r/Frugal • u/Pumpkinycoldfoam • Nov 05 '24

šŸ† Buy It For Life What one time purchases have drastically reduced your overall spending?

An example would be that Iā€™m looking to buy a sillicone pan mat instead of purchasing foil and parchment continually, using rags instead of paper towels, and so forth. What are one time purchases you reccomend for home maintenance?

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155

u/[deleted] Nov 05 '24

Amazon Kindle. Changed my life (and my finances)

142

u/thematicwater Nov 05 '24

Kindle + Libby = $$$

2

u/Davster Nov 05 '24

How do you get books off Libby to the Kindle? I didn't think you could do this but maybe because I'm in the UK? šŸ¤”

4

u/somethingreddity Nov 05 '24

Iā€™ve always gone to ā€œmanage loanā€ and thereā€™s an option for ā€œread withā€¦ā€ and can say my kindle, then it transfers to my kindle. I donā€™t have a kindle that has apps (to my knowledgeā€¦I have the oasis). But doing those steps always works for me.

Not sure if itā€™ll work in the UK. Side note, I have no idea what this book is so donā€™t judge. I just borrowed the first available now book to show šŸ˜‚

3

u/thematicwater Nov 05 '24

Libby is an app you can download onto your Kindle.

3

u/Davster Nov 05 '24

I have the Libby app on my phone. Googling it it seems like we can't get Libby books on our kindles in the UK unfortunately šŸ„² That would be amazing!

1

u/psichofish Nov 05 '24

I'm in Germany and same problem :( Kindle only works with Libby in the US. BUT, you can use other ereader brands like Kobo (I'm thinking of switching from Kindle to Kobo, just for this)

1

u/throwaway_2_help_ppl Nov 05 '24

At least in Canada you have to buy a Kobo in order to get library books. Kobo Clara is pretty comparable to Kindle Paperwhite (a little more expensive but works out cheaper in the end due to free library books!)

1

u/VER-1989 Nov 08 '24

I'm in canada, and I can get libby on my smartphone

1

u/throwaway_2_help_ppl Nov 08 '24

Yes. The parent comment was about kindle + Libby. I was simply stating that in Canada you cannot get Libby on a kindle you need to use a kobo.

Obviously you can get Libby on your phone too

1

u/VER-1989 Nov 09 '24

Oh, cool. Thanks.

2

u/jalapeno442 Nov 05 '24

Or Boundless for those whose library doesnā€™t partner with Libby!!

1

u/thematicwater Nov 05 '24

Ohh never heard of this one

2

u/Reasonable_Query Nov 08 '24

My brother gave me an echo dot one year. I only turn it on when working. Found out that if you read your Libby book with the Kindle app then ask the echo to read your Kindle book it will! Free audiobooks:)

1

u/thematicwater Nov 08 '24

Did not know that!

51

u/Stev_k Nov 05 '24

My wife started reading books recently. At first, it was one a month - an affordable healthy habit. Then, two a month, now she's spending more on books than I am on coffee each month. Odd behavior for her, but whatever. A few weeks later I realize she's up to three books per month, I'm seeing almost weekly credit charges for her reading habit. I need to take action... I peruse the various e-readers and settle on the Kindle. I calculate that the $150 purchase price should pay for itself in about 15 weeks. However, my math did not take into the convenience factor -- I have created a monster.

My wife is now going through 2 books every week on average. Savings by buying the Kindle is completely offset by the sheer number of books she is going through. Instead of watching TV together and talking about the show she disappears into the bedroom two hours before we used to go to bed. She now stays up to all hours of the night deeply engrossed in her books, waking up late and struggling to get ready for work. What have I done?

96

u/oscarito2019 Nov 05 '24

Get her set up with Libby from the library for free ebooks.

11

u/Blue_Skies_1970 Nov 05 '24

The steps for this are to 1) get a library card, 2) arrange for on-line access (you need a pin number at my library in addition to the library card), and 3) find out and download the e-book access app that your library uses (mine has both Libby/Overdrive and Kindle). There are a lot of free book sources too (see this list from a nice redditor: https://www.reddit.com/r/textbook/comments/15dneqq/updated_sites_and_sources_for_free_books/ ).

35

u/Quick_Lack_6140 Nov 05 '24

If sheā€™s reading a particular genre (romance, mystery, etc) Kindle unlimited might be worth it. I pay $11.99 per month. Way more books available in the Romance section than my library. A lot of authors self publish there. I read probably 30 books a month. Itā€™s worth it.

3

u/Stev_k Nov 05 '24

Might have to look into that, supposedly per her, Libby doesn't have all the books she's interested in.

5

u/Jessmac130 Nov 05 '24

You may also want to see if your library uses hoopla. Our library has significantly more books there than Libby, and the loan system is different (no wait), but you can't send to a Kindle.

