Monday, March 26, 2012

Establishing a Book Budget. Finally.

It's finally happened. I've decided that it is time that I start budgeting my money for books. My new bookshelves are filling up too quickly but my wallet isn't. I don't do well with book buying bans (usually results in a book-buying binge), but I do thrive with setting goals and having a reward system.

Here is my plan:
  • Start each month with a $15.00 book allowance
  • Add $5.00 to my budget for each book read
  • Books received and read for review do not count toward earnings
  • I cannot spend more than the allowance + earnings
  • Money not spent during the month does not carry over to the next month
My hope is that I will have more money in my wallet and my TBR pile will begin to get smaller and smaller.

I'm curious to know how other people budget for their book purchases. Do you have an allowance each month? Does anyone else work on award system too? Do you find that you sometimes overspend and have to ban yourself from making book purchased for periods of time? I'd really like to know. So let me know in the comments. Thanks!

5 comments:

  1. Ooooh, wow! I think I need this, too. But it probably won't work anymore as soon as I enter a bookstore... ;D

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  2. I REALLY need to set one. I tried to set a "you can buy this many books each month" one and it didn't last long....ugh! lol

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  3. Miri - I do such impulse shopping that it has become a necessity. If I can make it through the first month, it will be an accomplishment.

    Amanda - I've tried setting $ amount limits, a certain number of books and bans, but they don't work, so hope that this reward style system will be the way to go. At the end of the month, I'm going to post by "balance" to help keep me honest!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting.

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  4. I don't budget for book buying. It just happens. Some weeks I don't buy anything. Some I do. The fact of there not being any new bookstores in the area has been helpful--mostly Because ordering books online is generally less of an impulse purchase. It also makes traveling more fun. I plan on buying books as part of each trip I take. Some people buy shot glasses...I buy books!

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  5. Ouch... Book budgets... Those make me sad... :-) I do however need to get my TBR pile down, but my NetGalley addiction needs a support group...

    I do a lot of library reading too though, to save my pennies. Since I have so many books lined up, I don't mind waiting for stuff I've put on hold like I used to.

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