Calling All Bookworms: Stop Overpaying For Books and Buy Online to Save
Aug 30, 2018
In the search for good books at discount prices, it’s tempting to go for the charity shop option, where the numbers available now seem greater than ever. There have, however, been recent murmurings that the cost of such items is not the cheap-as-chips choice it once was. In addition, you are unlikely to find the latest bestsellers or, indeed, much diversity among the volumes on display at, say, the Salvation Army. It might, though, be worth forgoing any kind of traipse around to get what you want: if you’re searching for books that are both new and varied, there are a number of online outlets that offer you not just variety but exceptional – and sometimes amazing – value for money.
Amazon
Amazon continues to provide a very decent service as a bookseller, and with stacks of bargains. Brand new hardbound books are, for example, frequently available from them at less than half the recommended retail price. Furthermore, they have an enormous range of new (i.e. unused) books at reduced prices, as well as plenty of second-hand titles for little more than you’d pay at charity outlets, frequently selling high-quality items at only a few pence more than the cost of postage. Your browsing history also means that they can keep you up to date with future bargains that may be of interest.
The High Street Online
Similar savings to Amazon’s on recently published books can also be made via online purchases from high street names such as Waterstones and WHSmith, many of which also offer a click and collect service, which, if there’s a branch nearby, can make them a quicker option than those retailers who only deliver.
Online searches also reveal that high street booksellers often have reductions across their whole range that are comparable to Amazon’s as well as delivery options. The Works, for example, not only sells books in-store at three for a fiver but also has a number of similar bargains that can be sent to your home at the click of a mouse, with their website offering savings of up to 80 percent, including very cheap box sets.
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Electronic Options
Kindle, Kobo, et al. offer a number of advantages and bargains, not least the availability of plenty of titles at minimal cost, especially the classics, including the complete works of the likes of Dickens, Shakespeare and Jane Austen for no price at all. In addition, as their apps can be downloaded gratis to your pc or tablet, you don’t need to purchase their e-readers. You can save big by getting a state of the art e-reader online for less at Zapals.
Don't forget that there are also plenty of books to read for nothing on the net itself (Project Gutenberg, for example, has some 57,000 zero-charge titles). And your local public library is, of course, also likely to be a fine source of free ebooks. All you need do is enquire.
Whatever reading matter you’re looking for, and in whatever form, it is always worth going online before a trip to the shops. It saves time and may very well be a lot easier on the wallet.