Book Buying Bewilderment: Bargains, Bans, Binges, and Budgets

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Basically, since I don’t think we have a lot of millionaires in our midst, our bookish sins can lead to some other unfun “b” words: Bankruptcy. Bills. Begging. Nobody wants that. So one of my resolutions for the new year was to stop buying books just because they are there. Or on sale. Or someone else once mentioned them. Or because it was a Tuesday, and buying a book seemed like a good idea. There are all kinds of reasons to buy books, some are okay, some not so much.

Good Reasons to Buy Books:

  • I am legitimately interested in and wish to read the book in the near future.

Not So Good Reasons to Buy Books:

  • The cover is really pretty!
  • I might want to read it someday, and it is on sale.
  • I own the first book in the series, so why not own the rest?
  • Someone I know mentioned that book or author that one time!
  • It’s only $2.99. Or $7.99. Or whatever arbitrary number sounds reasonable.
  • It is a daily deal. Or a monthly deal. Or any other “deal”.
  • Book Outlet made me do it.

I am guilty of all the sins above. True story. Evidence, you ask? Here you go:

Sequels of books that I haven’t read yet:

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Books that I have either barely heard of, or even worse, heard bad things about, but bought anyway:

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Anybody want to vouch for any of these? Anyone?

Kindle sins are much, much worse. Because who can say no to something that is less than two dollars? I can’t get my large iced dark roast for $2. So if I can get a whole book for $2… well, this is how the Amazonians get me. Every time. I have gotten much, much better, but some of the stuff I bought before I started “recovery”? Yikes. Here’s a sample. Maybe some of these are good books, I have no idea. I have never heard of them. Maybe you have? 4546

Sorry, I didn’t link these because I was lazy. And meh.

How Do I Intend to Stop the Madness?

I know what you’re thinking: Great job outlining your greed, but how is this helpful? Well, it did give me an idea of where I am making my biggest spending mistakes to actually sit down and look at them. I have some ideas on how to calm myself down in the future:

  • Allow a finite number of monthly book purchases. I am thinking 5 might be reasonable? Plus, if I cannot make it fit into that five, how badly did I really want it to begin with?4S-budget
  • Only buy the next book in a series after I finish the first. Um, I already failed at this, because I bought Unhinged even though I just bought Splintered this morning. Talk about not taking my own advice.
  • Buy books only when they were books on my wishlist. Not my Goodreads TBR, because there are thousands, but my actual wishlist. If it isn’t on the list, I didn’t want it badly enough.
  • Maybe read a book I already own. Since there are well over 300 of them, I should probably pick up one of those the next time I am being spend-happy, no?

Does anyone think I have a chance at spending less in 2015? laughing

So, any tips for me? What do you do to quell the bookish spending? Or are you pretty good about it? 

Posted January 2, 2015 by Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight in Discussion / 54 Comments

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54 responses to “Book Buying Bewilderment: Bargains, Bans, Binges, and Budgets

  1. You’re not alone!! I’m sooo guilty of this but I’ve gotten much better. 😉 Baby steps have worked for me. My biggest problem was going to used book/ library sales and getting a box of books for $5 just because I could. I ended up with stacks books I’m never going to read, ever. I recently culled the stacks and sold them to the bookstore for credit. I also cut my Kindle purchases unless it was a book I honestly had on my TBR, even the freebies. Good luck with your book budget, I’m right behind you!

    • Yes, I had to do the same with the freebies! They just take up space, and I am seriously never going to read them (unless they were on my list already), so why bother? Oh, used book sales would do me in! I would be on Hoarders or something for sure. Good luck to you too 🙂

  2. I’m with you on all these! I can’t help buying the books when they’re on sale. Or they have pretty covers. Or I’ve heard great things about them. Or I already own the first book so I must get the sequels too. Like you, it’s impossible for me to resist lol….. I think you have a pretty good idea! If they’re not on your wish list then probably hold off on it. That’s what I’m going to try to stand by. Good luck and I hope your plan works for you 😀

  3. Oh my gosh, I had this problem SO BAD last year.
    The main issue was that I got a job, and so had money.
    What I’m doing is compiling a list, and if a book is not on the list, I am not allowed to buy it.
    It mostly worked for the second half of last year 🙂

  4. I completely suck at this. I can’t even say how many Kindle books I’ve bought in the past two weeks. Let’s just say it’s over 20 books long….”But they were on sale!”. Sales are the worst! Along with Bookoutlet….I bought books from them too….I still have a ton of books I bought in September that I haven’t read. I think I read….four of them. There’s like 75 of them….Just from September. I blame sales….

