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3 Tips For Singapore Book Lovers To Save Money
Can you have too many books?
If your answer to that question is a loud and vehement no, maybe your spending on books is taking up a sizeable portion of your total expenses. Nothing wrong with that, but it wouldn't hurt to look around for ways to grow your book collection while keeping costs manageable.
We at GET.com have 3 cool tips to help you get more book for your buck!
1. Buy Online And Aim For Free Shipping
In many cases, buying online can be the cheapest and most convenient option. Use a credit card that favours online shopping, so that you can pick up some rebates on your purchase (see our recommendation here).
Also, try to order in bulk to meet any minimum purchase to qualify for free shipping. But if you are shipping books from overseas, keep the value of your packages below $400 or it will be subject to a 7% customs GST.
Several of our local bookstores also have online shops that deliver your purchases to your doorstep:
BooksActually offers free local delivery for all purchases.
Popular and Books Kinokuniya both offer free local delivery with a minimum spend of $50.
Open Trolley, a local online bookstore, offers free delivery with a minimum spend of $50 if you pay with a DBS or POSB Credit/Debit Card. (Note: this is a promotion that ends on 31 Dec 2015.)
If you’re planning to ship your books in from overseas, Book Depository, a UK-based online bookstore offers free worldwide shipping for all orders. Amazon US also offers free shipping to Singapore for book purchases, but with a minimum spend of US$125.
2. Compare Prices And Bide Your Time
If you’re in no particular hurry, always do a quick online search to compare prices across various merchants first. Keep a handy excel sheet to record your favourite bookstores and the periods where you expect them to hold a sale (usually festive seasons).
Buying online is not always the cheapest option however, so include local physical bookstores in your comparison. Kinokuniya, MPH and Popular occasionally offer discounts on their books, which you can benefit from if you are able to wait till the next sale.
3. Secondhand Books And Book Swaps
The bookstores at Bras Basah Complex are a long-time favourite, especially among bargain hunters looking for discounted pre-loved copies.
But if you really don’t have the time to spare, do your shopping on online marketplaces such as Carousell and Gumtree. To save money, you can try negotiating a book exchange instead of a cash transaction.
But a more interactive and fun way to find your next read is to take part in a mass book swap.
Books & Beer, a local travelling book swap, organizes events where anyone can bring up to ten of their own books for a swap and chat with fellow book lovers over a cold beer. Each event lasts three hours and is held at a different location every time.
This article was originally on the GET.com blog at: 3 Tips For Singapore Book Lovers To Save Money.
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