How to Receive Books and Textbooks for Free

If you are like me, you spend a small fortune every year on books and magazines. Books are my lifeline to finding out the information I need to know. I read books on every topic I want to know more about including computer books, books on homebirth, books about organization and so much more. Although the internet is a great resource, there is nothing like sitting down in a comfy chair or recliner with a good book and a hot cup of tea (or hot cocoa). As the saying goes, "There is nothing like curling up with a good book".

My husband has quickly learned that I need quiet time every evening to curl up with a good book. This is the time of the day that I do not want to be disturb with anything else. A book helps me to un-wind and focus on good things in life rather than the difficult circumstances I currently may be facing. Books are nourishment for the soul and information for the mind. Perhaps some of the best things in life are a cup of hot or iced Chai (if you have never tried Chai, I highly recommend it), a hot bubble bath (whirlpool tubs are my favorite) and a good book.

Due to the amount of money we spend every year on books, I constantly look for ways to save money. Some ways I have found to save money are by buying used books on Amazon.com or Half.com. Amazon.com has free shipping with their Amazon Prime membership. This is one way to save money on shipping Amazon books to your home & receive them quickly! Other ways including borrowing books from the library, however, I have found that I often receive large overdue fees when I forget to return the books. I have also found that Borders book store will ship books free to your home or a friends home if it is not available in their store. You can ask about this next time you visit Borders.

Recently, I found a great way to receive books for FREE! There were two books I was looking to buy brand new and I was planning to spend close to $40 to acquire both books. Searching the internet late one evening looking for the book titles, I was reminded of a place online called PaperBackSwap.com. PaperBackSwap allows users to exchange their old books for new books they would like to receive. I logged onto paperbackswap late that evening and posted ten of my own books to trade. In exchange for posting the ten books, I received free credits that allowed me to select the books I wanted. Within twenty minutes of logging onto PaperBackSwap, the two books I wanted were on their way to my home!

PaperBackSwap works on the honor system. Simply mail the books that you don't want to others who want them and you will receive credits in your account towards books you want. Others will pay the postage to mail books to you that you want to receive. This simple system works quite effectively. What do you do if you don't have enough credits for the book you want ? PaperBackSwap allows you to buy credits for $3.45 each through Paypal. It is only $3.45 for any book you want and that includes shipping! If there is a book you want that isn't currently listed, simply add the book to your wishlist and PaperBackSwap will let you know when it becomes available.

Since becoming a member of Paperbackswap, I have been able to receive several titles I have planned to buy along with other titles that sparked my interest. The only true danger of PaperBackSwap is the ability to inexpensively acquire more books! It is high time I sort through my books list more books on PaperBackSwap!