    You’re so not alone. Amazon’s Kindle deals are the worst. 🙁 I did a Book Buying Bans, Binges and Budgets series on my blog a while back that may be helpful. However, the short version is:

    1. Make a budget
    2.Maybe not go on a buying ban
    3.Get an accountability partner if you DO decide to go on a ban. 🙂

    The wishlist one is a good idea.

    • Whoa. That is a LOT of book buying! And that is how I am too- I buy them, but then do NOT read them! Because I am reading an ARC, or some book I won, or whatever. So probably 1 out of every 4 books I read are books I purchase… so why am I purchasing so many!? So far, since I started the wishlist thing, I have been pretty good, only buying from that list. But, it has only been like, 2 weeks. And I have still bought or pre-ordered 3 books. SO… who knows.

      • I’m so like them and I HAVE to buy them if they’re on sale because “Well what if they never go on sale again??”. It’ ridiculous. Haha. Yes, I’ve only read two books so far and both are ARCs. It’s even worse because I go to the library a lot so then I always want to read THOSE books and my purchased books never get read for a number of months. The wishlist idea is really good. 🙂 I’m trying to do that too. What did you buy/pre-order?

        • YESSSS!! Exactly- what if they are on sale just that ONE TIME!?

          I pre ordered… ready? Okay: All the Bright Places, When, The Way We Bared Our Souls, The Sin Eater’s Daughter, PS I Still Love You, The Winner’s Crime, An Ember in the Ashes, We All Looked Up, Everything That Makes You, Nil Unlocked,Until the Beginning, Scripted, Glass Arrow… um seriously, out of hand!

          • Hahaha, “What if they’re only on sale ONE TIME?” really shouldn’t be a valid excuse for us. XD

            Oh wow! that’s so many more than I thought you’d have chosen. But oooh, All The Bright Places, I’m picking that up tomorrow….er, purchasing the Kindle version. 🙂 We All Looked Up sounds so interesting but I read a not so flattering review. 🙁 I’m excited for P.S. I Still Love You though! And The Winner’s Crime, despite not having read The Winner’s Curse….and owning a copy…. Gah, I wanted to pre-order so many books last month but I held back. And instead spent my money on already released books. Haha.

  5. This is like…the story of my life. =)

    I’m the worst at buying a book immediately after hearing good things about it…sometimes I don’t even think it through, I see one of my favorite bloggers give it 5 stars and it’s straight to Amazon! Bookoutlet is another weakness of mine as I don’t think I’ve ever read a book I bought off there…I’ve only made like 3 orders of 10 books each… =)

    I think you have a chance! You just have to be determined and not let yourself cheat! I think it’s just like a diet(or a relationship), wherein you cheat one time and the whole thing is ruined. I’m limiting myself to 2 books a month simply because I have no job and practically no money so I have no choice anyways! This is a good motivation though! I especially love your wishlist idea though…may have to steal it.

    Good luck with this!

    • YES that is how I am too! Even if it is a genre I don’t really love, or the things they loved about it aren’t my thing… I buy the book anyway. Ridiculous!

      And BOOK OUTLET. I don’t think I have ever read a book I bought there either, now that you mention it. Nope, just scanned my bookshelf, and I have read exactly zero books. I ordered 14 during the Boxing Day sale, guess we’ll see if I read any of those. I am on a Book Outlet hiatus. I should block the site 😉

      Thanks! I am hoping the wishlist thing works… though there are a lot of books already on the stupid list!

