Minimalism - How to Save Money Reading Books

Minimalism - How to Save Money Reading Books

In the tough economic times, we are in, it is really good to look for ways to do things a bit cheaper.   Book reading has become my favorite hobby.  This year, I have really focused on reading books on investments and trying to live a better and more successful life.  By reading more, I have been able to get a better mindset about life and eliminated a lot of bad habits.  

So far in 2022, I have read 42 books for the year, and we are just past the halfway point.   If I can maintain my current reading rate, I should exceed 60 books in one year.   Probably the most I have read in any one year before would be 15.   

Part of the increase is due to having better focus on my part and cutting back on some of the wasted time where I was watching mindless drivel on TV for 3 hours a day.   I now watch a maximum of 2 hours per day and do not watch the news at all.  I have a better focus in life and desire to be around positive and uplifting people. 

I no longer care to listen to all the whiners, complainers, and political arguments going on in Washington.   My life has taken on a greater level of joy and happiness, and I am not concerned about things I cannot control.   One of the books I read this year said that when you listen to all this negative talk, you begin to have negative self-talk and it is stored in your mind.   This truly is not healthy, and I am going all out to eliminate any negativity in my life.

Another reason for my large volume of reading is getting a much faster reading rate.  My words per minute while reading has doubled by simply reading the book “LimitLess” by Jim Kwik.  In the latter part of the book, he covers how to speed-read and it is not very difficult.   His 3 main points really worked for me, and not only am I reading at double my earlier rate, but I am able to understand and comprehend what I have read better than ever before.    Check out the book review on that book at:

https://lifecanbesimple.net/blog/book-review-limitless-by-jim-kwik

This week I want to discuss some of the methods I have found to save money on books.    You can spend upwards of $25 on a book, so if I had purchased all 42 books I have read, I would have spent well over $150.  I think to date, I have spent $7.50.   So here is how I have been able to acquire all these recommended books by so many authors.   All of these books were either on the topics of Investing, Mindset, or Habits and were recommended by some prior author of a book I had read.
   
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON BOOKS

Use your public library.    Mine is Wfpl.net here in Wichita Falls, Texas.   I can log into their website and seek out any book I want to read.   I would say that just seeking there first, I have found perhaps ½ of the books.    The cost of a year’s membership at our public library is zero.   So of the 42 books I read,  I would say 20 of them came directly from the public library.   

Our library is tied into Hoopla Digital.   If a book you want to read is available as an eBook, you can download it on the eBook link (in multiple formats including ePub and Kindle), or use the Hoopla Digital app off the Google Store and do a search.   You simply use your library membership card number and pin to log in.    Some of the best 4 books I have read this year were by Richard Kiyosaki of the “Rich Dad Poor Dad” series.  All four of the ones I read I downloaded and read off Hoopla Digital.  You do have a limit of just 11 books per month on Hoopla Digital.  Cost:  $0

Here is perhaps the most important of all my money savers.   On books not available at my library, at the bottom of the home page, there is a link to go to the ILL Research catalog.   This is the Inter-Library Loan program.   It links all the participating libraries in your state (and possibly even out of state) and you can search for the book you are looking for by name and author and see all the available books in all the libraries in your state. 

If logged in, you can simply check for book availability, and if available, request the book.   They will then package up the book and mail it to your library to be picked up.   When it arrives, the library sends you an email. To cover their costs on shipping from and to the libraries, you pay $2.50 per book.   That is where I spent my $7.50 this year.   So far, I have located every book I wanted to read using the ILL or Hoopla Digital links.   Shipping times vary so it may take up to 2 weeks for an ILL book to arrive.

Last night, I found that there is a new option called LIBBY which is also on the bottom of the main page of the library’s website.   A phone app for Libby is also available on the Google Play store.    It is much like Hoopla Digital and provides not only books but also magazines and audiobooks.  

The cost of this service is also free.   I tried it and it even has a SAMPLE button to listen to a 4 or 5 min. sample of the book if audible and the first few pages of an electronic book.   Like Kindle, it is customizable to different font sizes to make it easy to read on your phone.

Probably if you are an avid reader, you have invested in a Kindle book reader.  If not, you can download a phone app for Kindle and read directly off your phone or your computer.    If you have PRIME at Amazon, there are literally thousands of free books out there.    When on the Amazon website, type in  “Free Kindle Books  ‘followed by what you are looking for ” 

Examples:                 

“Free Kindle Books Investments”
“Free Kindle Books Habits”
“Free Kindle Books Positive Outlook”
“Free Kindle Books Passive Income”

Or any topic that interests you.   I used to read Westerns, and I think I paid for 3 westerns in 10 years and read about 50 to 100 for free.

Also, many authors offer free kindle books on Amazon.  One of my favorite authors is Joshua King.   You can get a free kindle book on investments every day by simply going to this website address:

https://militaryfamilyinvesting.com/free-kindle-book-schedule/

Be sure that you are on the dates allowed in the grid when it comes up, and also be sure it is for free when you get to Amazon.   Sometimes it still has a $2.99 to $54.99 price showing.  Don’t purchase it unless you want to pay the price.   I think Amazon occasionally fails to mark the books down.  But 98% of the time or more, it will show the book for 0 costs.  That is when I do the buy now.   If you accidentally purchase a book, Amazon will let you return it and give you a refund.

There are literally dozens of free book programs available.  One is called www.BookBub.com where you get an email daily for the genres you are interested in.  Another is www.BookFunnel.com    Both offer Free book options.
Recently I signed up for one called The Fussy Librarian.   Again a daily email showing books I might be interested in and in the email, it has a link to download the book from Amazon.   Just be sure the cost is zero on the buy now.

If you read a lot and want most new books that come out for free almost immediately you can pay for Kindle Unlimited.   I have never used it, but  I think it costs $12.95 a month.   You get 3 free months.  

Most people have Amazon Prime to get free shipping and access to special pricing and the 5% cashback option on the Amazon card.  Just this month, they started a new PRIME option in the Amazon book store.   You can also read for free up to 10 books at a time if they show to be free on PRIME. 

Be sure it is PRIME, not Kindle Unlimited.   What is super about the Prime is you can download 10 books, and if you find another one that you like better before you finish reading any of the 10, you can simply return one of those.

I hope this gives you some ideas on how to read much and pay very little.   If you have unlimited resources, don’t worry about paying for the books.  Just purchase and enjoy.  But if you are like most of us, save the dollars and invest those dollars to use for retirement, vacation, or just fun times with your families.
 
3 Links on Minimalism articles from Joshua Becker’s weekly blog:

How to Live A Simple Life That Will Make you Happier
by Mvoca

Perfectionism Almost Ruined my Life by Mar B. Vich

How This CEO Has Only 89 Things and How it Helps Him
 

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