If you’re like me, you have the reading habit of a millionaire–but the budget of a minimum-wage worker. Thankfully, there are alternative ways to access clean books besides traditional bookstores.

To help my fellow readers, I compiled a list of ways to read more clean books within a budget.

1. The Library

Let’s start with the easiest and cheapest (because it’s free!) option. If you have a local library, sign up!

You can access nearly limitless clean books!

I highly recommend looking online first. Often, libraries work with other branches. Even if you can’t find the book you want in your library, you may be able to find it in the online catalog and place a hold. Then, the library will ship it to your local branch for pick up.

I have a few books in transit myself, and I’m waiting on hold for one popular Bookstagram book.

Did you know that the library also offers free audiobook checkouts and digital book checkouts? Ask your librarian to see all formats you can access through your account.

2. Wattpad

Wattpad is a free app to use where you can read stories online. There are paid subscription options too, which allow you to read even more books.

A disclaimer, if you’re new to Wattpad, it isn’t a platform for published books. Rather, it’s a place for indie authors to share their works for free with readers. It’s a fun community of readers and authors. You can read, leave comments, and engage with other readers.

The platform is a bit of a free-for-all, so I don’t recommend diving headfirst in (you might be a little traumatized by some of the fanfic and other stories you’ll encounter). Instead, I recommend using the tags. You can use the “Christian” or “Clean” tag to find clean books you are comfortable with.

3. Kindle Unlimited

Kindle Unlimited allows you to access a HUGE library of indie and trending clean books. You have limitless reading for $11.99/month. If you’re a fast reader, you can easily make that cost worth it.

4. Goodwill

I began my book collection through Goodwill. You can find a Goodwill in nearly any medium to large-sized community, and every Goodwill has a fairly decent-sized book nook.

I used to go to Goodwill on the weekend, right when my local Goodwill restocked their shelves. That way, I had the first pick of the new books. Books ranged from $0.50 per book to $10. Sometimes books fell outside that range, but that’s the average price of books in my area.

While I love the price of the books, it can be difficult to find books you want. There’s very little organization, and you may often have to collect a series over weeks (or even months) as missing books come in.

I always thought of the process like a scavenger hunt and enjoyed looking for missing books in my collection. I was even happier if the books I found matched the version of the rest of the books in the series.

5. Second-Hand Book Stores

Second-hand bookstores offer more organization and structure than Goodwill while still having fantastic prices.

I have found, however, that most second-hand bookstores are slightly more expensive than Goodwill. If you can afford another dollar or two, then the cost is worth the convenience of the stores.

Second-hand bookstores also offer more clean books, and you can usually purchase entire series versus hunting down individual books, hoping to collect them all.

Another benefit of used bookstores is store credit. Most used bookstores allow you to turn in your read books and use that store credit to buy new books.

Used bookstores can be difficult to find. I recommend opting for local small businesses. They have the best prices, and you’re supporting a small business. If you don’t have a local used bookstore, I look for a 2nd & Charles near me.

Other options are online used bookstores like Thrift Books or Abe Books.

6. Sales Racks

I’ll admit, I LOVE bookstores. You can’t quite beat the smell of fresh pages and the look of a Barnes and Noble or Books-A-Million. I enjoy a nice stroll through the bookstore, looking at all the brand-new copies of my favorite stories.

When I do venture into a bookstore, I’ll head right to the sales rack to pick a book up for a price similar to used bookstores. Some stores nestle the sales rack in the back. I’ll also look for alternative printings that might be more cost-effective than the collectible versions or hardcovers.

7. Previously Owned

There are other ways to buy used books other than used bookstores. If you can find a place selling used books that doesn’t have to account for business costs (like space rental), you’ll also usually find the best prices.

Some of my favorite used-book sales I use outside of used bookstores include:

• Amazon previously used options
• Library book sales
• Facebook Marketplace
• Yard sales

Read More Clean Books, Spend Less

My recommendations are far from an exhaustive list. These are just the channels I personally use to build my clean books collection and feed my reading addiction for little to nothing.

What is your favorite cost-effective way to read more books without breaking the bank?

Let me know in the comments below!

If you’re looking for a new read, check out my book review database!