  6. I am definitely guilty with some of those not-so-good reasons to buy a book that you just mentioned but I am trying to change the habit this year. I think 5 is a very reasonable number as a limit to a monthly book purchase. Not too many and not too few. Good luck to us all who’s suffering the same with our book-buying tendencies. Happy New Year! 🙂

  7. I’ve actually been guilty of a few of these but since I had to quit work in November due to school getting harder, I’ve been doing better. I did send some old books into Amazon and got a gift card and my mom gave me $50 for Christmas that I spent on books, but of course those don’t count towards my book buying budget because it wasn’t my actual money, right? That’s how I justify it anyway 😉

    • Ohh I hadn’t thought of selling books back to Amazon! What a great idea! And no, books bought with gift cards absolutely do not count, because you didn’t spend your own money, so you’re good 😉

      • I sell my books back at Half Price Books. Then I usually turn that money over and buy more books. But I’ve also treated myself to a movie with snacks or something else I’ve got my eye on. This year, as host of the Shelf Love Challenge, I’m going to try and put that money in a jar or something. I want a new eReader or tablet. Maybe I’ll have enough cash by the end of the year/challenge!

        Terri M., the Director
        Second Run Reviews

  8. A freakin men sistah! I just blew thru a 100$ amazing gift card and placed a Boxing Day order for $65 which means it was really $120 which we know at the book outlet results in ALL THE BOOKS! I am so i stilling your 5 rule on myself. I have recently begged my husband for a new bookshelf since they are currently liked all over our sitting room. (He said yes of course since it is madness how many books are laying around) the worst part is I can’t even read them since I can’t see the words preoperly. Yes I need new glasses and will get them this month but that’s beside the point. I think I have some type of shopping sddiction since I get sad when I can shop for books and I feel anxiety when my amazing balance dips below 10$. The answer…. Seek professional help lol. Great post doll. I really will try to curtail myself. I need to save some money for all the books at BEA * insert evil laugh here*
    ❤️Britt @ pleasefeedthebookworm.com

    • I hear you! I had a $50 GC vanish in no time! It is crazy, we are too close to being book hoarders, really. And ah, BEA! I am so excited for BEA… more money to shell out, of course! But I think that is different, because it is an experience, right? (Let’s tell ourselves that, anyway!)

  9. I’m vouching for Side Effects May Vary, I actually liked that one, and Slated isn’t that bad, it’s just, okay I guess. Didn’t feel a connection with the characters or anything.

    I’ve been doing that this month, though eek. I’ve just felt like buying books…and bought 6 in 3 days, though I have no idea if I’m going to like them and the three are Morgan Matson books (though to be fair, I’ve heard good things, so I’m optimistic and one of them was with a voucher, so it doesn’t count really). But I’m a sucker for cheap sequels…even if I haven’t read the first one, like currently Scarlet is on Amazon for £2 right now but I haven’t read Cinder, though I’ve bought Cinder, and I’ve been weighing up the pros and cons and AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I spend the longest time debating whether to buy this book or that book or if I buy this book, I can buy another one because it’s cheaper, etc… And the Books With Bite team were having a month of deals for Christmas on the kindle, 99p, so I bought The Duff, and Heist Society and another one I can’t remember (and really, I’m only actually planning on reading Heist Society, so huh? WHY DID I BUY THEM?) 🙁 Uhm, we all have hope to spend less this year…until the end of January and then it’s fair game really. Though I think I’ve failed already. I’m telling myself, JUST LOOK AT YOUR REVIEW COPIES. Do you really have time to read or buy more books? (I mean, I only just got to Anna and the French Kiss in my free month in Nov, AND I BOUGHT IT IN JANUARY 2014) But I think it’s good to buy books on a limit, it’s not good to go cold turkey. I had a book spending spree in that January, then I told myself I wouldn’t buy any for a while. And I didn’t. Until June. And then I went mad. And that’s bad.

    Good luck.

    • Oh good! That was one of the ones I was most nervous about! I think Slated may end up being a bathtub book (a book I don’t care too much about getting splashed haha). I bought Scarlet AND Cress because they were cheap on Amazon, long before I read Cinder. I own all The Selection books, and have read zero.

