If I were a multimillionaire, there are two things that would be in abundance in my home: shoes and books. However, even if money were not issue, do you think I would break my budgetista habits? Absolutely not! Now, shoes are easy to get at a discount. You should see the Michael Kors peep toe pumps I saw this week at Ross! But books, on the other hand, are a little bit trickier to get super cheap, unless you hone in on your super savvy shopper skills. For those of you who are lacking in that department, you know I'm always here to help.
Most people will search for books at Barnes and Noble, Borders and other major bookstore retailers. Those are all fine and dandy if you like coughing up full price for books. Next time you're at the check out counter and they ask you if you want to sign up for their emails, SAY YES! Yeah, so you'll get some random emails about the latest books that you have no interest in, but every once in a while, you'll get a gem of deal, like 25% off your purchase. For the rest of those emails you could care less about, there's the delete button. I will take it one step further, and encourage you to join their membership programs. Barnes and Noble's is probably the best known membership program out there. For $25, you get a one year membership offering you 40% off hardback bestsellers, 20% off adult hardbacks, and 10% of nearly everything else, plus $50 worth of coupons to use. Borders has stepped up their game, but at an even better deal. The original savings program is still available and it's free! With the Borders Rewards program, you get exclusive coupons to use in-store and online, you earn Borders Bucks for qualifying purchases, personal shopping days, deals on beverages, birthday coupons, and 30% off the list price of hardcover bestsellers. For a $20 one year membership, you get 40% off hardcover bestsellers, 30% of selected hardcovers, 10% of nearly everything else AND free shipping on online orders. But wait, it gets better! For a limited time, if you sign up for the Borders Rewards Plus program, you'll get $10 in Borders Bucks back. So basically you're getting a whole year for $10. Not bad, eh?
If you're looking to read the latest bestseller, aren't a member of any program, and can't wait to get your hands on that book, take your tush straight to Target or Walmart. I have yet to see a novel priced at the list price. With an instant savings of anywhere from 10%-30% off the cover, it's your best bet when patience isn't your virtue.
Personally, I love going to bookstores. The smell of new books, the sound of crisp pages cracking, the feel of the books in my hands make me happy. But, if you're willing to give up the experience, or modify it, you may be able to find even better deals! Go ahead, peruse the shelves armed with a pen and a pad of paper, and jot down all of the titles you want, then hit up Half.com. When they say you could get your favorite titles for 50% off or more, they're not joking. I've gotten books for as little as $0.75. I can't even get a cup of coffee for that cheap! The caveat, though, is that you do have to pay for shipping on each item, which could run between $2-3 per item. But if you order from the same seller, shipping costs drop, since they can ship multiple items to you at once. It's an awesome, inexpensive way to build your library, especially with hardback or hard-to-find books.
All my love to my fellow bookworms out there. Happy reading!
♥ - The Bougie Budgetista
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