I have a confession to make: I have a reader in my home and I am slowly going broke buying books. Yes, she goes to our local library and has read the books on their shelves - it is a small library. Yes, she goes to her school library - she has read most of what is there. She is currently working through her English teacher's personal library and has joined a book club with that teacher.
Having a reader like this means that frugal parents need to get savvy when obtaining good books that our teens want to read. Here are three money-saving ideas:
1.) I have found the PaperbackSwap.com site and I'm loving the idea for my teen daughter and myself. You post books that you would like to swap out and you earn credits by swapping them. Then you use your credits to 'order' books you want to read from others. The only cost associated with the swap is the cost of mailing the book. My only caution is that you will need to watch who your teen is swapping with and who sends them books as it is an online community.
2.) Teens can get together and make suggestions for books to be purchased at their local library. They can even do a book drive and earn some money towards their list of suggested books. This is a great way to do some volunteer community service and get a few more books on the library's shelves that teens like to read.
3.) Swap books with friends. Get a group of friends who like to read and do a circular swap where a book goes from one person to the next until it gets around the to everyone and back to its owner.
Quick Links: Over 100 Saving Money Tips | Quiz: Is your teen money smart?
