Magazine subscriptions and book club memberships can get expensive quickly. Even if you purchase e-books to save money on your new reading material, you won’t find many best seller titles for less than their paperback print versions. Consequently, if you do a lot of reading, you might be spending quite a bit to feed your mind. There’s nothing wrong with spending money on reading (there are plenty of worse things you could be wasting your money on), but if you’re a voracious reader, your appetite might be overpowering your book budget. Thankfully, there are many ways to get your reading fix without having to pay a dime. Here are a few I’ve compiled.
Free E-books
Electronic books that can be instantly downloaded to your e-reader, tablet, or smart phone, are quickly becoming the most popular way to feed your inner book worm. What you might not know is that major booksellers such a Amazon and Barnes and Noble offer thousand of titles completely free. Sure, you won’t find best sellers on this list, but you’ll find plenty worth reading. It’s easy to spend an hour downloading dozens of free books to your account before you stop to realize you should probably read a few of them before acquiring any more. If you’re thirsty for more than major booksellers have to offer, search the Internet. The quality of these finds might not always be the highest caliber (virtually anyone can e-publish), but at the price, definitely worth a look.
Free Online Magazines
Many major magazines will allow you to view the online versions of their publication for free. If you’d prefer the real thing, opt for trial offers, but avoid purchasing subscriptions from the original site, where they’ll be the most expensive. In my opinion, with the multitude of free magazines, articles, and blog sites online, there really isn’t a need to spend money on your coffee table reading.
The library
Yes, I know it sounds outdated, but the library is still one of the best places to read books for free. You’re on a stricter timescale, but just look at it as motivation to read faster! If you want books you can take home for good, look for a ‘free rack’ of books that are being phased out and haven’t sold. You’d be surprised at some of the finds.
Yard Sales/Craigslist
Yard sales are another great place to find giveaway books, which aren’t a hot item. Sellers are usually eager to get rid of them so they don’t have to box them back up. This carries over into sites like Craigslist and other online ‘yard sales.’ Just remember that if you have to travel to pick up ‘free’ books or pay to have them shipped, you might as well be buying them.
Your Friends
Lending books among friends isn’t just a way to save money; it’s a way to socialize and grow relationships as you exchange thoughts about your reading material. Some people are picky about lending their books out, so be sure you’re respectful of timelines and treat lent books kindly. Book swapping instead of lending is one way to avoid the dilemma of ownership rights, and also helps you get rid of unwanted books (and make room for new ones).
There are so many options for free reading in our society, it’s almost silly to spend money on books. In this way, reading is one of the cheapest and most educational forms of entertainment. So, before you press ‘buy now’, check out some of these ways to read for free.
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