Given the current economic status of my household, one of the first things to go was my book budget. 
Several months ago, if I wanted such-and-such book, I bought it. I never went crazy, necessarily, though I did buy a LOT of books. Since that money is now appropriated to, you know, gas, food, utilities, I’m making due with other options, like:
1. The library. My office is across the street from the main branch of my county library. Love it! I’m frequently there, picking up books on hold, returning books and movies, perusing the magazines; last week I even donated some YA books to their collection.
Previously, I’d go to the library for authors I’d never read before or hardcover books. Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series is like crack to me, but I’m not forking over $27.99 when, chances are, I’ll heave the book at the wall no less than 10 times. Anna Godbersen’s The Luxe series is an new-to-me author I didn’t want to spend $16 on. Luckily, the library had it, and I’ve been gushing over this series to my friends.
Now, however, I search the library catalog first for almost all the books that catch my eye. If it’s a romance, I won’t find it there. Disappointing, yes, but I expect it. Which is why I also hit:
2. The used bookstore. I can take books I no longer want to read (or have already read) and receive trade credit or cash. Typically, I get the credit because shopping there isn’t a one-time deal. Shelves and shelves of old and new hardbacks, romance, children’s books, literary fiction… It makes me giddy just thinking about it! Two weeks ago, I found Trial by Fire by Jo Davis on the shelves. I saw an ad in Romantic Times, thought the book sounded interesting, meaning I’m a geek who likes to read about my home state in romance novels. Imagine my surprise to discover a great read, one I inhaled in a day. And here I sit, waiting until May 2009 to read the follow-up. A nice segue to:
3. Hoarding my gift cards. My mother-in-law bought a Borders gift card for my birthday. I bought 2 books on Sunday and am going to save the rest for Elizabeth Hoyt’s newest release in a couple of weeks. Looking at my “Gotta Haves” for 2009, March, April and May is going to hit me pretty hard. If only I can save my (hopeful) Christmas gift cards until then…
No related posts.
I think a lot of readers are having the same financial constraints.
A loved one works in receiving in a major bookstore and he says they are preparing for it by not ordering as many novels for the busy holiday season.
The upside is that if you DO spend the cash,
odds are you’ll get your money’s worth.
There are some great romance novels out there right now.
Oh, Jana, could you drop me an email?
(You can find it attached to this comment
or via my site)
I can’t seem to find yours on your blog
(must be too early in the morning)
I confess to being a ‘library first’ for both new authors and those whose books come out in hard cover first. (Although now that my next book will be a hard cover release, I’m trying not to think of that). And our county system delivers them to your door when you request them, which is another nice perk.
I belong to The Mystery Guild and have a few authors I auto-buy. The price isn’t that much more than a paperback, but I’ve cut back. I try to find a e-book version which saves space and trees as well as money. I did hit the used bookstore, but it closed.
But even if I buy fewer books, I’ll never cut back on my reading.
Have you checked out BookMooch.com? It’s a great community as well as a way to swap books.
Here’s a fourth option-
Start a book review blog and you’ll soon have more free New Release books sent to you than you’ll know what to do with! And older releases too.
I will live on mac and cheese before I stop buying books.
But we have cut expenses elsewhere as utility costs go up. There’s a great website for money saving tips called The Simple Dollar, highly recommended.
Kimber, I have thought of reviewing books, but then I fear I’d drown in TBR piles and never get anything finished!
Victoria, thank you for the link to BookMooch. I’m checking it out now!
I’m currently working my way through the ‘In Death’ series by JD Robb/Nora Roberts. There are so many books in that series I couldn’t possibly afford to buy them all, so I use my local library. However, as a UK citizen, there are many books, especially romance, which do not get bought by the libraries here. In that case I do buy books if I really want to read them and they aren’t in the library system.
There’s a great site in the UK for used books called greenmetropolis.com where you buy a used book for £3.75 and 75p of that will go to plant trees – the rest goes to the seller. I use it a lot to buy and sell second hand books.
I find used book stores the best deal. I find recently releases all the time. And often times there are new books for a better deal than in the big chain stores. I think with things the way they are, used book stores are going to see more business. It really is a great treasure to have one. I’m retired, so you know what that means for my encome, so I just budget, and wait, and don’t buy new unless it is a favorite, favorite author. Then lesser ones have to wait for the used book store, or library.
“Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series is like crack to me, but I’m not forking over $27.99 when, chances are, I’ll heave the book at the wall no less than 10 times.”
So THAT’S why I see so many of her books in my mending bin at work!
It sounds like your library’s missing an opportunity to raise circulation. A huge percent of our patrons are dedicated romance and mystery junkies.
I always recommend people put in purchase requests for the books they want the library to carry. The more requests the collection developers get for a certain genre/author, they better chance they’ll order more in future.
Paperbackswap is a good site, too. I’ve cut back on books a lot, and I never have time to get a book read before the library wants it back! PBS has given me a TBR pile I could only have dreamed of last yr
Oh, and thanks for reminding me of the Luxe series–I’ve been meaning to try that
I’ll starve before I stop buying books, but there is no doubt I’ve been really picky. Gas prices are way down in my part of the country, but I hear those prices at the food stores are going to stay up there. I’m lucky in that my birthday is soon and then Christmas. I’ll get at least two bookstore cards for both. My family knows how to make me happy.
I use Paperback Swap like a fiend. It is a wonderful service and I can read as much as I like for the cost of postage.
Jenre: thanks for the information about greenmetropolis.
It seems a great site – really straightforward to use.
Jana I think we’re all in this boat. One of the great things about my library is they’ll get books in if you ask. They’re very accommodating with my reading list.
You can also use Interlibrary Loan. I’ve gotten 4 of Vicki Lewis Thompson’s “Nerd” series in the last couple of weeks, plus Abigail Reynolds’s “Impulse and Initiative”. All it cost me was a few minutes of my time to order them, and two weeks to read them.
If I fall in love with one of these titles, then I’ll add it to my Christmas list.
I second the earlier posts – if you can’t get a romance through Interlibrary Loan, DO ask your library to purchase the book.
Libraries tend to listen to people who go out of their way to request a book purchase.
Your local library may even have a form on their website specifically for such requests.