We live in a capitalistic world, unfortunately, where everything requires money. We look for affordable things because the more money we save, the more our future becomes secure. But there are some things that we do for the pure love of it. Books are one such. Still, our hearts plummet when a book we really want to read is expensive AF and we look for ways to read without offending our pockets. So I thought, why not share some of the ways that I get books at cheap prices with you?
So in today’s Blogtober post, I’m sharing with you 8 tips on how to save money on books. I’ll also be talking about it in a video, so if you’d like to watch it there instead, do subscribe to my channel so you can stay updated. 😊
Buy second hand or used books.
If you love reading physical copies (paperbacks and hardcovers), then this is one option I’m sure you will have tried in a bid to save money. And if you haven’t already, then you should, because you’ll get some amazing books at throwaway prices. These used bookstores exist both online and offline and have some great books that you might never have thought that you would find – even editions that might never see the light of day again in fresh print.
Book Chor is one of the biggest online platforms for used books in India. They also organize Lock the Box sales where you can go and get books for as cheap as 50 rupees per book. Even huge ecommerce websites like Amazon and Flipkart stock used books. You usually get a list of prices from different sellers and the condition of the books, and you can filter it based on that.
I used to get books from a place near my Mum’s house. I mean, not all the books I own are from there, but I’ve gotten some great book deals and some books I never knew existed from here. It’s a great experience, walking through those aisles, picking books, and bringing them home.
Enter giveaways.
This one is based on pure luck, really, but it’s worth trying.
Enter giveaways for books you’re interested in. There are hundreds and thousands of giveaways going on social media and Goodreads where you can take part in. But like I said before, it’s a game of luck, and when you do enter them, make sure to go in with low or no expectations. Still, if you end up winning, you’re getting the books that you’re interested in reading for free. It’s a good way of getting your hands on a book.
I’ve won just one giveaway my entire life and that was a large print paperback of Daisy Jones and the Six from an Instagram account in Europe who shipped it to me through Book Depository. And when the book came home, I can’t tell you how excited and happy I was. I had even forgotten about the giveaway, so it was like a nice surprise when it came. That feeling of winning a giveaway is something else altogether, I promise. But again, don’t have your hopes up because winning a giveaway is pure luck.
Turn to ebooks/audiobooks.
Ebooks are always much, much cheaper than their paperback or hardcover counterparts. You can get Kindle eBooks or Google eBooks or any other format for a fraction of the price of the physical copy. Since I read eBooks on a Kindle, I’ll say this: You don’t even have to have a Kindle for that. Just download the Kindle app on your phone, buy the books and start reading. And if you don’t want to give your hard-earned money to Bezos, then you can also turn to Project Gutenberg for eBooks or LibriVox for audiobooks, which house thousands of public domain titles that are out of copyright. Obviously you won’t find the latest releases on these websites, but it’s something.
Borrow books from a library/friends who are willing to lend.
I’m lucky enough that I have gotten to experience a library here in Sydney, for whatever short period of time it is. And I know that libraries are rare in India. But if you can find a library, even if it’s a small colony library, then that’s a great place for you to get some titles. Plus, if you have a friend who is willing to loan you the books they have, then do it. Also, never let go of that friend. They’re treasure.
For this, I will also recommend Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading to you. If you have an Amazon Prime account, you’ll find that there are a bunch of titles that are available to you for free. And for Kindle Unlimited, you’ll have to pay some amount every month and you can borrow books from the Kindle library. It’s like any other library, where you return the books once you’re done, just for eBooks.
Join sites like Netgalley or Edelweiss.
These websites are for eARCs (Advance Review Copies that are eBooks) and you get to read a lot of these books well before they are released. Hence the name Advance Review Copies. But once you have a good enough score, you might be able to get your hands on some latest releases. This way, you get these books for free and you get to become a book influencer as well. And once you do and you start posting more, you can get new titles from publishers too. A great place for you to read new books for free!
Try book swaps.
If you have someone who is interested in exchanging or swapping books with you, then you can give them the books that you have that they are interested in, in exchange for books that they have that you are interested in. This way, you are unhauling the books that you no longer need and you’re getting books that you’re really interested in reading. I’ve done this twice or thrice before and I’ve gotten some great books while getting rid of books that I either didn’t like or which I didn’t want with me anymore or which I didn’t think I’d read again and which were just taking up space on my shelves. By doing this, I made space for other books to come home.
Book swaps are a great way to keep the books rotating as well as to save money.
Add books to your birthday wishlist.
If people ask you what you want for your birthday, tell them what you want. Put the books in your wishlist and send it to them. This way, you are happy that you got the books that you really wanted and they are happy that they gifted you something that you loved. Win-win.
And you don’t even have to do it just for birthdays. Do it for any occasion. Be it anniversaries or Diwali or Christmas or Raksha Bandhan. That’s what I do with my older brother. He sends me money and I buy books with that money. He’s happy, I’m happy, everyone’s happy because I have more books. XD
Library sales/charity sales.
Again, it’s not a thing in India. But in other countries like the USA or here, there are library sales where you can get hardcover books for as low as 1 dollar. So keep your eyes open for sales like this and you can save a lot of money on books this way.
So those were my tips on how to save money on books. Which of these do you follow? Which ones do you think you can start following? What are some of your tips on how to save money on books? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
I’ll also be doing this in video format on my YouTube channel. If you’d like to check it out, subscribe here: The Melodramatic Bookworm.
I’ll see you in tomorrow’s Blogtober post.
Until next time, use these tips, keep reading, and add melodrama to your life. 😊
The Melodramatic Bookworm 
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