Reading has always been a large part of my life. There were times (like in college) when I couldn't always read as much, but usually it's a big priority for me. I think this is for two reasons. The first is that reading fiction is one of the main ways I unwind. Self-care is kind of a hip thing now, and for me, reading is one way I take care of myself. The other reason I make reading a priority is because I love learning. One of the most obvious ways to learn is by reading. I know not everyone likes to read, and as strange as those people may be, hopefully they've found other ways to take care of themselves and to learn. For those who do enjoy reading, I thought I'd give you a little insight into how I make time to read, and how I afford my reading habit.
Finding Time to Read
Ebooks:
Some would maybe say I'm not a true book lover because, for the most part, I'm not particularly attached to physical books. I LOVE reading ebooks. There are some books that I like to have the actual copy of, but it's not like I'm over there sniffing them or anything. I usually read using apps on my phone (like the FREE Kindle Reading App), but eReaders (Kindle, Nook, etc) and tablets are great as well. How this helps me read more is that it's so much more portable. I can read in the doctor's waiting room, during my lunch break, and it was great for when I was up nursing a baby in the middle of the night. It's a great way to find tiny pockets of time to get some reading done instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media (which let's be honest, I also do).
Audio books:
Along with ebooks, audio books are a great way to get more "reading" in. I mostly listen to podcasts in my car but sometimes I'll listen to an audio book instead. It's also nice when I'm doing things around the house like laundry or the dishes. Bluetooth headphones make that a lot easier, and it makes the chore go by faster. This isn't necessarily my favorite way of reading because if I'm not paying attention I'll sometimes miss important parts of the book, but it's nice to mix things up every now and then.
Multiple books at once:
I usually have one fiction book and one non-fiction book going at the same time. This is because sometimes I'm in the mood for fiction and it's easy for me to read through that quickly. And other times I want to read something a little deeper and I can pick up my non-fiction to fill that need. I try not to have too much more than that going on other than maybe an audio book otherwise I'm not as likely to actually finish the book.
Set goals and find accountability:
If you have something or someone pushing you to read because you've made it a priority then hopefully you'll find yourself more motivated to accomplish what you're striving for. To add on to this, give yourself some kind of reward when you've reached a milestone. Maybe you spend a bit more money than you normally would on that book you've been wanting because you read half your yearly goal. Or you allow yourself to watch the movie after you've read the book. As important as intrinsic motivation is to being a mature human, an external reward is helpful sometimes too. I've set a goal of reading 15 non-fiction books this year and I'm posting about each one on Instagram as accountability with a bit of a pat on the back built in.
Finding Money to Read
As much as I love books, I don't really love spending money on books. If it's something I really want, I will sometimes allow myself to buy a book. But that's actually pretty rare. Here are some of the ways I get books for cheap or free.
The library:
This one is fairly obvious. I don't actually make it to the local library much anymore, but I do take advantage of their ebook and audio book collections. I've even started letting Callie pick out some ebooks to read on the tablet after the younger girls are in bed.
Kindle Unlimited:
Kindle Unlimited isn't free, but I pay a monthly fee and can read a lot of books for that one price. The selection is limited, but I can usually find some decent books on here, and if I'm lucky, an entire series will be on there so I don't have to hope my library has all of them or pay a ton of money to read them. Also, some books will have free narration so I can go from reading it on my phone to listening to it in my car!
My Reader Rewards:
I'm sure there are rewards clubs for other publishers, but My Reader Rewards is for Tyndale House Publishers. I just occasionally go on and fill out surveys and review some of their books, and I can get points to use towards free books. There's not a huge collection, but I've found several books on there for me and the kids. (And if you click here to sign up you can start off with 25 points.)
Review Programs:
Sometimes you can sign up and receive free books in exchange for honest reviews on a blog and/or a retailer website. I've been a part of the Bethany House Review Program for a while now and have received some really good books to review.
Free eBooks:
There are a ton of free eBooks on Amazon, B&N, etc. The problem with this is that most of these books aren't great quality, but every now and then you can find a good one. Usually this book is the first in a series and they're trying to hook you into reading the rest or they'll have a special promotion before a new book comes out. If you don't want to comb through a million books to find what you want you can get daily emails from sites like BookGorilla, BookBub and others which will show you a list of free/cheap books based on your preferences.
Swagbucks:
There are a lot of ways to earn Amazon giftcards these days, but one I've been using for a while is Swagbucks. Sometimes I'm all in and I fill out surveys and do searches and stuff to get me closer to that giftcard. Sometimes I'm feeling lazy and the only way I earn is by printing off and using grocery coupons from their site. How quickly you work towards earning a reward is up to you.
Google Opinion Rewards and Play Books:
I just recently had the idea that I could use the money I earn filling out short surveys in the Google Opinion Rewards app to buy books in the Play Store. I use the Play Books app to read the books on my phone or tablet. Technically you can use your rewards from the Rewards app to buy all kinds of things like apps, movies, etc, but since reading is a goal of mine I'm planning on buying ebooks and audio books. I believe you can use the Rewards app on iOS devices as well and the money gets sent to your paypal account. There are probably other options similar to this out there.
Others:
There's a whole host of ways to get free or discounted books to read. If audio books is your thing, you could always sign up for an Audible subscription. I did this for a while and really liked it, but I don't listen to as many audio books now. There's also a whole host of apps which will reward you with Amazon gift cards. Grocery apps like Ibotta and Fetch Rewards (use referral code YU9MU to get 1500 points when you sign up and scan your first receipt) will get you Amazon giftcards. I always send my money to my Paypal account and back into my bank account to use on groceries, but to each his own.
Do you want to read more books? Do you already read a lot of books? How do you motivate yourself to read more and how do you get your books?
Some of the links in the post above are referral links. I may receive money or products from them, but it's at no cost to you.
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