Buy books for less

As a book club member and avid reader, I’m often hitting the bookstore or going online to purchase a new novel. I like to give books as gifts to friends, too. But the cost of buying fresh reads adds up—especially when my book club is reading a hardcover over a paperback. And since the nearest library is always packed, borrowing usually won’t do.

Recently, I’ve been turned on to Better World Books, an environmentally-friendly online bookseller that has saved over 13 million used books from going to landfills. They sell tons of titles, donate a percentage of profits to literacy groups and ship the books for free in the U.S. Now, I can feel good about shelling out a few bucks for a new read and don’t have to worry about shipping fees.

I know what you’re thinking—won’t my latest adventure eventually end up in a landfill anyways? I tend to keep books (tattered pages and all) for as long as possible, but when it’s time to clear out some clutter, I have options that don’t include tossing it in the trash. At PaperBackSwap.com or BookMooch.com — I can swap one of my titles with another member for a book I’m hoping to read next. Free and easy.

How do you save on books?

Posted by Melissa Fiorenza, Associate Editor