Don't pay for books

Reading for pleasure is one thing I spend a lot of time doing to entertain myself since I don't pay for cable or watch very much TV. If you're a bookworm like me, you know you can burn through a lot of cash very quickly, devouring book after book after book.

I do all my reading on a Kindle. One could argue that that's a large up front investment. Mine was a gift, so that's a moot point, but even if it wasn't I save a ton of money by purchasing cheaper books, taking great advantage of the free book selection, Kindle-to-Kindle lending, and by not making numerous trips to the bookstore or library every week. Even if my Kindle hadn't been gifted to me, I think the device pays for itself more than a few times in just a year (my previous Kindle lasted for three years) and qualifies as a justifiable expense if you're a bookworm.

Even if you don't have a Kindle, you still don't need to spend money on books. It's just much easier to get away with never paying for books if you have one. I can't speak for other ereaders as I've been a loyal Kindle-user from the beginning.

Here's how I do it:

1. Read the classics. Many classics like novels by Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Jane Austen, and even the works of Shakespeare are all public domain, meaning absolutely free. When you pay for paper versions of these novels, you are paying for the paper but not for the rights, as no one holds them anymore. As such, you can download these novels as ebooks from a variety of sources online for absolutely nothing. The classics are better anyway!

2. There are many forums, groups, and clubs dedicated to facilitating Kindle-to-Kindle lending amongst their members. This is a great way to read for free the contemporary works that are not available for free.

3. Amazon has an extensive list of books that are not public domain but are being offered for download for zero pennies for a limited time. I go through this list very carefully every week for anything new that has shown up that interests me. Because the books are bought (for $0) and not borrowed, I don't need to worry about downloading too many to be able to read within X number of days. They are mine to keep forever, for free.

4. Join your local library! Even if you don't have an ereader, I believe libraries still hand out those real book things - the ones with the paper and the ink and stuff. And if you do have an ereader, nearly all libraries now offer ebook lending. This is a win-win: You can borrow contemporary titles AND you don't need to pack up the kids or use any gasoline to do it.

There you go. Four ways to read classic and contemporary works alike, free and legal.

I used to spend $25-30 per month on books. Cheaper than cable TV but still unnecessary given the resources available to me. My head has since been removed from my nether region and I haven't paid for a book in about a year now.

I got my shiny new San Antonio Public Library card today and my first two borrowed novels are already downloaded and waiting for me on my Kindle. Let the savings continue!