Reading is addictive and keeping up with the hobby can get expensive! But, it doesn’t have to be. Getting a great deal is one of my strengths and, over the years, I have found many ways to get books online for less money. Below are my personal favorite ways to save money on books online.
How to Get Books Online for Less Money
Book Sales
I personally scour several sources on the internet daily for deals on books. You can subscribe to my weekly email newsletter to get updates on the best book deals I find. I consider it my personal mission to get the best books for less money in the hands of my friends and followers!
Amazon
Amazon has daily deals in several categories, including books. You can check Amazon’s daily deals to get books online for less money, and/or you can subscribe to my weekly email newsletter a,s mentioned above.
Another great hack for Amazon Prime members is that, if you choose “no rush” shipping you can often get a credit towards digital products, which you can use to buy books for less.
Special Offer: And if you aren’t a Prime member, click here to get your first 30 days for free.
Audible
I’m an audiobook addict, and I believe everyone should at least try audiobooks. They are a great way to get through mundane tasks and long commutes, and they help you to connect with a book on another level. Audible is a great service where you can get (audio) books online for less money.
If you are a member, you get one credit (which can be redeemed for one book) a month, which is usually much less than the retail price, as well as access to the Audible Plus catalog at no extra cost, as well as 30% off additional book purchases. They also run a daily deal on one book per day and periodic sales on a variety of books where you can stock up on books at lower prices.
The service is really easy to use. And if you don’t like a book for whatever reason, you can easily return it, and you can cancel your membership anytime. Audible is an absolute must for my reading life, and I have found that I have saved a lot of money overall on books by using Audible.
Special Offer: Try Audible and get 2 free audio books.
Libro.fm
Libro.fm is an app that serves as an alternative to Audible, but it supports independent bookstores instead of Amazon. The app works just as well as the Audible app, if not better, both on my phone and in the car. I love the feature that tells me exactly what percentage I am at in a book. And when I reached out to customer service one time, I got a response that day from the CEO.
Like Audible, Libro.fm costs $14.99 a month for one credit (which can be redeemed for one book). You also get 30% off additional book purchases, and you can cancel your membership anytime. Libro.fm also has a “sale” page on their website where you can pick up a great book for less money.
If you are an audiobook lover, there’s no reason not to try Libro.fm, especially since it supports your local economy.
Special Offer: Get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with a new Libro.fm monthly membership with code LitLife
Everand
Everand is a membership service. For $11.99 a month, you get access to the Everand library of ebooks and audiobooks. There are TONS of new releases. While you technically can access unlimited titles, Everand only allows you to access about 4-5 newer releases a month. Still — it’s an incredible value, and I use it almost daily.
Special Offer: Get your first 30 days at Everand for free.
ThriftBooks
Thriftbooks is a great website where you can get books online for less money. They have a large inventory from which you can choose books whose prices vary based on their condition (i.e., new, like new, very good, good). Shipping is free on orders over $10.00, and only 0.99 cents per item on orders under $10.00.
While I don’t always get a great deal on what I am looking for here, I have very frequently gotten excellent deals (around $3.00-$4.00). I have always been happy with the condition of the books I purchased, which I believe have all been “used.” Additionally, they offer 15% off your first purchase when you sign up for emails (as of the date of this post).
eBay
eBay is such a go-to for me for things that are “hard to find.” Indeed, I have found good deals on books on eBay, which I have read, and then re-sold on eBay myself. I call that a double deal!
And if you haven’t sold on eBay yet, it has gotten very easy over the years. If you are decent with using your phone, you can probably navigate an eBay sale fairly easily. I recommend eBay for buying highly coveted and/or rare books online for less money.
Book of the Month
Book of the Month is fantastic for book lovers. It takes the guesswork out of figuring out what book to read next. Each month, Book of the Month finds the best new reads—with an emphasis on early releases (sometimes you can get them even before the official public release date), fresh perspectives and debut authors.
For $14.99, you get to pick one book each month. Usually, this is less than the retail price of a hardcover book. You can also add up to two more books per month for only $9.99, and you can skip a month or cancel your membership at any time.
Special Offer: You can get your first month for just $9.99 (as of the date of this post).
Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble website always runs deals for buying books online. They also have a “sale” page, which you can access directly on their website.
I simply subscribe to Barnes & Noble‘s email newsletters to keep tabs on what promos they are running.
Books-A-Million
Books-A-Million is another retail giant where you can get books online for less. They have a “bargain” page with physical book deals around $5.00 — I love the idea of getting physical books for less money.
They also have a “millionaire’s club” where you can get coupons, discounts, and free shipping with a yearly membership fee of $25.00. Lastly, when you sign up for their email list, you get 20% off your first purchase (as of the date of this post).
Book Outlet
Book Outlet is a website that sells overstocks on books at deeply discounted prices. They don’t have everything, and quantities are limited, but you may get lucky with a good find. There are many new, popular fiction options, as well as great cookbooks and tons of children’s books too.
Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates)
Rakuten is a rebate program where you get cash back when making qualifying purchases, with a simple click in their Google Chrome extension or their app for mobile.
For example, in Google Chrome, when you are buying something, a popup will offer you cashback from that store (which is usually 1% to 10%+). Just click it!
The mobile app functions like a search bar, where you simply search for a store, click it and shop.
I have made thousands in cash back since 2014! Yes, thousands! There are no costs or catches — Rakuten makes money from stores in exchange for Rakuten‘s advertisement. Rakuten then distributes some of its own earnings to users. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Special Offer: Get $10.00 when you join Rakuten for free and make a purchase using Rakuten … because you are basically throwing money away by not using it!
Raise
Raise is another great way to stack deals or make your own deal. It’s a website and/or app where you can buy discounted e-gift cards to buy books for less money online. When you are ready to make an online purchase, quickly check Raise to see if there are any good gift card deals for that store and/or extra coupon codes from Raise.
The gift cards are usually delivered to you instantly, so the process takes only an extra minute of time. (P.S. you can use also Ebates while making your Raise purchase!)
Special Offer: Get $5.00 towards your first purchase on Raise because saving money equals making money.
In conclusion, the above are all of my favorite ways to get books online for less money. They have made such an impact on keeping my reading habit affordable. Try at least one for yourself, and maybe even stack a few for maximum savings.
