With the prices of new books currently causing concerns, one enterprising mom has managed to save hundreds on reading material for her daughter by thrifting.
On r/ThriftStoreHauls, the Redditor mom shared two photos of the dozens of children's books that she's bought second hand.
She says she's been thrifting her book collection for four years, and it shows. Her living room floor is literally covered in children's books.
It's an impressive haul, too. Among the Redditor's library are classics like "Where's Polar Bear?" by Nico Hercules, "If You Can … We Can!" by Beth Shoshan, and "Did Triceratops Have Polka Dots?" by Allan Fallow, plus a few from the popular "Pete the Cat" and "Fly Guy" series.
The thrifty mom is using these picture books to encourage her 4-year-old daughter to read.
"What she doesn't care for anymore I put outside in our little library," she writes in a comment — referring to a waste-reducing solution that helps to keep each book in use.
Thrifting books — and other items — is a savvy money-saving move. Book publishers have recently warned that book prices could go up because of global paper shortages triggered by the pandemic, among other factors.
Buying used books also helps to ease the pressure that publishing puts on the environment.
One 2006 study found that in a single year, the U.S. book industry removed 30 million trees. Its carbon footprint was the equivalent of 13.6 million tons of carbon pollution.
Then there's the waste problem that books create when readers are done with them. Around 320 million books are thought to end up in landfills each year.
Opting to buy books second hand can cut down on a book's carbon pollution, according to Hand Me Down Book Club, while also diverting waste from landfills.
"I love this so much. My three kids were always allowed to pick out a book when we were thrifting," one user commented on the Reddit thread.
"That is so awesome!" another replies. "So many books for a fraction of retail. Which gives her the option to pick anything she wants. And even better that they go in your little library when she is done with them! So many good things being learned without really trying; frugality, sharing, reusing."
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