Cutting living expenses...

**4 Dog Mother** · 07-03-2008, 09:41 AM

I love to read but with all the various things going on in my life, I really don't like using the library because I don't always find the time to read the books I borrow and often forget to return them by their due date. Although the fine is small, it can add up.

But what I am doing and I like a lot is buying from used book stores - and in fact, I can hardly bring myself to even buy a new book from Wal-Mart or any of the other places that discount them. At both used book stores, they give you credit for bringing old books in. The one here in town doesn't take or sell hard backs and she doesn't give quite as much credit per book that the one in Toledo does. She also has red and white credit - the white being for more recent books and so costing a bit more. So to get white credit you have to bring in more recent books that can go to buying more recent books. The great thing about this book store is that if you have enough credit you can get books basically free. Since my mom also reads but doesn't want to mess with getting rid of the books, she gives me hers to get credit for.

The other book store gives you credit for half the price of the book cost. Then you use your credit but also have to pay a portion of the book's price. So it turn's out you pay cash for 1/4 the cost of the original price of the book. They also take hard back books - the price of any hard back book though is just $2.50 - which means $1.25 cash and $1.25 credit. Because they give out the larger amount of credit per book, your credit for the 1/4 of the price of the book adds up quickly - I think I have close to $500 worth of credit.

There is also a store called Half Price books that is located in many bigger cities like Columbus and Cincinnati (I know there is one in Phoenix too but I am not sure where else.) There most of their books are half price but some are even less but the most recent hard back ones are figured some other way so they can be more. But they also have a clearance section where books can be bought for 50 cents to $2.00. It is not always old or unknown author books that are on clearance either. I think rather it depends on how many copies of the book that are coming in. Anyway this is my way of saving some money.

**smokey the elder** · 07-03-2008, 02:47 PM

The problem with reusing the plastic bags is that they rip out at the belly seams if you carry anything heavy in them. I use them to scoop pre-owned kitty litter into.

I'm surprised that no one mentioned warehouse clubs or coupons. Using both of these can add up to a bundle. I haven't done an in-depth calculation, but I figure I save 5-10%/unit by using coupons for such basics as cat food, kitty litter and TP. I have always looked for the best buy (I'm still a broke grad student at heart.) We buy very little pre-made stuff and mostly do our own cooking, and sometimes the cost per meal is staggeringly low. It's always a tradeoff between time and money.

I'm not looking forward to buying heating oil this winter *shudders*. At least my electrical is from nuclear, and the price has been pretty stable.