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The benefits of reading
There’s nothing quite like snuggling up with a good book. And there’s a certain satisfaction from finding a new post by your favorite blogger. But it gets even better when you realize that all that reading will improve both your mind and your pocketbook.
Improve your mind. When reading, you have access to a wide range of ideas, insights, vocabulary, and perspectives. Fiction allows you to stretch your imagination, and non-fiction will provide motivation and education.
Save money. Reading is cheaper than almost any other entertainment activity. Time spent reading doesn’t require expensive equipment, pricy tickets, or premium services. And you’re getting smarter at the same time!
Read “real” books for cheap
Get a library card. The classic advice for the frugal reader (and for good reason). A library card grants access to wide range of resources. Even a smaller local library has a lot to offer. Larger ones will have almost any book you can imagine. And it’s not just books, anymore. Many libraries have audio, video and Internet resources.
Share, borrow and trade. Get together with other like-minded readers, and you can collectively save some serious coin. Since you only have one pair of eyes, why not share the books you’re not reading with others? If you read from my shelf and I read from your shelf, we’ll both discover new books for free.
Look for bargains. When you do buy books, buy them used or on clearance. Consider buying online (but be careful about shipping charges).
Read online for free
Find great blogs. Like this one! I love reading blogs. For any subject you can imagine, someone writes a blog about it. Blogs are fun because you get the really know the author, and you can connect with like-minded people by commenting.
Access magazines and newspapers. Many newspapers and magazines offer some or all of their articles online for free. You may be able to cancel a subscription–or start reading something new.
Check out Project Gutenberg. Many great classics, including books published before 1923, are in the public domain. That means that you’re free to do what you want with them–including give them away for free online, which is what Project Gutenberg does. They have more than 30,000 digital books that you can download and read for free.
What are you waiting for?
Make a goal. Start replacing expensive, mind-numbing activities with frugal, mind-improving activities like reading! The Adventurer’s Blog is a great place to start. What else do you read? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to return to The Frugality Game every day for more ways to improve your finances.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
;/ i’d love to do some recreational reading right now.
text books should be fun to read too.
and less expensive.
I got back 3 dollars for a couple of books!
as for shipping…by the time i get the book,
we’re onto a next book already.
one thing i love checking is the
level of reading attached to a book.
i still read books that i read when i was younger
and they apply to me now.
i would love to protest against syllabi that slot students into
a learning level
on the other hand,
students should always read something they find
hard to read–
improves their reading skills.
I found a great Web site that allows you to trade books for free. It’s called swaptree.com. It allows users to trade books with each other. The only thing you have to pay is shipping. It’s a great way to save money if you love to read books, like me.
thanks,
i’ll look at my old dog ears now…
There are websites that have free books you can download along with the reader programs.
but there is nothing like a brand new book
or one that’s been worked over by a “book doctor.”
I also enjoy reading books that I read when I was younger. My daught er has the Twilght novel and I find myself cuddling down with her book every now and then. I also belong to a book club at my church where we read all types of literature.