      There are just SO many good books coming out! In fairness, I totally requested ARCs of them, it isn’t my fault that no one will let me read them, right? So I just have to pay for them. I agree, banning is NOT the answer. So… calming down maybe? I don’t know, after I wrote this post, I had a few glasses of wine and bought more books, so I am already failing. Good luck to you too!

  10. Can I just print out that first paragraph right now? 2015 goal right there!

    Laughing so hard at the Book Outlet made me do it. SO true. Also love that you used a Real Housewives gif.

    Actually let me just print out this whole post. Love it! I think you’ll do much better this year 😀

    My tip is actually keeping track of what’s being released – I went through my shelves on GR and picked out all the books being released 1/1/15-12/31/15 and put them on a spreadsheet. Then I whittled it down and said, “Do I REALLY want that one when I have these SIX others??” Most of the time I got it to about 3-4 books each month. I think the worst is May though… there’s like 7 O_O

    • Hahahha thanks! I have been trying to keep track of releases too, but I only made it to March and got tired. BUT I think I should go back and redo it, because it is a really great idea. I like the spreadsheet thing too, 3 or 4 wouldn’t be too bad. February seems like a rough one for me already. I know I preordered 3 in March already… oops? And 4 in January. I mean, I have already bought too many books this month and I don’t own any yet!

  11. I don’t really buy a ton of books to be honest. I guess part of that is that I don’t really get out to bookstores much…so that’s good. As for online deals and things like that, I just try to ignore things. I have a Kindle now, but I don’t really buy too much because I know I won’t get to it soon. I already have a HUGE unread library of books at my house that I need to read…so I’m trying to read more of what I already own or use the library. 🙂

    -Lauren

    • That IS good! I try to avoid bookstores, because the chain bookstore physical locations are ridiculously overpriced. You are amazing, reading books you OWN! I think you should explain to the rest of the class how that works, because seriously, the rest of us fail at this. Or at least, I sure do! Keep up the good work, and I will try to follow your example 🙂

  12. The other thing I want to do is read the books off my shelve. If I didn’t like the book I like to get rid of it, but I have a hard time convincing my sister of this so they sit on our shelves when neither one of us cared for it.

    My goal is to spend less in 2015. I set up a reward system when I have to earn money through working out and reading. It is in my Out with Old and In with the New February post.

    • YES! I need to read the books that I already spent money on! Why can I not do this? I have no sister holding me back! I thought of giving some away for giveaways too, but nope, can’t do it. What if I want to read it some day?

      I LOVE this idea about earning them! THAT IS PERFECT. Seriously, you have discovered the way to kill two birds with one stone! I want to lose weight, so this can be such an amazing combination! Every X lbs = one new book! AH, genius! You are a genius! THANK YOU!!

  13. Yep, all those reasons are great for binge buying books, and then later wondering what you were thinking. That’s why we’re doing a no book buying challenge and focusing on those books we already binge bought.

  14. Hahah Shannon I’m actually trying to SPEND MORE this 2015 on books, only because I’m not very good at buying the books that I want, since I am pretty frugal. But this year I’ve gotta learn that I can SAVE UP FOR STUFF because I HAVE A JOB. AKA JOB = BOOKS (and video games). And I guess food too. But YEA.

    The only problem I will have with this sadly, is NOT HAVING ENOUGH BOOKCASES. I guess I’ll just put them in bins then. Yeah. That will work. I will just have bins of books no big deal. I’ll wait til grad school before buying new bookshelfs.

    • Great, I know what you can spend money on! Books for ME! I am… not frugal. At all. Which I guess is why YOU were the one who had BEA money while I have to wait and beg my mom 😉

      I have bins for Lena’s Berenstain Bear books, she likes it. It is very easily accessible. Which is why I want to steal her bookcase. I don’t have enough either. I am going to be bankrupt, with bins of Berenstain Bear books and bookcases full of books, but they’ll be with me, under a bridge 😉

  15. I am so guilty! My Kindle sins cause me so much shame!!! Sometimes I would get a book on kindle and then…I would buy a physical copy of it. I KNOW, I KNOW, the shame is real! I hope you can accomplish this for all of us, in fact I know you can do it. Give us hope Shannon.

