Why Browsing a Bookstore Can Save You Time and Money

Despite all the technological improvements offered by online retailers today, I still find myself visiting bookstores to purchase new books off the shelf. I don’t buy enough books to warrant a discount card but when you add in the shipping charges on individual books, your local bookstore may offer competitive pricing compared to the online retailers. And the best thing is you don’t have to wait for delivery of your books (most of the time).

You see, for me it’s important to be able to thumb through a book before I buy it. I want to make sure that it is a book I will read. I don’t want to spend money on books I lose interest in. Furthermore, I don’t want to wait for my books, especially if I decide to send them back. Shopping for books at a local store still makes a lot of sense in the frugal lifestyle.

You can also better resist the temptation to make impulse purchases by patronizing your local bookseller. When you browse an online catalog of books you’ll be overwhelmed by the huge variety of titles (many older books that you can no longer buy in the stores, for example); and to entice you into buying more books the online retailers may offer free shipping and other discounts.

But if you don’t want or need the books, then why buy them? You’re spending MORE money, not less, and then you’re also using up valuable shelf space in your home for books you don’t even want to read.

Leisure time is very important to your mental health and physical well-being. You want to browse books in a store because it can be very relaxing and thought-provoking. You’ll spend your dollars more wisely and at the same time you’ll be giving yourself a quick destressing moment. Of course, there are times (especially during the holiday book-buying season) when visiting a bookstore is anything BUT stress-free. But if you’re holiday shopping then you have already made the decision to engage in a stressful afternoon or evening. Nonetheless, you’ll still reap the other benefits of browsing books in a store.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not opposed to using online retailers. I still occasionally buy books from them, too. If I find I need a title that I cannot easily obtain from my local bookseller then I’ll check an online store. If they can help me get the book at a good price then it makes perfect sense to spend my money there.

Online retailers also make it easy to buy electronic books that you can read right away. That is certainly very convenient. The key takeaway here is that if you invest time in making the right purchase decision without overthinking it you’ll save yourself time, money, and stress.