Feeding the Bookworm in You on a Budget

It is no secret that I am a voracious reader. My desk is a happy mess of piles of books that I’ve just read and about to read (or read again). I probably spend more on books than on clothes and shoes. Even my bag is never without a pocketbook that I read whenever I’m out. I definitely am a bookworm through and through. Books aren’t the only thing that feed my insatiable hunger for written words. Magazines also dominate a good part of my desk and bookshelf.

Reading a dozen different magazines a month takes a hefty chunk of the budget though. With my little girl starting school and our new home still under construction, I had to find a way to sustain my love for reading books and magazines without having to spend too much. Not wanting to sacrifice my reading pleasure, here are several ways through which I now feed the bookworm in me:

1. Find A Local Library. You are lucky if you have a local library that’s well stocked with the latest publications and book titles. You can simply go there to spend your free time poring over your favorite magazines and books. Most libraries are open to the public, while some charge a minimal fee that allows you to borrow books for a limited time. This small expense is nowhere near the amount of money you will spend buying magazines and books from newsstands and bookstores.

2. Second-Hand Book Shops. You will be surprised to find treasures in these quaint shops. Some books are a little tattered, but most of the stocks in these shops are still in great condition. Be patient in scouring through the shelves for your favorite titles and authors. It’s really just like going through the library shelves. Your book budget will go a long way with the great discounts on these second-hand books.

3. Magazine Subscriptions. Subscribing to your fave magazines would save you more than 10% from newsstand prices. If you search hard enough, you may even get to save up to 90% on your magazine expenses from sites such as Subscription Addict. If you think about it, that’s like getting 10 magazines for the price of one. Even if you have the same budget, wouldn’t you want to get more magazines for your money?

4. Magazine or Book Swap. Favorite books deserve a permanent place in our book shelves but others can be passed to other book lovers or traded for a different book. There are magazine or book swag groups online and offline. Joining these groups will allow you to get new titles without spending any money. At the same time, you can also get rid of some of the old reading materials overflowing from your shelves.

It is not impossible to indulge in a reading frenzy even if your funds are limited. While I have found ways to save on my expenses for books and magazines, there is also a way to earn more funds to spend for your reading materials. If you have more than enough magazines and books lying around, sort through them and pick out those that you are already willing to part with. You might want to think about the fact that magazines may lose their novelty over time. But, there are still those who find use for old magazines. You may want to make some money out of your old ones by selling them. Have your own book sale to build your “reading fund.”