Cailin Riley Books

If you’re like me, your book-buying habit can add up quickly!

Luckily, there are many ways to save money on buying books. Here are the top 3 I use the most!

Buy from local bookstores with used books or Goodwill.

Thrifting for books might not get you that popular new releases, but it’s a great option for when you’re open to reading just about anything. In addition to offering used books at a steep discount, some local bookstores offer readers/buyers store credit in exchange for trading in their own used books. I’m a frequent trader with my own local bookstore and their program has allowed me pick up many used books for basically free.

Wait a few weeks to buy new releases on Amazon.

Unless you just HAVE to have that new book right away, try waiting a few weeks to a month before buying it off of Amazon. Typically, the price for a new release goes down a few dollars after the release date has passed. It also gives other readers and businesses a chance to provide used copies back to Amazon, which then sells those copies for significantly cheaper than un-read copies.

For God’s sake, use your public library!

By using your public library to its full extent, you might never have to pay for a book ever again. If you time it right, you can even be the first in line to read new releases if you stay on top of requesting a hold a few weeks before the ordered copy actually hits the shelf. I do this with my library and it feels so good to be the first person to read a brand spankin’ new copy for free!

Go forth and read, friends!