Ways to avoid a Book Buying Bans!
If you are a reader, then at some point in your life you’ve probably asked yourself “Do I really need this book?” Or in my case, “Do I really need these 10 books?” Well I am here to tell you that the answer…. is YES! Yes, you need those books in your life, and you should not feel bad about buying them.
The biggest problem with book buying bans, is that if you break it, you’re probably going to feel bad, and no one should ever feel bad about buying a book. If you promise your parents or partner that you won’t buy any more books, should you then have to try and hide the new book you saw that you really wanted? No matter what reason you or someone in your life has for putting you on a book buying ban, I’m here to give you some tips on how to avoid a ban, and have all the books you want in your life.
You spend too much money on books
Let’s be honest… books can be expensive! A brand new hardcover can be anywhere from 15 to 30 dollars (USD). Trying to stay up to date to all the new books that come out every month can put a pretty hefty dent in your wallet. Lucky for you, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars a month to get new books. There are so many many options to buy books without breaking your bank account.
Buy used books online - Buying used books is a great way to spend less money on books. Depending on where you buy your used books, you can pay half price, or even less, to get the books you want in your life. There are so many websites that sell used books - Amazon, eBay, even Poshmark and Mercari. Instead of buying 1 book for 20 dollars, wouldn’t you like to bring home 10 books for the same price?
Library Sales - Check out local libraries in your area and chances are, they may have used book sales, or even a used book store that you didn’t know about. Libraries often sell books for as little as 25 cents a book, so you can bring home tons of books at very cheap prices. Some libraries near me even have a “free book” table… and what’s better than free books?
Used Book Stores - Do a quick internet search to see if there are any used book stores in your area. All across the US there are huge used book stores, and it’s really fun to plan a day trip and visit one of them. Just make sure you bring a list to help you find what you’re looking for, otherwise you’ll end up like me, getting 5 copies of a book you already have!
Tag Sales/Garage Sales - Other people are always getting rid of their books. Books take up a lot of space, and can be very heavy if you’re trying to move. So if you see a sign that someone is having a tag sale, garage sale, estate sale, etc. stop and check it out. You never know what you may find. I’ve had some great tag sale finds over the years, and because people are trying to get rid of their stuff, they are usually willing to sell books for pretty cheap.
Audio Books & eBooks - For the most part, audio books and eBooks are less expensive than actual hardcover books. Plus, wherever you get your audio or eBooks from, chances are that they are going to have sales. For example, eBooks on Amazon Kindle go on sale all the time. Sometimes you can even set a notification for when the price drops for a book that you want. So skip those pricey hardcovers, and try going digital instead.
You don’t have room for any more books
Books can take up a lot of space, and unless you live in Beast’s Castle, you may have limited shelf space in which to display your books. So what do you do when you run out of space for all your new books? Get creative! You have options. You can bring new books into your home and not have to worry about where you’re going to put them, by using some of the suggestions below
Rearrange your shelves - I know it’s nice to be able to see each books’s spine, but sometimes you need to need to make room for more. Laying books flat, and stacking them on top of each other can actually help make space for more books on your selves. It’s true you won’t be able to see all the pretty covers, but if you need more room, you need to make more room.
Add new types of shelves - Shelves for books don’t need to be huge 5 tier book towers that take up a whole wall. There are so many types of shelves out there that take up minimal space, and can be used for books. For example, floating book shelves. If you haven’t heard of this…. google it, you will not be disappointed. You can have has many shelves as you want, for as much wall as you have. That’s just one example though, the possibilities for different types of shelving are endless.
Book Carts - Book carts are another great way to store books without having to add another tall bookshelf to your room. You can stack books on a cart, and roll that cart into a closet, or anywhere else it fits to put it out of the way. Book carts come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors, so you should have no problem finding one that matches the ambiance of your room.
Audio Books & eBooks - The easiest way to not have to worry about where to put your books, is to buy eBooks or audio books. You can store endless books on your electronic devices that won’t take up any physical space at all.
Library Books - No one is telling you that you have to keep the books that you read. Renting books from your local library is a great way to read the books you want, and simply return them when you’re done. That way, no books have to take up any space on your shelves.
Donate - What better way to make room for new books than to get rid of some of the books you have. A quick call to a local library, school, used book stores, or even a shelter, and you should have no problem finding a place to take your old books off your hands. Not only will it make you feel good to donate your old books, but some places will give you a tax credit for your donation (in the US anyway).
Get Creative - Every home is different, and you need to find something that works for you. If none of the options above work, then get creative. A simple internet search will show you that people use books for all sorts of things. You can use books to build an end table, you can stack books underneath or against your stairs. You can stack books behind your couch or on your windowsills. Take a moment to search the internet for inspiration and you’ll be surprised what some people do with their books.
You need to read the books you already have
Us readers are no strangers to the problem of the endless TBR (to be read) pile. It’s easy to pick up books on sale, or when you see a good deal, and end up with more books than you can possibly read. It’s hard for non-readers to understand why you would want to get more books, and not read the books you already have. Whether you want to get through your TBR faster, or just want to collect more because you love books, here are some counter arguments that you can share when people try to shame you for not reading the books you already have:
Books are art - I’m here to tell you that it’s ok to have books that you will never read! Shocking I know… but some books are better to look at than to actually read. Hotels and other businesses have books out on tables on all the time, so why can’t you? We’ve all felt the allure of a book with a beautiful cover. I say get that book, display is proudly, and don’t worry about whether you’ve actually going to read it or not. No one needs to know!
Support your favorite authors - It doesn’t matter if it’s a 200 page book or a 1,000 page book, the fact is, someone put a lot of time and energy into creating that work. Not only is the author responsible for that book, someone designed the cover, there was probably an editor, the book had to be printed, someone had to drive that book to a store, and a sales person had to unpack and put that book on display. The amount of people a book touches, between when it’s written, and when it gets into your hands, is many more than you might think. So buying any book not only supports your favorite author, it supports the whole bookish industry. Regardless of whether you read that book or not, you can feel good knowing that your money is being spent to help multiple people keep their jobs.
Audio Books - When you read a physical book or an eBook, typically you need to sit down and focus on reading and can’t do much else. But with audio books, you’re hands are left free to do anything you want. You can listen to books while you cook and clean, while you drive (safely of course), basically while you’re doing anything. You’d be surprised how many more books you can get through when you’re listening to them while you do other activities.
At the end of the day, no one needs to understand your obsession with collecting and reading books except for you. You should always do what makes you happy, and never let anyone diminish your joy of reading, or collecting books. I’ve seen the term “stack of shame” thrown around… but I’m telling you to not be ashamed, be proud! That stack of books you haven’t read in the corner, is a bunch of beautiful adventures you just haven’t taken yet. So, instead of going on a book buying ban, make some simple changes, and don’t deny yourself the pleasure of adding more books to your life.
When’s the last book buying ban you went on? What other suggestions do you have to avoid book buying bans? Leave a comment below, or come join the conversation over on Bookstagram (Instagram) now.
