Hello My Old Vice

A while back I polled some readers to tell me their spending weak spots. These are things that you know you shouldn't spend money on, but just can't help it. Last year I successfully broke my book habit. I used to go to the bookstore about once a week, it was a ridiculous problem. Some people might not think that is so bad, but I can tell you I spent a lot on books. Why? I mean there is a library near my home. And with the new library systems you can request books from anywhere right at your own keyboard.

But my old habit is back and I couldn't be happier. That's because a friend told me about an Internet site where you can basically trade your books. And since I've decided to take a minimalist approach to my bookshelf this is working out for me. Unless I know that I'll be referencing the book again, it goes on my trade shelf.

I'm also getting caught up with my reading list because I don't have to wait for best sellers to come off the library hold list. Most of the books that I want appear on the paperbackswap in less than a week. Plus, I'm surprised that there are other readers out there who share my sometimes quirky taste.

Now I hope that readers don't think this is a plug. I get nothing from mentioning Paperbackswap.com. It's just a great way to save money on something I already do--read. I pay nothing for books that I request and just a few dollars to send books to other readers. Then once I'm finished reading I can trade again. So it's recycling and saving money.