When it comes to books I almost feel like you can’t have too many. More books means more adventures to go on and more time reading means more time developing important skills such as building your vocabulary as well as having outright fun. I grew up in a home with a lot of books and I loved always being surrounded by stories. I want my children to have that same experience. However, books can be expensive and if you are wanting to build a home library with a bunch of books then the price can get really high really fast. Below are some of my best tips for building a library on a budget that I have used. I hope they save you as much money as they do me and help you build a library of your own in your home!
Check Your Local Dollar Store
When I started building our home library I started with a pile of board books form a local dollar store. I was pleasantly surprised to find so many board books that later became favorites. I even found some that featured beloved characters like Elmo and the Bernstain Bears. Our dollar stores don’t have a good selection when it comes to picture books, but they are rocking the board books!
Buy Seasonal/Holiday Books Off Season
Easter just recently finished and when it did I headed to Walmart and checked out the newly clearanced holiday section and scored some Easter books for 50%-75% off! That is only a few dollars per book! I have used this tip so many times when it comes to holiday books and I feel like a winner every time. I just put them away for next year and we enjoy them year after year beyond that.
Library Book Sales
I have learned that most libraries have used book sales that they hold weekly, monthly, quarterly or even every day. Head to your local library and ask them when/how they do theirs! Usually they include books donated by your community as well as ex-library books. I have found some gems at our library book sales!
Used Book Stores, Thrift Stores and Yard Sales
These three options are pretty obvious, but sometimes I forget them! They are excellent places to find a lot of books for a low cost and I especially love checking them out for vintage books I’ve been wanting, but are out of print. Also, some used book stores will allow you to trade in some books you don’t want for credit to spend on other used books that they carry. Win win!
Utilize Amazon.com’s List Function
This is one of my favorite tips. I have been purchasing books from Amazon for a while now and I have learned that every once and a while they have crazy good deals on their books. I can’t find much of a rhyme or reason to what goes on sale when, but I have found a good way to track books I want for sales. I have a wish list I created on my Amazon profile with the books I am watching and occasionally when I am on Amazon I check the list to see if any are on sale for $7 or less. It only takes a moment to scan them this way and I have snagged some of my wish list books for as low as $3 for a hardcover more than once using this system!
Kohls Cares
One of my favorite places to check for good books is Kohls. Did you know that they have a Kohls Cares program where they sell books with matching plush toys and the profits go to charity? The books are almost always hardcover and are always $5 and the plush toys are always $5 as well. Wonderful right?! They change out the books (usually they have about five all centered around a theme or an author/illustrator) every few months and I am always keeping an eye on what they get in next. You can even get them online if you don’t have a Kohls near you.
Book Orders
Don’t you just LOVE book orders! I was obsessed with them as a child and now that I am a parent my heart still does a happy dance every time I see them! Usually your child will bring them home from school and you can fill them out and get great books for great prices. They always seem to have at least one fantastic soft cover book for as low as $1.
Host a Book Exchange
If you have some books that your family is finished with or you aren’t particularily fond of, host a book exchange! That way you can trade books that aren’t the best fit for your family for some that you will be excited about adding to your home library. I have never been to a book exchange that I didn’t like!
Book Fairs
A lot of schools will host a book fair once or more during the school year. I was absolutely in love with these as a child and they bring me the same giddy joy as an adult! Always keep an eye on when your school may be doing them so you can take advantage of their wonderful prices. Also, I know quite a few book fairs will have a huge sale on the last day of the book fair where all the books are 50% off. It was my favorite time to visit our school’s book fair when I was teaching!
Ask for Books for Gifts
Another great idea is to let people know that you are interested in books for gifts. It helps keep the toy clutter down in your home and gives your child a book to read again and again. For example, you could have a “book birthday” where you ask guests to bring a book for a gift. You could ask relatives who give cards or candy to gift a book instead. When grandparents ask for gift ideas for birthdays and what not, mention books. People want to gift you what you need and often appreciate a little direction, so when possible/polite give it a try!
Replace Candy and Small Trinkets in Gifts with Books
When it comes to giving books to your kids as a gift try replacing some Easter basket candy or random stocking stuffers with books. You can spend the same amount of money from your budget and end up with something more valuable. There are more ways to do this than you might think. Get creative!
Utilize Your Public Library
This one is obvious, but I just had to mention it. The maximum limit for library cards is usually really high which means that you can fill up a small bookshelf or two in your home simply with library books! Plus, these books are constantly being rotated and switched out so it keeps the interest level high. I would suggest designating a spot in your home library for library books so that they don’t get lost among your own books and so they are always easily accesable.
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