Because we all kinda need to in this economy, right?? Right now, things are more expensive including this little thing called rent. Or your mortgage, whatever your life situation is currently. Things are expensive around here and when it comes to reading, buying books can add up!

As someone who has tried to love her used Kindle, I am a physical book girlie through and through. In addition to physical books, however, I am an audiobook queen. When I don’t have an audiobook in my ears, it’s either a podcast or Taylor Swift playing. Audiobooks are a way fantastic way to read and even though I haven’t had anyone tell me to my face directly that they don’t count as reading, I know there are audiobook haters out there.

This all being said, I wanted to write a post on how to read on a budget. And before I get into the post, I want to say this: I try my hardest to support small indie bookstores. I have my favorite indie bookstore that I frequent and track points regularly with. But if I’m being honest, those books can usually be around $15-25—sometimes even more. For one book? When the same book can be cheaper on Amazon? For some, Amazon is the only way to shop new and trending books. I am not going to say to not support Amazon, because in the end, the books are cheaper. (For example: Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez which just came out is priced at $11. At an indie bookstore or Barnes & Noble, it’s $16 for paperback and $28 for hardcover.)

Now, with that all out of the way … this is how to read on a budget. (Just my tips! If you have any, or want to add onto any of these, comment down below!)

Support your local library.

Imagine you walk into a store and you can walk out any of your favorite items, if you have a membership card. You really wanted those sparkly denim jeans and a leather jacket with a heart on the sleeve. Do you wish that existed? Okay… that exists. IT’S YOUR LIBRARY! Walk into your local library (almost every town/community has one) and sign up for a membership (it’s free) and you have access to so many books. Please support your local library. I don’t use my library as much as I should, since I’ve been reading more new and trending books recently, but I need to get into more of a habit of doing so.

Get a Kindle.

I know I said that I’m not a Kindle girlie, but a lot of people are. These Kindles are expensive (or at least to me LOL), but it’s a one-time purchase and a monthly membership of Kindle Unlimited is worth the money to a lot of people. What is a Kindle? Owned by Amazon, but that’s besides the point. Kindle Unlimited is $11.99 a month and you have access to thousands of books. It’s a good deal, and I know a lot of people use it and love it. A lot of people recommend the Kindle Paperwhite—it’s a good price for what you’re getting (adjustable warm light, more storage) and not as expensive as the Kindle Oasis.

Thrift stores.

The first section I always go to in a thrift store is the book section. I’ll meander around the clothes for a bit, but I make a beeline for the books. There’s always a ton of books from all sorts of genres. I must admit, sometimes I get lucky and sometimes I don’t, but thrift stores are always a great place to find used books. Paperbacks can range in price from $0.99 to $3! Hardcovers can be $2-3. I would definitely check out your local thrift store for books.

Sign up for book subscription boxes.

I currently am signed up for Book of the Month, which is a book subscription box that sends you a book a month—and sometimes more if you have credits or want to add on any books. They give you five books a month to choose from, all from different genres. I’m an avid romance reader, and sometimes they won’t have a romance book, but I can branch out of the my typical genre, which is romance, and try a new genre. This works for authors as well if I’m used to a particular author and want to try a new one!

Download Libby.

With your good ole handy-dandy library card, you can sign up for Libby and rent e-books and audiobooks (for free)! This is one of the greatest things in the book world, at least in my opinion, because it’s a library at your fingertips. Free books. At your fingertips. Go download the app now. (With your library card, duh.)

Read backlist books.

Consider reading backlist books. I know it can be so easy to just read all the new books that bookstagram and BookTok are reading right now, but try reading a book from two years ago that was popular then but not as talked about. Maybe these are books on your TBR pile. If they’re not as popular, chances are that they are slightly less expensive. This is also important for mass market paperback books—most of these you can find in the grocery store or bookstores. The mass market paperback books, at least the romance ones, are usually $8-9.

Do book swaps.

Swap books with your friends! Bonus points if everyone annotates in the books, i.e. writing notes in the margins, tabbing favorite scenes, and highlighting quotes and scenes. When you swap books with your friends, you open yourself up to your friends’ taste in books, whether it’s the same genre or different genre.

Do you have any tips on reading on a budget? Saving money while reading? Comment down below!