    • OH! I have done that! Own the Kindle copy… but then “oh look, the pretty hardcover is on sale”. Seriously, WHY!?

      Thank you, I promise I will try! I will report back on how it goes 😉

  16. WAIT. HOLD UP. Are you saying that a pretty cover isn’t a good reason to buy/read a book? THERE GOES 78% OF MY READS. (That is kind of bad of me, right? I’m a notorious cover judger.)
    I don’t actually buy books. *cue gasping* I probably bought less than 10 books during the whole of 2014! >_< I'm a poor little bookworm. My ambition, actually, is to have enough money to buy a book a month, like it to be my dedicated thing. I'm actually considering it for 2015 (I'll rob a bank or something)…but JANUARY HAS BOTH GOLDEN SON AND ENSNARED AND HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PICK?

    • Hahahah well, no. It is a great reason to READ a book. Not a great reason to BUY the book. Unless you have tons of money and just want to look at pretty covers. Then, you know, have at it!

      WHOA, less than 10!? HOW!? And I don’t know how to pick because I already pre-ordered 5 books just in January. Such a fail. Maybe buy 2 in January, but none in July? I don’t think July has any new releases that I am excited for.

  17. I read Before I Die years ago, and I remember I loved it at the time and it made me cry… But that doesn’t mean I’ll still like it if I read it now. But I mean, it can’t be that bad if I thought it was good years ago……… CAN IT. *gasp*

    “I might want to read it someday, and it is on sale” (I just did this twice today already) IS TOTALLY A GOOD REASON TO BUY A BOOK. >:( I will get round to reading all these books someday…… I WILL.

    I do buy books based on covers too half the time, haha.

    I think I’m really gonna limit myself to buying maybe 2-4 books a month this year…. (HAHAHAHAHA.) It is so hard. Today I bought Scarlet since it was on sale even though I don’t own and haven’t read Cinder yet. PLEASE HELP ME. But I thought, seriously, EVERYONE LOVES THIS SERIES, I’M GONNA HAVE TO LOVE IT TOO, RIGHT? RIGHT? I dunno. I CAN’T STOP MYSELF.

    • Well, I take that as good news! I mean, it can’t be TERRIBLE if you liked it then. Like, maybe you wouldn’t like it AS much, but I bet you’d still like it. Probably? Hahha

      I am just afraid I will drop dead before I can read these books! Though, being surrounded by them DOES make me happy, so maybe it isn’t a completely bad thing?

      YES, Cinder was good! So you did not make a mistake buying Scarlet (I bought Cress and haven’t read Scarlet yet, haha).

      Maybe I should form some kind of 12-step program…

  18. I don’t know, a Tuesday seems like a pretty good reason to buy a book to me. Or, even better, a Monday. Who can resist buying books on a Monday?

    I actually don’t really know how much money I spend on books. I know I can’t do a Stacking the Shelves post every week (or even every other week) because I simply don’t buy books that often, but I would say I probably do buy a couple of books every month. I always figure books are worth the money, but sometimes I feel guilty about buying so many because most of the time I only read them once. And I do have quite a few books I bought and haven’t read yet. Something that ALWAYS gets me is classics. They’re usually so cheap and they’re CLASSICS so you know, it’s a bargain price and I’m sure I’ll read them sometime. Then they usually sit on my shelf for a couple of years. Sometimes I do actually pick them up after a while. Like, I’m proud to say I’m reading To Kill a Mockingbird right now. I think I’ve actually had it for about …six years? I also buy sequels because I can’t stand not finishing a series, but I’m getting better at it. Reached by Allie Condie has been sitting on my shelf unread for a couple of months now, but I haven’t bought the sequel to Throne of Glass because I didn’t like the first book that much. It just genuinely irks me not to finish the series when I’ve started it!

    Great post!

