Building a Home Library Inexpensively: Part 2

Last updated on February 5th, 2020 at 02:15 pm

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This is part 2 of my tips on how to build and home library inexpensively. Be sure to check out part 1 for more tips as well as part 3 and part 4.

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.

6. 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”

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!