Do you buy books new or borrow from the library?

[jspoole]

Just curious as to how many budget minded people actually buy books anymore. I read alot and just love our local library. It really helps stay within our entertainment budget. My kids love the video rentals for free.

 

[angierae]

We get books from the library now unless they are research books for my husband's job (he's a sportswriter.) Our library doesn't have free videos anymore but they are still really inexpensive.

There are two books out just recently that I'm DYING to read but I am going to wait until I can get it from the library system or until a friend buys it and finishes it. That's money that can go in the Disney fund!

 

[HM]

I do a little of both, and I also buy on Kindle occasionally. There are some books I know that I want to have for my own, but normally reading from the library is fine for me. Now that our Borders is closing down, my library and my Kindle (and Amazon) will get more of my business.

 

[uk_wildcat]

We actually buy most of our books used. I love Half Price Books, especially for my kids' books. We easily spend $100 each time we go and get bags and bags of books.

 

[JamesMom]

I read roughly 100 books a year.
I buy about $150-$200 worth of books on my Kindle a year (~20 tittles) but about half of that money comes from gifts (Christmas & Bday) from those who know I want Kindle books. I usually buy the books I don't want to wait for at the library.
I read about 50 of the 'free' Kindle books a year (listen to them when I'm at the gym - most of the free titles have speech enabled)
I get about 2-3 titles a month (~30 a year) from the Library because I don't want to spend the money to buy them. My library gets titles about 4-6 months after their release.
I do occassionally buy a dead tree book because it contains graphics or pictures that the Kindle doesn't do justice with and I don't want to wait for the library or want to keep it. I might buy about 10-15 books this way a year.

The Kindle has spoiled me and I find actually holding a book annoying, lol. I had a library book to read while at the park and the wind blowing the pages annoyed me. Some tomes such as Ken Follet or Stephen King are too large to manage - love the lightweight Kindle so I can read a 1000 page book with one hand

Since getting the Kindle almost two years I have saved lots of money from my previous $50-$80 a month book buying habit and have read roughly 80 titles on the device and have about 300 on file.

As far video rentals, we have Netflix streaming or use my mother-in-laws Amazon Prime free streaming. Stop doing the library videos because we paid fines for bringing them back late all the time

 

[Praise2Him]

~I use the library some, but ours is pretty small.
~I have a Kindle but mostly get free books for it. I have bought a few with Amazon gift cards.
~I will occasionally buy a new paper book if it's one in a series that I keep.
~Mostly I get my books used from Paperback Swap and then list them to swap when I'm done with them.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I use the library for my books because I only read a book once. I buy my kids books because they read them over and over and pass them down.

When we rent a video we usually do blockbuster or redbox, usually with a free code or groupon. I don't get them at the library because we're only allowed to keep them one day and they can't be returned in the dropbox, and aren't open on weekends so it's just too inconvenient to try to get them back on time.

 

[homeschoolmomof4]

I am the library queen! Our family easily has 50 books out at a time. We also have access to a purchase request system here where we can request the library purchases certain books, DVD's, CD's etc. The librarians all know us and at one point we even had a basket behind the desk where they held all of our holds for us. I figure I've already helped to pay for the books at the library through our taxes, so I may as well use the library instead of purchasing new. However, if there's a reference book I know I'll need at my fingertips for the future, I will purchase it.

 

[momto2girls]

Occasionally, I will get a book from the library, but not often. I have a Kindle and buy several books a month for it. Once in a while, I buy actual books as well.

 

[Darcy03231]

I have an ereader and download quite a bit from the library. Ours has a pretty good selection of ebooks. I also download a lot of free/low price (under $3) books.

I buy some ebooks, but not a lot. Mostly when I have gift cards for my birthday/Christmas.

I still read some books. We pass quite a few around our office.

 

[arothrock]

I actually work at a library so I always get everything there. We have an awesome system so movies are plentiful too. I dont like clutter and only buy books or movies that I know I will read or watch over and over again.

My inlaws keep buying us books for Xmas or asking if I want gift cards to a book store. It drives me crazy. LOL

 

[ilovejack02]

Our library isn't very big and I am not always good about bringing things back on time lol.

I buy from garage sales , used book store and sometimes Amazon, if it is a must have now. I trade almost all in at our used book store. There are a few special ones I keep.My baby just turned 8, I finally broke down and turned all of his books in that he has outgrown. I about 130.00 in credit there. I still buy new for him, for the holidays, the Valentine fairy ; ) just got him 4 new books off Amazon ( buy 3, get 4 deal), he has read them and taken his AR test on them, so off they go to the used book store and I will keep and eye out to pick up others in the series and if none show up, I will pick him up them for the Easter bunny to put in his Easter basket.

I would love a kindle , but since I have such a big credit at the used place, I am trying to use it up , before buying it. At this rate I am not sure if I will ever get to do that , lol I am always turning in books, I just went through my cookbooks and will make a drop off tomorrow .

 

[charming23]

I get most of mine from the library. I do buy books by my favorite authors when they have new ones come out.

 

[crazelion]

When the library is open I try go with the kids. Our library is always close. Have very limited hours. I just the buy kids books or rent videos from redbox.

Use to love going library when open all the time. Now with the limit hours I just don't go very off

 

[figment3258]

We try to go to the library often but our home library is very ver old and gas no money so we usually go to a library that is about 30 mins from us so with gas on the rise we usually read books that we already have.

 

[hopemax]

My DH, avid reader, uses http://www.paperbackswap.com

You list the books you have to trade, and when someone requests one, you send it out (~$2.50) and earn a credit. Which can be exchanged for any book someone has available. He loves it. He reads a lot of sci-fi/fantasy series books that he doesn't want to keep, so this works out well for him. You can also buy a credit for $3.45, which makes it a bit like shopping at an online used bookstore.

 

[brymolmom]

I love to read. Sometimes I read more than others, but usually average about 3 - 4 novels per month. I either get them borrowed from friends or from the library. I can't remember the last time I bought a book (aside from kids books).

I'm amazed at how many people buy paper books. There was a facebook conversation going between friends of mine. A bunch of the titles sounded intersting to me and at least a few of my friends commented 'oh you can borrow the series from me'. My best friend just gave me about 4 books to borrow when I was there last weekend.

We're about to cut the cord and get rid of cable. We'll be visiting the library more often then as I plan to 1) be reading a lot more and 2) get 10 or so videos per week.

 

[PatsMom]

I do a combination of library and regular books. No e-books at all - I just can't get used to not having the book in my hands. I also come from a family of readers and it is more difficult to share. One book might get passed around to 10 people in my family. My mother is the best at the library. Her town has a reservation system and you can reserve on line. So when a new book is out that I want to read, I log in to her account and reserve it (she doesn't like to do stuff on line). They call her when it is ready, she picks it up and we both get to read it. Works out great.

 

[mcorbo]

Have not actually bought a paper book in over a year, since I got my nook. At first I was buying books from B&N, but then found out library has free ebook lending, so I have not spent anything on books in about 9 months now.

 

[vcasey]

My daughter and I became library fanatics a few years ago mostly to save on clutter (I have an entire loft with every wall covered in book shelves filled with books) but it has just been awesome. We now get books, CDS, magazines and DVDs there. Our library has an online reserve system so we do everything online and get an email when its ready to pick up and just go straight to the desk. For stuff they don't have, we put in an inter-library loan request (still online) and then still just pick up when ready. WE LOVE LIBRARIES!!