Library vs Bookstores

My husband and I also used to buy books at the bookstores; until one year I was going over the receipts and found that we were, literally, spending HUNDREDS of dollars on books. I get a lot of books from the library. What I don't find there I get from the following places - Thrift shops Garage and Rummage sales Book Clubs (you get a good deal when you first sign up and they are always having sales - we only use this source for those "must buy and keep forever" books in our favorite series) Ebay - really great deals if you buy a "lot" of books - even if you only read/keep part of the "lot" and give the rest away or resell them it is a great deal. WalMart - "must have" paperbacks in series; especially new releases that have not had a chance to get into the "used" circulation yet.

I usually buy books when there is a series of them (i.e. Harry Potter, LOTR, etc.) or when I REALLY like a book that I know I will read again. I love the library and will check out a lot of books at one time. Also, if I buy a book and don't need it anymore, there is always the Half-Price bookstore that I can sell it to.

My local library is very small, and most of the books I want to read have to be ordered from other libraries. That sometimes means a long wait and if the book comes when I'm busy or reading another book, I wind up returning it before I've had a chance to read it. So I buy most of my books, but almost always used. I buy them from half.com and Amazon, checking to see which one has the lowest price. I'm also a member of paperbackswap.com and get credits for the books I don't want to keep any more. That way, the cost of a book is only what it cost me to mail one to another member. I also buy books from the library's used books section and at thrift stores.

I too love to read and I can devour a book in one day or sometimes less. I would not be able to afford to pursue this hobby if I had to buy all the books I wanted to read from a high priced bookstore. I make good use of the public library. In the last state I lived in the public library had a network that was statewide. So if the local library did not have the book I wanted to read I could request it and have it sent from anywhere in the state. I used this service many times. Another good source for books is used book stores, especially the ones that offer trading. I haven't located a trading site near my new home. Maybe I should think about opening one. I always look at the book selection first at yard sales and thrift stores. As a matter of fact its about time I went through the books at the goodwill store again.

I too love to read and I can devour a book in one day or sometimes less. I would not be able to afford to pursue this hobby if I had to buy all the books I wanted to read from a high priced bookstore. I make good use of the public library. In the last state I lived in the public library had a network that was statewide. So if the local library did not have the book I wanted to read I could request it and have it sent from anywhere in the state. I used this service many times. Another good source for books is used book stores, especially the ones that offer trading. I haven't located a trading site near my new home. Maybe I should think about opening one. I always look at the book selection first at yard sales and thrift stores. As a matter of fact its about time I went through the books at the goodwill store again.

yeah well i alwasy chk the library first adn then if not there.. i buy it.. n then when i;ve read it i try to exchange it

Anymore the only time I purchase a book is if I'm giving it as a gift, or if I'm planning on using it many times (like a reference book, or how-to book) It's not an expense I can do anymore on a regular basis, so for the most part I borrow from the library, or look up the info online. I never really bought fiction books, most of them I'd only read once, and it always seemed a waste of money to me. Reference books are a different matter, because I use them so frequently it wouldn't make sense to go to the library so often for the same item.

I love to read, and if given the chance, I can blow all my money on books. But with money tight these days, I have to be more discreet with my choices. I'm just so happy that I currenly live in a place with a great library system. The choices are pretty current, I can borrow as many as I can, I can even queue my requests and even have it deliver to my house. Now, the only time I buy a book, is if I have read them already and knew for a fact, that its a keeper, or if its a new release by a fave author that is already in my auto-buy lists. I can still go crazy if let loose in a bookstore, but having the library as back-up have help me deal with my book addiction..LOL..

Yup, books from Borders or any of the bookstores are rather pricey. And our public libraries are hopeless! Fortunately we have secondhand or used book stores, where we can get books at lower prices; moreover they have regular sales, when we can shop to our hearts' delight!