Maybe It’s Time for A Book Subscription

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After work on a Friday, I went to Sams Club to pick up a case of water and milk. My wife already had plans for us to go grocery shopping that Saturday, but we were completely out of milk and water so I at least wanted to have that before coming home. 

I also had a second motive, I wanted to check out the book section and possibly sneak a book purchase in with the groceries.

I spotted a book that I had been interested in and put it in my cart. I knew I wasn’t supposed to be buying new books. My wife and I are currently saving for a new car and house and don’t have much room in our budget for frivolous spending. 

Besides, I got two bookcases full of books that I haven’t read yet. I love reading books but with a full time job, a wife, and a toddler, I’m more of a book collector than a reader. On average, I buy 36 books a year. I read, on average, 3 books a year. 

When my wife asked how I spent $80 on water and milk at Sams Club I told her that I got some snacks for work, a pack of socks, and a book that cost $18. 

My wife was livid that I bought another book, not only because we’re on a strict budget but also because I have so many books that I haven’t read yet. 

I returned the book on Saturday when we went to the store together. 

My wife knows that books are my hobby, but I also understand that constantly buying more books is a waste of money when I haven’t even read half the ones that I already own. 

But there is some logic to the madness.

There’s this thing called bookshelf wealth. A bookshelf of displays that have personal meaning to you. So even if I don’t read all the books, they’re all meaningful because I want to read them.

I told my wife that I should utilize the library more often. When the libraries shut down in 2020, I had no choice but to buy books. Once the libraries opened back up, I had forgotten all about them for a while. I forgot that I didn’t have to buy every book I wanted. I could borrow some, especially if I weren’t sure if I’d even like the book.

However the library does have limitations for being a free service. For one, there is a difference between the plastic covers of library books and the original texture of books sold in bookstores. Books in Barnes & Noble have that new book smell that new books at the library don’t have. Barnes & Noble is also more organized, has better lighting, and has a more pleasing atmosphere. Maybe it’s the 25% off a new release book that releases extra dopamine than seeing a new release I want at the library.

Having to wait for library books to become available can become annoying (it really just dissatisfies my immediate gratification). I have “The Wedding People” by Alison Espach on hold at my local library, and there are over 70 people ahead of me in the queue. “James” by Percival Everett has hundreds of people ahead of me on the waitlist.

It hurts my ego to have to wait months to read a book rather than going to the store and picking it up now, even though I likely won’t read the book for months on end.

One way I could save money on buying books is to get a book subscription. One of the most popular ebook subscriptions is Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited. I tried Kindle Unlimited, but I ended up downloading a bunch of books that I never got around to reading. 

Then there’s the “Book of the Month” subscription, where I can choose one book a month for $16. I can also add up to two books to my cart for $11 each. A book subscription is a good way to limit my spending on books, but I already have bookshelves full of books yet to read.

So at the end of the day, even if my wife supports minimizing my book buying, it’s not about buying books. It’s about not spending money on new books until I read some of the ones I have now. A book subscription would accomplish delayed gratification. But choosing not to buy a new book until I have at least read five books I already have is delayed gratification plus discipline.