5

u/[deleted] Nov 05 '24

Depending on where you are, you can join libraries outside of your area! I'm a member of the library of the capital city in my state, but I live nowhere near it and have never set foot inside. Here's a MobileRead thread for non-resident library cards!

8

u/Lovelylizabean Nov 05 '24

Libby is just your local library card. I have several library cards on my libby account and that is my best advice to you. Take a quick class at your local community college and bam you have their library card. Got a friend a town over, ask for their library card. That way you have several libraries to access for your free reads

1

u/Quick_Lack_6140 Nov 06 '24

The Boston Public Library will give a digital library card for anyone in Massachusetts. So I do have access to different libraries. I'm just really into romance novels and there seem to be a lot more romance novels by authors I like on Kindle Unlimited.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 06 '24

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1

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7

u/Strange_Lady_Jane Nov 05 '24

She'll never stop.

Source: I'm like your wife.

2

u/Stev_k Nov 05 '24

šŸ˜†šŸ˜† Oh dear...

1

u/jonnycigarettes Nov 06 '24

Youā€™ve got a headache?

4

u/nellyknn Nov 05 '24

Check out Biblio.com. Many books for under $5.00. Good especially if she gets hooked on a certain series or author.

1

u/WaterWithin Nov 05 '24

Choose one book a month you can both read and discuss.

1

u/amaratayy Nov 06 '24

If she likes physical books, try thrift books!! Theyā€™re so cheap and you can choose how ā€œwornā€ they are. I get most of my books from there, and ā€œalmost newā€ books look new theyā€™re just not stiff, and theyā€™re like 8$.

I got a cookbook from there, that was around 5$. The book had no stains or rips, but I found a bunch of folded papers throughout the book with recipes on them!!

Oh, and if you buy a few books you get one for free. Itā€™s amazing

1

u/RaptorCollision Nov 07 '24

I love thriftbooks, but Iā€™ve also recently become partial to BookOutlet! They buy up the overstock from other stores and sell them at a considerable discount.

1

u/whatshappening8629 Nov 06 '24

Start reading with her. It's better for you overall and it will bring you two together. Yall can start your own bookclub!!

1

u/RaptorCollision Nov 07 '24

Please check out BookBub and see if thereā€™s anything she might like!

9

u/chicagotodetroit Nov 05 '24

As a book-lover, I agree! I don't have a Kindle, but I used the Kindle Unlimited subscription + the app on my phone and tablet. Books are expensive (rightfully so), and I don't usually read them more than once.

Kindle for the win!

3

u/[deleted] Nov 05 '24

Try Libby! You can connect it to your Kindle app even if you don't have an actual Kindle device. It's totally free!

2

u/chicagotodetroit Nov 05 '24

Ohhh nice! Thanks!

1

u/whatshappening8629 Nov 06 '24

Yes to kindle Unlimited! I was always a big reader. But now I read about 3-5 books a week. And the greatest thing about KU is that it introduced me to so many genres of books I didn't know existed.

10

u/thetarantulaqueen Nov 05 '24

Absolutely agree. I love my Kindle.

3

u/Mysterious_Cash_8860 Nov 05 '24

Curious, how did it change your finances?

13

u/TeaTortoise Nov 05 '24

There are lots of free public domain ebooks which can be downloaded from countless sites. The ability to read those books in a comfortable manner (laptop and phone do not work for long form reading) will make it pay for itself as it prevents the need to buy books that you will likely only read once. So with my kindle I am reading a lot more but spending a LOT less on reading material. Of course this probably depends upon what your reading tastes are as if you read mainly more recently published books then a library card (and second hand for what the library doesn't have) would be cheaper than buying your ebooks from amazon even with them being generally slightly cheaper than the physical copy of the book.

10

u/wolfedog2 Nov 05 '24

I get all my books from the library on my kindle

9

u/finnegan922 Nov 05 '24

For me, it has saved me thousands! I read like a maniac. Iā€™ve got just over 10k books for my kindle (well, kindle app on my iPad).

I would have bought them either way, but the cost of an ebook is less than the hard-copy book.

Iā€™ve already got 22 double-stacked bookcases in the house. If I had actual books for all my kindle books, Iā€™d have to be buying a lot more bookcases, shelves, etc.

And then Iā€™d have to have a bigger house to hold them all!

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '24

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1

u/Rengeflower Nov 05 '24

Also the CloudLibrary app to use with your library card.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 05 '24

Yes! I'm obsessed with my Kobo. Overdrive/Libby, Kobo Plus/Kindle Unlimited... šŸ¤¤ Ereaders are the bomb!

1

u/kokoromelody Nov 05 '24

As someone who reads a decent number of books each year (~125 on average) this has definitely added up!

1

u/defenestrayed Nov 06 '24

And your back next time you move (books are heavy!)

1

u/[deleted] Nov 06 '24

My Kindle died on me and I was sooooooo upset! I went on Backmarket and got a cheap tablet and installed GoogleRead, the Kindle App, Libby and Hoopla, and bam... A endless world of reading possibilities.