The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Don't Waste Your Money may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.
Falling into a good book this time of year can really take you away from the winter blahs.
With the turn of a page, you can experience a new adventures and visit new places.
But the cost of books — even digital versions — can really add up these days.
Remember when you could get most e-books for $9 or less, sometimes just $2 or $3? Not anymore.
The digital version of Walter Isaacson’s recent Elon Musk bio, at $16.99, is almost as much as the hardcover.
It’s even worse for libraries.
Library directors like Paula Brehm-Heeger of the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Public Library, have to purchase even more expensive copies.
“We license it for 24 months,” she said. “Then we have to repurchase it if we want those copies again.”
As a result, she says, having unlimited e-books for members is almost impossible.
“It would be about $2 million additionally a year, just at this rate,” she said.
Books Enjoy Big Resurgence Since COVID
According to Statista, the publishing industry earned a net revenue of $28.1 billion between 2008 and 2022.
Book-lovers aren’t surprised by that number.
During the pandemic, Hannah Stansel built a community of readers online with Finding Joy at Home and now has thousands of followers on Instagram.
“I think 2020 really brought a lot of people back to books,” she said.
Buying books is a passion for many people, but it can get expensive fast.
MORE: 6 easy (and totally legal!) ways to read books online for free
Ways to Save Money on Books
So what can you do?
“For physical books, my number one recommendation is always gonna be the library,” Stansel said.
If you prefer audio or e-books to physical copies, she says, “there’s a really exciting app called Libby. It’s totally free. It will send straight to your Kindle or your e-reader.”
You can also add the Library Extension to your internet browser.
To save on digital reading, Stansel says Kindle Unlimited is an affordable subscription, especially for fast readers.
“I pay $13 a month and I can get unlimited books right here on my Kindle,” she said.
And don’t forget used options, like the Pango Books App, as well as local thrift stores and used book stores.
“People will offload crazy popular books at goodwill,” Stansel said.
That way, you don’t waste your money.
By John Matarese, WCPO
John's goal is to help as many TV viewers as possible save money, avoid bad deals, know a rip-off when one comes their way, and be educated consumers. His informative weekly consumer segment "Don't Waste Your Money" now airs on 45 TV stations from San Diego to Tampa to Houston and Cincinnati. More.
