Frugal Tips

Books and frugality somehow go together like rioja and serrano ham - a natural pair. We like to think that it's because thinking people tend toward both.

Books can be a huge expense, however. New hardbacks cost upwards of $20 a volume, and across a family that adds up fast.

So how to save money on books? Start with your local library. Most books you want to read are not really ones you need in your home bookshelves, and the local library meets that need.

Then there are friends - so long as you take good care of them, many of your friends will share their purchases after they've read them.

To build your own home library, you are going to want to learn to love used books. As always, your local used book store can be a wonderful place to browse, but the used book business has been revolutionized by the internet.

For used booksellers, the internet has provided a way to generate sales worldwide. For bookbuyers, the internet makes it feasible to find exactly the book you want at a lower price. You can find great deals at Amazon, eBay, Half.com and AbeBooks.com.

Sometimes, you need to pay close attention to the edition or year of publication. Sometimes, that remarkably cheap book beats all other prices because it's not the current version. On occasion, that matters.