titles before you consider doing this tip.

7. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is search engine of sorts. You sign up for an account, download their tool bar and enter your internet searches through it. Randomly as you search you will earn swagbucks which you can then cash in for various free items.

Swagbucks has a section where you can cash in your point for e-books and magazines, however the selection isn’t that great and the point values are high.

What our family does is let our swagbucks add up until we have 450 points, then we cash them in for a $5 amazon gift card code. The gift card works for kindle purchases.

8. Half.com, Amazon or eBay.

If you are looking for a particular title and you need it right now, try half. com or Amazon or even eBay and you will probably find it there and have several different sellers to choose from offering various prices.

I don’t use these sites for buying books all that often, but when I do, I prefer to go with the seller with the higher rating over the seller with the cheaper price.

9. Half Price Books Store

If you are lucky enough to have a Half Price Books,  in your neighborhood or city that you visit regularly, and you are a book lover, they are worth visiting.

Most of the titles are second hand, others are new but slightly damaged in some way,however, all will be available for much less than retail.

The prices are generally higher than most second hand book stores, but many books are about the same in price.

The selection in amazing.

Thrifty Tip: I know the half price book store in our neighboring city, has a small section in the back of clearance items where books are even further discounted. Also Half Price Books often has a summer reading program for kids, that could lead to almost free titles.

10. Barnes and Nobles Educator Program

The Barnes and Nobles Educator Program is available to both teachers and homeschoolers, and provides a 20% discount off all  elliagable titles.(click through the words in blue to read all the terms that apply)

This is not the cheapest way to buy books but it is great for buying titles you just cannot find through other inexpensive avenues, that you need for your child’s homeschooling.

Thrifty Tip: Make sure to sign up for special event e-mails such as weeks when you can get a 25% discount on any regular priced item in the store.

Every summer Barnes and Nobles holds a summer reading program for kids where they can earn a free book.

11. Paperback Swap

Paperback Swap is an online community of book lovers, who post their no longer needed books that they are willing to swap for books you have that they want.

After you sign up post 10 books and then you receive a credit for one book. When one of your books gets chosen by another member, you pay to ship it to them. When they receive it you receive a credit. Spend that credit on another members book and they pay to send it to you.

Shipping makes the cost of Paperback Swap books comparable to second-hand book stores.

I hope you come back next week when I will discuss how to build your magazine library for free or close to free, also don’t forget to check out Part 1 of “Building A Home Library Inexpensively”

Other Titles in this Series

Building a Home Library Inexpensively: Part 2

Building an Home Library Inexpensively: Part 3

Building a Home Library Inexpensively: Part 4

For a list of 52 different websites, apps, and stores our thrifty family uses to help us keep our expenses low, click here to visit our Thrifty Tools Resource Page.

Available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon–get your copy here!