Non-Shopping for the Recovering Consumer

I used to be a consumer. I liked to buy stuff. Good stuff. Stuff that made me happy. A lot of it. Especially books. My favorite thrift store used to sell books for $.10 apiece, and I would stop in every payday to spend a few dollars. Eventually, I realized that I had to get my spending under control, or be buried under a mountain of books.

When I go to a used bookstore just to browse (or while waiting for them to make an offer on my old books), I practice non-consumption. When I find a book that sounds interesting, I resist the urge to buy it. Instead, I take a photo of it with my bottom-of-the-line camera phone. Later I visit my library's website and put a hold on that book. I get to enjoy reading it and usually find that, while I enjoyed it, I don't need to own it. I get the pleasure of reading the book without paying a penny.

Sometimes I find the book so amazing that I know I'm going to come back to it again and again. In that case, it goes onto my wishlist on Paperbackswap. If after six month or so, I haven't received it from a fellow swapper, and it still sounds just as amazing as it did before, I might check out Amazon's Marketplace to buy it from an individual seller. Otherwise, I keep waiting for it to either become available at a good price, or I may find that I lose interest in owning it. However it works out, I always save money over just buying whatever books sound interesting as I shop.

I do the same thing with movies. I have a "Films to Watch" file on my computer. Whenever I see a trailer that looks good or hear of a new movie, I add it to the list. I then request these titles from the library. Some aren't available, but most are (I love my library). If I watch a library movie and find that it rocks my world, it goes on my Amazon wishlist or perhaps my birthday wishlist. I do the same thing for CDs.

Sometimes it's not a book or a movie that I want to try out, but an appliance or gadget. I will post a request on Freecycle and watch for listings from others. Sometimes I get items for free to try out. If Freecycle doesn't provide, I will start to keep an eye out at non-traditional outlets such as yard sales and thrift stores. Since I don't know how I'll take to the item, I don't want to spend big bucks purchasing it new.

If you are a recovering consumer, it can be hard to stop shopping cold turkey. Practicing non-shopping can not only keep you from making a purchase, but get you to think about why you want something, or even if you do.



For further reading, check out Penny Pinching Party, Frugal Tuesday. www.None.com

Library Book Sales: Bag Day!

Today was the last day of my local library's quarterly book sale. That means: bag sale! You fill a bag with anything you want for $3. I always wait until the last day to go and I am never disappointed.

I first go through the entire sale looking for books that I definitely want to read and each time I find an item that is on my wish list. Once I have found these items,  I carefully start packing my bags. I make sure to use every available square inch of space. I put big books in first, then slide thin books or mass markets into the sides. Once I have fit them all in, I look again for more books, this time picking up books that sound interesting, but might not necessarily want to keep. I fill the bag to the brim.

By careful packing, I can fit 40 books into a bag, for a price of  $.075 per book. At that rate, I can risk not liking a book. Worst case scenario, I can always list it on PaperBackSwap or resell it.

I also find great deals on Audio Visual items. The first day of the sale there are lots of DVDs, but those are usually gone by the time the end of the sale comes around. Fortunately, I still have a working VCR (don't judge me), so I can scoop up those VHS that are still piled high. I can fit 25 VHS in a bag, for a price of $.12 each. If I don't like it, I can donate it and still be ahead compared to renting the movie. I'll also buy CDs that look interesting ever if I've never heard of the artist. Since I work alone, I listen to a lot of audio books and always pick up several titles. Once I'm done, I list them on PaperBackSwap (audio books earn 2 credits).

By shopping at the library book sales, I am helping to support one of my favorite public services. I am also supplying myself with lots of entertainment for a few dollars.

Literary Savings

The cost of books has risen to an astonishing level. It's hard to feed your lust of the written word when a new book costs $25. Fortunately, there are some great ways to save some money while reading as many books as you'd like.

Amazon.com is my first go when I have a specific title in mind, but I don't order from Amazon. Instead, I check out the Amazon Marketplace where I can buy used and new books from individuals. Some books are still pricey, but others can be found very cheap. Some books (especially older bestsellers) can be found for a penny; with shipping it's $4 for a book. This is a great deal if you are looking for a specific title.

Paperbackswap (paperbackswap.com) allows you to give your books to other readers and then pick out books for yourself. When you sign up, you are given 2 credits. After that, to earn credits you list your books to trade. When someone requests a book, you ship it at your expense. Then when you order a book, you pay nothing for shipping. This is even cheaper than Amazon, as the shipping is usually around $2.50.

Thrift stores don't usually have an amazing selection, however the price is right. Chain thrift stores usually charge around $1-2 per book, but the smaller stores sometimes offer them as low as $.10. Even with the limited selection, I occasionally find a specific title that is on my wish list.

Yard sales have an even poorer selection, but prices are good. Sometimes I'll find a box full of similar books (romances, mystery, etc) and will make an offer. Once I got a box of 100 books for $5.

Library sales are great. The selection is usually pretty good, and it's sorted by genre or topic. Prices are usually $1, or less for children's books. At my library, the last day is bag sale day where I can fill a bag for $3. I carefully fit the books into my bag and can get between 30 and 50, more if they are smaller kids books.

The library itself is the obvious go to. Any book you want is there or can be requested from another library. There are books, children's books, audio books, magazines and more. You can enjoy it all for free. I always read a book from the library before adding it to my wish list.

Sharing with friends is great if you have a similar taste. You might want to write your name in the cover so it doesn't get confusing. 

Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/) is a wonderful online resource that boasts free access to 36,000 books. You can read online, with your portable device or listen to audio books. A link to affiliates gives you access to over 100,000 books. You could be reading for free for a long time with that.

Amazon offers some free Kindle books. If you don't have a kindle, you can still download the free Kindle app. A search of "free ebooks" pulls up many, many websites. Also, if you are subscribed to any e-newsletters, check their websites for any free ebooks.

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