How My Book Buying Ban WORKS (it really does!)

S O C I A L M E D I A :

D I S C L A I M E R
This video is not sponsored. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[margaret_adelle]

Oooh, this is what I do and it's worked wonders for me! I started it in January 2022. Using it and liberally unhauling, I managed to get 300 books off my TBR in one year.

Couple things I added as I went:
- I have to read two books to get new books of ANY kind, including review. There are some months where I use up all my slots on review books, but it helps to keep me reading those books as well.
- I include unhauling to open slots. In the early days, unhauling 5 books was equal to reading one, cuz I had so many old books to sift through. Now it's one unhaul = reading one.
- I pick specific months where I put the challenge on hold (namely my birthday month and December, to account for gifts and gift cards). I was nervous at first, but I noticed that even when the challenge was on hold, I was still buying with specific purpose.

Hope it goes well for you!!

[ravent]

This is 2024. My overarching goal is to reduce the number of unloved books (ones I won't re-read) in my library, with a secondary goal of reading or DNFing the ones I haven't read and physically own. It would be nice to have more shelf space, but it's really about the quality and re-readability of the books. For me, eBooks don't count because storage is negligible with how many portable drives I own.

For this year, I committed to unhauling at least 100 books (I'm at 80 right now in mid-April), and my buying is controlled by unhauling 1:1 for books over the limit I set for the year, which was 100. So if I buy more than 100 books, new or used, I have to get rid of a book for each one purchased. Because I count volumes of manga, I am already at 94 books acquired (mostly secondhand). The unhaul project will be aided by putting up the Little Free Library I had built, and as soon I do that, I have another 30 books set aside already. My "out" is that I don't count LFL acquisitions, because I trade 1:1 for those. I don't tend to keep those books. I am not a huge collector and hardback only type, but I do prefer books that are in good shape, and many LFL paperback books have been roughly handled.

[WellTraveledBooks]

This is similar to what I plan to do for 2023! I started a book budget in July of this year, where I would add .50cents into my book budget anytime I finished a book. But thrifted books near me usually cost .50 cents so that didn't decrease my TBR at all haha. For Nov and Dec I have been on a no-buy, and I think I will continue my no-buy into January. And then I will do what you are doing, except that for every 3 books read, I can buy one. I hope it works for me as well as it has worked for you!

[tracys]

What about for books you get from Publishers you have to read 3 books for 1 credit instead of your usual 2 books. I love the idea of a book credit system. I might just implement this myself for 2023.

[dr.suezettealoysiaandcarla]

LK1 we always enjoy watching your videos 👍🏾🌞🤗 Happy Bookish Saturday Friends ❤

[Lisa-ugrk]

I thought about this system read 2 buy 1 also😍 i have to do this 2024😁

[dionnasoares]

Borrow, borrow, borrow, support your local libraries!