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We’ve discussed the value of
getting your kids to love reading, and some of our favorite books. Now, since very few of us have an unlimited
budget, how to procure these books without breaking the bank?
“When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.” – Erasmus
That is all good and well for Erasmus, who was a monk, and
didn’t have a family that prefers regular meals to stacks of books. But unless you are looking for the newest
bestseller, finding great books at good prices isn’t too hard.
The
cheapest place to find books, obviously, is the library. With a few exceptions over the years, I have
found almost every book I have looked for at the library. I love the search and reserve books functions
on our library’s website – I can reserve school books and have them when I need
them, and I can round up reading books before we go to the library. When considering whether or not to buy a
book, I always check to see if it is available at the library first.
Another
great place to find free or very inexpensive books is on Amazon’s Kindle
service. If you have a Kindle (or the
free Kindle app for Ipad) you have tons of books at your fingertips. Look for collections by classic authors for
just a few dollars. I picked up a
virtual set of Jane Austen’s collected works for only a dollar. If you subscribe to Amazon Prime, you can
also borrow books from other Kindle owners at no charge.
If you
prefer to own actual, physical copies of books, there are still several options
to find books at great prices. One of my
favorite places to shop for books is bookfinder.com. Search for a book by author and title, and
Bookfinder gives you a list of both new and used copies of books available from
hundreds of independent booksellers around the world. Available copies are shown with shipping
included, so you know exactly how much you are going to pay. A description of the book’s condition is also
listed so you can tell whether you are buying a hardback or paperback, and how
much wear the book has seen. Unless the
book is relatively new or rare, you can often find a copy in good condition for
a dollar or so plus shipping (usually around $3). If you purchase more than one book from the
same seller, you can save on shipping.
Bookfinder
will put you in touch with independent sellers through sites like Alibris and
Abebooks. Each site has seller ratings
and secure payment systems so that you can feel confident about the
transaction. If you buy books on
Alibris, there may be coupons available.
Search “Alibris coupon code” in your browser’s search bar to check.
One
word of caution about buying books online: the descriptions are occasionally
wrong or misleading. A couple of times I
have received a book with pages missing or an abridged version when I thought I
was getting the whole thing. My advice
is to check the descriptions carefully and try to buy books that are in good or
excellent condition, and don’t spend too much on the book. It probably isn’t worth quibbling if you only
spent a dollar or two, but if you are truly dissatisfied you can always email
the seller – I have found those I have contacted to be pleasant and easy to
work with.
Another
great online option, especially for used schoolbooks is homeschoolclassifieds.com. Here, parents post books they want to sell,
and you can purchase directly from other homeschool families. While I have been very pleased with my
purchases on this site, I do recommend you have a look at the FAQ’s for hints on how to protect yourself
when making a purchase.
Locally, we have quite a few opportunities for buying used
books. We have several great used book
stores in the Greenville area – perfect for browsing. I also love shopping at the annual
homeschool book fairs in the Greenville area.
It is a great time to find new reading books and to get some school
books for next year. Check back to our
blog for more information on those in the coming weeks.
Well,
that ought to be enough shopping to keep you busy for a bit! It is always great to find books for a
bargain.
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