Eclectic, quirky, and sometimes edgy…this is how things look from my front porch.




Saturday, January 31, 2009

Bargain of the Day

I am a voracious reader. I used to just buy whatever I wanted, never considering the library, reading a review, getting recommendations from friends or finding a cheaper way to buy new.

The result was that by last year, I was drowning in books. I actually threw some away. The same thing with magazines. Half the time, I wasn't so crazy about the books, which I bought on impulse. I've wised up.

My local Starbucks has a big wicker basket to exchange books. I've picked up a few and dropped off plenty of books and magazines. I borrow books from friends or my mother and sister. I get recommendations before I buy a book. I particularly like to buy books my blog girls recommend.

Yesterday, I decided to add two books to my wish list on Amazon: Housekeepinng and The School of Essential Ingredients. That way I don't forget about them, have time to consider them and family members can look there if they need a gift idea.

I noticed that Amazon has a charge card with incentives, no annual fee. Bruce and I have been using credit to our advantage, by picking a credit card with cash back or other perks. My husband uses one from a favorite store and it pays for his shoes and cowboy boots. We charge EVERYTHING and then issue a draft from our checking account the same day, paying it back.

I decided to get the Amazon card so I could start getting credits to spend there. Why should Bruce have all the fun? Imagine my surprise when I saw a message on the screen saying that I had received an immediate credit which paid for my wish list books with just sixteen cents for me to pay. The shipping was free, with orders of $25 or above. The costs are vastly reduced from the bookstore. You can also order used books for a very reasonable price.

I still do use the library, but also like to have my own books. This is a very cheap way of doing it.

2 comments:

Judy said...

We LOVE our Amazon card!

Debra said...

Oh! Thanks for reminding me about the amazon card. I've shopped there for years but for whatever reason, have never applied.

Oh, but I did do something there yesterday--I became an associate and put a widget on my blog. If anyone orders through my widget I'll get a tiny percentage and then will be able to use the money for more cool amazon stuff. :) I hope you will like Housekeeping! It's a little slow, but the language is gorgeous. If you can find the vhs movie, even better. :) Blessings, Debra