HOW TO GET CHEAP BOOKS

Books are expensive. Even here in the UK where brand new books are some of the cheapest in the world. Of course, almost all of us have access to libraries but we can't keep those. They aren't our books to display on our shelves and look at as often as we desire. And eBooks are all tucked away on a device - not filling up our beloved bookcases! So, how do you keep up a book collection without breaking the bank?

Over the last year I have been trying to find ways to buy books and still save money. Today I'm going to share the tips and tricks I've learned.

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If you're here looking for how to get the latest release in the best condition then you should be warned. If you want cheap books you have to be prepared to deal with them being less than perfect - dog ears, rips, old covers you hate - and so on so most of these tips (the cheapest options!) won't provide you with brand new condition books!

​Now that's out of the way, I have 5 tips for you today so let's get going!

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Charity Shops
Where I live there are lots of charity/thrift stores around and quite a lot of them have a 3 for £1 offer or something similar. Most have books for £1 or even 50p. You do have to get lucky in finding something you want and often there may only be one - but most of the shops near me will still charge £1 for one so you're as well getting two more, making restraint difficult. I often come home with 20 or 30 books...
Occasionally I have come across some brand new, perfect condition books but the majority are well read and tatty. But for a fraction of the RRP who's complaining?

eBay
One of my favourite places to buy books when I'm looking for something sepcific is eBay. There are a number of online bookstores that sell through ebay - There are a number of them, my favourite being WorldofBooks08 who offer free shipping in the UK and most of their books are around £2. I've ordered numerous books from them and all have been in great condition bar one the postman forced through the door and bashed a bit! 

Second Hand Bookshops
Although not the cheapest, second hand bookstores have to be on this list. You might only get a couple quid knocked off the RRP for a book that's clearly been read but these shops are hidden gems and are incredible places to visit. My favourite one in Edinburgh is Armchair Books, just off the grassmarket (and across the road from the cat cafe!). It feels like you're in a different world when you go in there with books from floor to ceiling and the smell!! They have an antique section so you can just imagine the old book smell I'm talking about! I adore this shop and never want it to close so I'm always willing to part with a littel bit more cash than I would online or in a charity shop to support them.

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Supermarkets
​In the UK, supermarkets like ASDA and TESCO tend to hold brand new copies of the newest or most popular books and sell them very cheap. I know ASDA is usually £4 a book or two for £7. It's well worth a look and they come from the same suppliers as bookstores! They even had the newest Illustrated Harry Potter for half the RRP!

Damaged Books
If you really really must buy a book in a chain bookstore or can't find it elsewhere etc, etc. look for a scuffed copy. Nine times out of ten if you ask the bookseller they will knock a couple quid off for you (even if it's a tiny mark). 
Chain stores also tend to have a loyalty scheme where you can earn points or things towards money off.

The Book Depository
You knew this was coming! I love The Book Depository. The books are always discounted and they ship worldwide for free! This is the best way to get the new release you're looking for. You can get UK or US editions (brilliant for if the title you want is only published in one and you live in the other!) and they are based in the UK so, for me, shipping is typically fairly quick. They can take a while to arrive at times though, depending on the title and if they have it in stock at the warehouse and whatnot, but if you order multiple books they ship them out as they receive the titles so if you order five books and one is taking months to come in you still get the other four! 
If you click here, you will be taken to the Book Depository website and should you decide to make a purchase I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Become  a Bookseller
Well... the simple answer to "Emma, how do you have so many books?" is I was a bookseller with a 50% discount. I also received free ARCs and finished copies from publishers due to being a bookseller, which helped add up my collection! 

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Do you use any of these tips or are there any I've missed? Let me know! I haven't bought any books so far in 2018 and I have put myself on a ban to save money for my upcoming trips and so I can buy books when I'm on said trips but perhaps I can convince myself to purchase just a few!