These 5 Book Places Are The Best For People On A Budget
Barnes and Noble is a book lovers safe space. Everything from the thousands of books to cafe is undeniably the best.
There is one catch though, and I believe all of us have succumb to it at one point and that is the price. I understand that some people prefer to shop at barnes and noble to support authors in the fullest extent, however, if you’re an avid reader and looking for cheaper alternatives to books. Here are 5 (and one bonus) places to find books on a budget.
Because let’s be honest when we say we love a good book, but not one that costs us 25$
I personally love finding cheap alternatives to more expensive and newer books. I love used books too and personally feel as though used books have more of an authentic feel. Finding used books online is one of my biggest secrets to having a little less than a hundred books in less than 3 months.
Without a further a due, let’s get into 5 places I absolutely adore when looking for books on a budget.
1) BookOutlet
I came across this gem after stumbling upon so many booktubers who were raving about the cheaper books they found here.
Obviously it was a sponsorship, but nonetheless I was curious how many books I could find on BookOutlet. Spoiler alert, it was a lot.
BookOutlet has a variety of categories as well as subcategories to search in. If you want to go further, they also have a section under social and vlogger friends where booktuber have provided a list of books they got from this store.
I love using that portion of the website because it makes finding good book recommendations so easy! This site tends to be my go-to when buying books on a budget, so here are some pros & cons to be aware of.
Pro
- Great selection of books
- Newer books for cheap
- Tends to have a lot of special deals to save even more
Con
- Books sell quickly
- Shipping takes anywhere from 2 – 3 weeks… this is probably the biggest downside of BookOutlet and it’s outrageous shipping times. When I first ordered from them I didn’t get a confirmation email until a week after I placed the order AND didn’t receive the order until 2 weeks after. It’s possible that I ordered at a very busy time for them.
2) Amazon – Used Books
Did you know you can buy used books from Amazon? I’m completely serious, when you search up a book there’s a small section near the price that says “Buy Used – $”.
I wasn’t aware this was an option, and I’m not saying Amazon books are expensive compared to Barnes and Noble. Honestly, Amazon books themselves are fairly cheap, but buying a book that’s usually 12$ for 5$ feels so much better.
One piece of advice I can give you is to ensure you do your research on the third party seller thats selling used books. They tend to be thrift stores like Goodwill that are selling used books people bring them.
I only buy used books on amazon from companies that have a 95% – 97% satisfaction rating.
3) Half Price Books
This store is amazing for one of two reasons. 1. It has an amazing selection of books and 2. If you’re a student they have a number of cheap textbooks.
Can’t say I’ve ever bought a textbook from them, but I adore their absurdly large reading section. When I’m on their site I immediately go to the section books and superbuy then I choose the price range of books I’m looking for.
They have prices ranging from 2$ up to 10$. This is one of those websites that you’ll start scrolling through at 5am and still won’t get to the end at night. It’s endless.
This is why I recommend to save time and distractions to search the name of the book you want and see if it’s available at a special price.
Another great part of this site is its section Rare Books. I personally haven’t used it yet, but many people have told me they have an abundance of collectible novels. If you’re a fan of rare novels you will fall in love with Half Price Books immediately.
4) ThriftBooks
Truthfully I was a bit sketched out when I heard about this book store. It seemed odd for new and used books to be this extremely budget friendly. However, many booktubers and bookstagramers rave about this website as being one of their favorites.
Why? Because the books come as they’re shown and they have just about every new book that has recently come out as a cheaper alternative. I have yet to order from them as I personally decided that I should start reading the dozens of books on my shelves before I buy more books.
Honestly just going on the first page of ThriftBooks makes any reader swoon, those prices for THOSE books? I’m sorry for all the money you’ll end up spending on this site now.
5) BetterWorldBooks
Alright, if we’re continuing on the sketchy train this site takes the prize. Not for its appearance, but for its name. You’d probably hear someone say the name of this site and immediately think, That’s a fake website for sure.
Well, I had the same mindset until I started to do my own digging. A lot of people rave about this store because what’s interesting about it is that they sell used books from around the nation.
Let’s say you wanted Book X and couldn’t find a cheap alternative in your state? Guess what, this person from Colorado has a cheap alternative of that book you’re looking for. The prices are great and overall there is a lot of satisfaction from customers.
I’ve never ordered from this store, however, it’s important to know that it’s likely shipping times and prices will be expensive if it’s coming from different parts of the nation. I suggest you do your own research on this site and determine if it’s one you’d like to use.
Bonus – Libraries
Fact: Libraries still exist. They do, isn’t that shocking. I’ve loved books growing up and always used my school library, but then something changed and I found myself always buying instead of borrowing.
Well, little did I know that LIBRARIES EXIST. What’s the best on-a-budget book option? Why not getting it for FREE.
Now only do you have the ability to read it at your leisure, but you don’t have to crowd your shelves with books you read once and never looked at again.
Here are some of my favorite library tips to take advantage of:
- Reach out and see if your library hosts a book club to take part in
- See if your library has a website so that you can search for the book you’re interested in without having to go there
- Read books you want from the library first, then if you feel it’s something you’ll read again buy it from a store
Wrapping Up
We’ve come to the end, again! I hope this post filled you with joy and left your wallets empty (amirite?).
Here are the biggest takeaways from this post:
- The 5 cheap book places
- The importance of doing your own research before buying used books
- How to find used books on Amazon
I’ll see you all very soon!
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