How to read for free

Books can be extremely expensive! Whether it’d be physical or audio books, I calculated last year I saved approximately $1,200 by not buying books. That’s a flight to Italy!

So how do you get books for free? Rent them from your local library! Yes, you probably already knew about checking out physical books but did you know libraries now offer audiobooks, music, educational courses, and more? I felt like this was some huge secret we should be screaming from every rooftop. Libraries generally work with a third party app to allow you to rent via your mobile device/tablet. All you need is your public library card number to sign up for an online account.

The one downside to relying solely on the library for your books is you may have to wait for popular choices or new releases. There is often a 5–8 week wait time for the books I rent. But you can put “holds” on usually 6-8 books at a time and just wait for them to be available. You can also “tag” titles to build your own reading lists.

if you’d like to shop for physical books but still don’t want to break the bank, I’d recommend checking out a local used book store or websites like BetterWorldbooks.com, where with every book you buy, one is donated.

What are other ways you’ve found great ways to read for less? Share with me!

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