    • Oh my goodness, I am the SAME way! I HAVE to finish a series, it bugs me to no end when I read the first book and don’t finish. Now, if it is a book I absolutely HATE, I can usually let it go (though when the sequel comes out, no lie, I contemplate buying it, for some ridiculous reason), but otherwise I just must finish the series.

  19. Oh dear. Well, I bid you good luck! My personal resolution (although I shouldn’t call it a resolution because I don’t do resolutions, since they fail after a month anyway!) is to attack my tbr pile of books (physical or ebook) I already own. Then it surprises me how big other people’s piles are – I thought my 80 was a lot, but I’ve seen people owning up to 670 books! Still, it’s a good method for me to not spend as much on books… hopefully. There’s always the excuse, “But I WANT IT.”

    • Hahha thanks! I DO want to attack my TBR pile but then all the shiny new 2015 books are coming out so…. I think it is hard, because other bloggers are posting about all the new releases, and I cannot read enough to keep up with all the new books!

      Sadly, mine is getting into the 400s I think. I should really sit down and to inventory, because I would probably horrify myself. But I suppose there are FAR worse things to spend money on, right? 😉

  20. Luckily, I’m extremely frugal when it comes to spending my own money, so I only made poor book buying decisions when someone gives me gift cards for my birthday or Christmas. I’m so, so guilty of buying e-books because they’re $2.99, and occasionally, the last book I recall is the one that one blogger raved about the other day. Blogging made book buying really quite a challenge for me!

    • I wish I was more frugal, but I am kind of non-frugal in life, so I guess it makes sense that I am spending too much on books too! Good for you for being responsible! You shall now teach the rest of us 🙂

  21. I am terrible at buying good looking used books or sale books! And the NEED to own all of the series is a big one! I just discovered Book Outlet and decided I can to only go when they’re having a big sale. Yeah that’s a lot of unread sequels. I’m not showing mine. *hides* lol @ hearing bad things but buying them anyway. Yeah I’ve heard bad things about Eve. Kindle sales are dangerous, but I only pay for books that I already wanted. Those ones don’t even look familiar. Yeah I was tempted to buy Unhinged, but forced myself not to since I too just got Splintered. I’m not as strong as you to set monthly goals. I think I just need to read more owned books.

    • I keep thinking that reading my owned books will work… and then 2015 comes around, and ALL the new shiny books come out and… back at square one! Hahah how did you know that Eve was the one I was referring to!? Again, I say, you know me too well!

  22. I only buy sequels after I read the first book in a series, the exception might be a series from one of my favourite authors and I know I am goign to love it, but even then I feel better reading the first book first. I don’t have a lot of money and it just seems unreasonable to buy a book when I haven’t read the first book, having read trhe first book at leats gives me soem garantee I probably enjoy the book.

    Those sales can really get to me, especially when a book is on sale for really cheap and I might want to read the book. Best way to deal with those is to stay away from sites that sell books altogether, although that can be really hard.

    • Yes, I think you probably have the right idea. Because if I don’t like the first book, now I have an entire series that I am going to feel obligated to read. It’s so ridiculous!

      And I agree, there are some sites I can kind of force myself to stay away from (ah hem, Book Outlet) but I cannot stay away from Amazon, because what if one book I really want to read is on sale!? Haha.

  23. My way of reducing spending lately is telling myself that if I’m not planning on reading it anytime soon, I can wait on buying it. I should also put myself on a strict limit (probably X amount of dollars spent on books in a certain number of months). I’m kinda glad I’m not the only one that buys sequels when I haven’t even started the series. 😀 I definitely need to try starting those series first, though. . . .

    • YES that is kind of my plan too! Like, I know I can only read say, 10 books a month at best. SO, figuring 5 are ebooks, then at the absolute MOST, I can only buy 5 books a month, and I should aim for less.

      But then… the 2015 releases. GAH!

  24. Oh haha, yes, the famous ‘BUT IT’S A BARGAIN BOOK’ is something I fall for every time. There is something about a cheap book that I can’t resist, even when I know I won’t read it any time soon. I highly recommend to read Days of blood and starlight 🙂

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