Like most bookworms, my TBR is out of control. I long to look at my bookshelves and see only books that I love, stories I know I will be engrossed in. Instead, I am greeted with 100+ books that I have not read, I do not know if I will like, and (honestly) I do not know if I will ever read. This does not include the books on my Kindle.
My decision fatigue is overwhelming so I have decided to cut down on the books I buy this year. Ideally, I want to ONLY buy books that I have read previously and therefore, know that I love. However, training the muscle to NOT buy books is proving difficult but there are some systems I am putting in place to ensure I stay consistent.
Borrow from your local library
The most obvious and yet the most overlooked. Going to your local library is book shopping FOR FREE. I mean this quite literally. If they don’t have the book you want in stock or in a partner library, they will literally just order it in for you. You only have to wait the same time you would wait for a Waterstones order to arrive. On top of that, you get to pick out another free book while you wait. If you’re saving money in 2025 then getting a library card should be your first port of call – I can’t recommend supporting your local library enough.
Shop second-hand
If you’re not sticking strictly to ‘no-buy’ but more ‘buying-less’, then this is a good option for you. Second-hand books tend to reach a maximum of £5 for a fancy hardback, which could save you £15 rather than getting it first-hand.
Charity shops
I recommend patience here. You have to go into multiple charity shops on multiple occasions to figure out which ones are the best for books. When I say ‘best for books’ I mean, in which do you find books suited to your tastes. This tends to mean that other like-minded readers are dropping their books off there, so you want to stalk this place out as your no.1 spot. Don’t be fooled into thinking that just because it’s a book-only charity shop it’s any good! The book-only charity shop in Cardiff Central has a poor selection (IMO) whereas the Swansea alternate is fantastic.
Vinted
If you’re looking for special editions (read: those from an Illumincrate or FairyLoot box), Vinted is the place to be. It’s worth it to find these spendier items. For any old book you end up paying more in shipping fees and then it feels like you haven’t got a bargain at all.
Audiobooks
I used to be such an audiobook snob before the beginning of this year, but then I discovered BorrowBox and Libby and now I declare: Listening to a book IS reading a book! Borrowbox and Libby work in conjunction with your local library so you can listen to books for free (another reason to get a library card). There’s Audible, where you can pay a monthly subscription to listen to as many titles as you like (and keep one of them forever). If you don’t want to support Amazon then xigxag is an ethical alternative – this is one I’m looking to try when a book I want isn’t available at the library. I’ll review it once I’ve tried it!
Borrow from a friend
Bookswap, duh! All my conversations with new people begin with “So…are you a reader?” I’m exclusively looking for fantasy friends. If you find someone who likes the same novels as you, then swap them with one another! I’m not saying it’ll be the book you’re hunting for, but I’m sure you’ll find some new fave authors in the process. Just make sure you get your books back. Once I have read a book from my TBR and know I’ll keep it, I stamp it with my personalised stamp embosser. No comments on this, please.
How to save money on textbooks
Babes, I did an English Lit degree so I have very much been here. An extensive reading list = An expensive reading list. Where do they get some of these titles from?! The primary reading is understandable but some of the supporting material seems more difficult to find than gold dust. For this, don’t waste your time going in and out of charity shops or posting on Facebook groups asking if previous students can give you their old copies (they are too tired to reply). Instead, the best way to save money on textbooks is Abe Books. They never let me down and always had the books I needed. Just make sure you check you’re buying the right edition!
How to save money on Kindle books
On the first Monday of each month, Amazon refreshes its list of Kindle daily deals. 99% of these books will be £0.99 so you want to snap them up pronto. Here’s what you want to do:
- Head to Amazon, open the dropdown menu
- Select Kindle E-readers & Books > Kindle Books
- Scroll to the bottom until you reach ‘Top Picks in Kindle Book Deals’
- Select ‘See more’ on the right-hand side
- Scroll all the way down the page and select ‘See all’
This opens a list of every single book currently on a Daily Deal, rather than having to sift through specific genres. I also recommend creating an Amazon list titled ‘TBR’ and adding books to this as you go along. Then, once the daily deals come out, you can scroll through and see if any of your most-wanted novels are cheap as chips.
If you’ve got any tips on how to save money on buying books in 2025 – please let me know!!
Happy reading, bookworms x
