Oops – didn’t get his posted intime for Thrifty Thursday, so Frugal Friday it is!
One big time hobby of mine is reading. I love to read, and of course the cheapest way to do that is with the library. But I also love to give, loan, pass-on and collect books. So for me the best think is buying used books.
There are a lot of ways to get used books. Englewood has a few used book stores, and there is also always the web. Amazon.com has almost any imaginable book, and often times it can be found in “like new” condition for a fraction of the cover price. BarnesandNoble.com has this feature too.
I usually try to catch the library’s used book sale as well, but my favorite place to get used books is Goodwill (and ARC, DAV, etc.). Though you may have to do some searching, at Goodwill, the paperbacks are always $.99 and hardcovers are $1.99, unless you go on a day where their colored tag is 50% off.
Off the top of my head, I can think of more than twenty books that I’ve paid less than $2.00 for. Some have been quick paperback reads that I have passed on to others, some have been parenting books, hiking guides, or books I’ve needed to complete my childbirth education certification. I’ve gotten a few novels for Rick and even books as a gift.
I belong to a book exchange club where every month you pass on a book you’ve enjoyed to another club member. It great because I get to read a new book each month that I know a friend has enjoyed. And because I have a great stash of books, I don’t mind the minor investment of passing on a book I bought at the Goodwill (plus I get to keep in touch with friends -some in other states even- in a different and creative way).
Used books are such a great way to save money and build your reading library. Books have so much life in them!
The Lazy Homesteader 
Great idea as always… KJ
Also consider http://www.betterworldbooks.com which takes book destined for the landfill (often ones that a library culls and can’t sell at a library sale) and sells them for very cheap. I found them on Amazon marketplace. They have carbon-neutral shipping, and a portion of their profit goes to world literacy programs.
Hooray! What a find, Annie! Thanks for sharing.
Hello! I am a fellow Monroe Farms member, so I was checking out your blog, too- lovely work! You and your readers might like the Park Hill Community Bookstore on 23rd Street. It’s a non-profit book co-op where a $15 yearly membership gets you used 10 free used books plus unlimited trading of your used books for their used books, plus a discount on any new books you buy there. I tell people it’s like a library, except that if you like the book, you just keep it forever. Non-members can buy $2 paperbacks and $4 hardbacks in great condition. There are 10,000 used books to check out in this little local gem! Oh, and one more reason to support the Park Hill Community Bookstore: they donate any books they can’t sell to local shelters and schools.