Since I’m not working right now, I have to reimagine my spending habits, especially when buying books. Hopefully, my situation will change soon, but I have to get a little creative for now. So, I asked myself how I’d satisfy my cravings for new books without going broke.

First, I must control the ways I hear about shiny new books. I’m a huge fan of book podcasts, and there are so many of them. Every time I listen to one, my TBR list grows exponentially. This doesn’t mean I rush out to my local indie and whip out my credit card immediately. However, the titles are on my radar, and it is tough to shut off the constant pinging to my amygdala—the part of the brain that generates desire.

So, I went through the book-themed podcasts I listen to on Spotify and unfollowed most of them. Not all of them. I kept the ones that not only have recommendations but also take deep dives into reading topics (like this one about budgeting). I’m staying away from the ones that were primarily lists of book recommendations and nothing else. This required me to make some tough choices. Against my better judgment, I will continue to follow Zibby Owens’ podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time to Read.” Her wonderful podcast includes author talks as well as quality book recs. She is a talented interviewer, and I am always in the mood for advice from seasoned writers.

Other bookish podcasts were easier to unfollow. One is hosted by two women in their 20s who talked too much about #adulting and their upcoming milestone birthdays of 25 and 30. 🙄 Oy! I hope this doesn’t sound like reverse ageism, but I couldn’t take their banter for one more minute. I have children their age, and I respect their opinions. However, as a 50+-year-old empty nester, I will also honor the stage of life I’m in, and book tastes evolve with age. And if these women have good recommendations, I’ll hear about the book from someone else. As the kids say, there is no FOMO here. (IYKYK)

Another way to curb my book spending habits is all about timing. Last year, I participated in No Book Buy July, which encouraged me to revisit the books I own or take advantage of my local library. I am confident that I saved around $350 by borrowing books instead of buying them. I had the pleasure of reading them without having to make room on my shelf. I also prioritize reading library books before others because I know people are waiting to read them when I’m done. The ones I own aren’t going anywhere, but library books have a deadline attached. If I don’t want to go back to the end of the line in the holding queue, I need to finish them.

The library also tells my amygdala to calm the f**k down. The shiny new book I heard about is probably at the library, and I’ll get to it when I get to it. There is no rush. We have plenty of other titles to keep us company—which brings me back to timing.

Instead of declaring book buy bans on myself, I want to pick months when I will buy books. I will choose these months based on special occasions. Whenever I plan to do an indie bookstore crawl, that will be a book-buying month. I’ll also give myself a grace period if I discover a new indie bookstore and want to support it within reason. It’s also my birthday next month, and I usually treat myself to a Boston Kreme donut and a trip to the bookstore.

Shit. I’m starting to see how this plan is already falling apart. Well, I tried. 😀

Okay, lightning round time. Here are a few more (realistic) ways I’ll curb my spending.

• Consider my Kindle as a platform to read digital books, not download more books.
• Borrow books from my friends! Lots of them are readers who have books I want to read.
• Cancel my Audible account, which kills me, but I can always come back to it later. I have enough audiobooks to listen to, and I don’t need to add any more.
• Treat myself to the books I’ve already purchased (see my pretty bookshelf photo above). Clearly, I was excited about them at one point. Time to remind myself why I bought them in the first place. I know I’ll uncover a lot of backlist gems there.
• Order bookish gifts online and ship them to those I love. This is an idea from a few fellow bloggers, and it’s a good one. Why else do I have that Amazon Prime account?

In what ways do you curb your spending for something you love? It doesn’t have to be books. It can be anything—crafts, jigsaw puzzles, scented candles, trips to Sephora, etc. Let’s help each other out. Share your ideas in the comments.

XO,
Elisa

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Let’s get right to it, shall we?

Confession #1: I went shopping for a book by myself

The book haul from Barnes and Noble

I should never be left alone in a bookstore with a credit card and no chaperone. But yesterday, I went with good intentions for a specific purpose—to buy my daughter a birthday present. There is a particular book I want to purchase for her that was just published in paperback. I planned to find the book and go straight to the cashier. I promised myself not to look at or even pick up any other books along the way.

Well, things didn’t go quite as planned. I was greeted at the door with several signs that read “50% off hardback books.”

Shit.

But I kept walking past those tables and searched through the stacks. I couldn’t find that damn book for her anywhere. I looked in the social sciences, psychology, self-help, and essay collection sections. Yes, I could have asked the bookseller for their assistance, but what fun would that be?

After 30 minutes of looking, I worked my way back to the front of the store to leave. I passed by those signs again and of course, I looked. And, I may have accidentally come upon a few titles on sale that I would up buying. Sigh.

Also, did I mention I was shopping at a Barnes & Noble instead of an indie bookstore? In almost every book review I write, I implore all of you to support your local independent booksellers. They need our support for their own survival, and that’s no exaggeration.

And then, I caved.

I texted my good friend and frequent bookstore chaperone, Janis, to fess up to crime. I asked her, “Am I a fraud?!” She forgave me for my transgression and assured me that I wasn’t an imposter.

“You are a person who loves a good sale. I would never fault someone for that!”

Janis is such a good friend in many ways, especially when I need to justify my book-spending habits.

Confession #2: I’m cheating on my books.

After my busy December reading eight books to reach my Goodreads goal, I wanted to start the year off with something easy. My friend, Meryl, told me about “Things You Save in A Fire.” It’s definitely a good story, but the protagonist is pretty grumpy, and I was getting a little annoyed at her and how she was treating her mother. I’m only eight chapters in, and she seems like the kind of character who turns her life around and gets much happier. Or, she gets laid, who knows… But I had to put this book down for now.

So, I switched to nonfiction and am now reading “The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs.” I love this self-help book and will likely finish it tonight. And then, I’ll go back to the novel.

But then the library texted me to say actor, author, and icon Henry Winkler is waiting for me at the pick-up window. The Fonz (or, more accurately, his best-selling memoir) is at the library. I’ve had it on hold for a while because I’ve been so excited to read his book. It is only 230 pages so I can sneak it in, right? Shh…don’t tell my other books.

As an aside, I once wrote a piece about the books I already own sitting on the shelf talking shit about me. They were jealous of the chosen books in my hands and sat silently protesting with no real plan or method of retribution. It was quite creative, but now I think they are all staring at me and seething. Sweet dreams, Elisa!

ANYWAY…

Confession #3: My Kindle Got Lonely

I told my writing coach, Rachel, I wanted to review craft books for her blog. I thought this would be a good way to produce new content for her website and social media pages. And, as a writer, I’d find some new sources of inspiration as well. She suggested I start with the gold standard of writing, “Becoming a Writer” by Dorothea Brande. So, I downloaded it for 99 cents on my Kindle.

And then, I downloaded two more books.

I know. I’M OUT OF CONTROL!

But that’s it. I’m done now. The shopping spree is over, except for one small problem.

I still need to buy that book for my daughter.

XO,

Elisa

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