Buying Used Books is Eco and Wallet Friendly!
At my house you usually can’t get too far without tripping over a book or two. We’re all avid readers here, and have collected tons of books over the decade we’ve lived in our home. If I had to wager a guess as to the number of books we have around the house, it would have to be at least a thousand plus. If I had to wager another guess as to the amount of money we’ve spent on all of our books, that would definitely have to be under a couple of hundred dollars.
What’s our secret? We rarely ever purchase books from retail outlets, and if we do, the books we buy are always sale items. We purchase the majority of our books from our local library, and the rest we buy from our local thrift stores. Our local library sells most of its books for a dime (pretty cool, huh?), and I’ve never spotted a book for sale on their shelves that costs more than $3. The same goes for our local thrift stores too. Of course living on a very limited budget has made it a necessity to shop for books in this way, and even if money were no object we’d still buy our books on the cheap.
Buying books that cost literally pennies is a great way to find out if you like a book or not. If the book wasn’t what you thought it would be, then you’re out only a few cents instead of a bunch of cash you wish you’d have put to better use than buying a lousy book.
Libraries + Kids = Free Outing
Our book collecting trips have become little adventures for all of us too. The kids love the whole experience from start to finish – wondering what they may find that will transport them to some magical land where dragons roam, or some pirate-filled ocean adventure. You never know what you’re going to find hidden on those book shelves. Some obscure out-of-print book, a new Oprah Book Club selection, an old childhood favorite – the possibilities are endless.
Our kids have become excellent, avid readers and writers as well because they have had access to reading material that they enjoy. As for myself, I have been able to find nearly all of the books on my to-be-read list by purchasing them in this way. I love the fact that we’ve been able to build a terrific home library, one that has helped foster a love of reading in our three beautiful children. What I love most, however, is the fact that we’ve built up our collection while giving back to our local community. The big chain booksellers aren’t receiving our hard-earned cash, organizations like our local Hospice thrift store or the local Goodwill are.
That’s what really matters to me. It’s so important, especially in these very difficult economic times, that we try to support our local businesses wherever we can. Another added bonus to buying locally – when we forego buying our books through dot coms, we’re saving on shipping, which means no added carbon emissions or anything else that may harm this big, beautiful planet of ours. When we’re finished with our books and no longer want them we donate them back to our local library, or to some other good cause. It’s just our little way of trying to make a difference at the grassroots level, all the while enriching our own lives through the wonderful books we find. 
How do you shop for books and what do you do when you’re finished with them?
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Michelle
I'm a lover of life and all things natural and organic. I love practicing yoga, making healthy foods, nature photography, DIY projects, making homemade beauty treats, and creating handmade jewelry. I'm passionate about a lot of things and write about them here on my blog. Peace, social justice, good food, green beauty, sustainable living - you name it, I care about it. Thanks for taking the time to visit me. Peace. ;)
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