One of my Christmas gifts this year was a Kindle. Not the most frugal of gifts, but man, is it cool. I am definitely a convert. Oh, I plan to continue to buy books in paper form, and I have a huge box of unread books under my bed, but the Kindle is a great addition to my library.
For me, the best part about the Kindle is the size and portability. I like to carry a book in my purse anytime I’m traveling by Metro. Why? Because more than once, I have ended up stuck due to a broken train and have been incredibly glad to have something to do. With the Kindle, not only can I carry a number of books with me, but the Kindle fits much better in my purse. It’s a little bit taller than a standard paperback, but it’s not as thick, and it’s angular, so it slides into a bag with very little trouble. I’ve noticed more and more Kindles on the Metro.
(Now, I realize that a free way to read books would be to just go to the library. I’m just not a library person. I never have been. I’ve tried, and I end up with overdue books every time. Were it more conveniently located, I might be better off. Just one of my things.)
I’ve been using the Kindle for about a week and a half and I’ve read a few books on it already. The Kindle has a lot of great things going for it.
1. Size. Takes up much less space than a regular book, and can hold many many books.
2. Amazon’s store has a lot of books available, plus you can use it to read other ebooks you may own. That not enough for you? Then you can download a number of books that are in the free domain and read those as well. Thanks to ManyBooks.net, you can even download some of them directly to the Kindle for no charge. Right now, Amazon.com also has a bunch of books available for free download. I think it’s a publisher gimmick to get you hooked on a series, but hey, I’m not one to turn down a free book!
3. Easy to read text. The screen is unlike any other electronic screen I’ve used. Definitely no tiring of the eyes due to staring at a flickering screen here. Also, the text size is adjustable, so this might be a good option for people with less than stellar vision who struggle to find large print versions of books.
Of course, it’s not perfect. Buying an ebook means that I don’t have a book to swap via a swap site or share with a friend. And while the books may be cheaper than buying them new, I’m sure they don’t beat used book prices.
Time will tell how much I come to love the Kindle, but so far, it’s been a great addition to my library. I’m debating whether I should bite the bullet and download Ulysses. Now there’s a book that will keep you occupied for a long time (I read it for a college course, and even with the companion book of notes and the classroom discussions, I still have a lot to learn about that work.)
Anyone else have a Kindle? Thinking about getting one?
Megan is a 30-something government employee in the Washington, DC area. She got interested in Personal Finance when she got out of college and realized that her paycheck wasn’t going to go as far as she had hoped. Since starting this blog, she has managed to buy a house and make a solid start on her retirement goals, and hopes to help others do the same. Here is her story:
In 2007, I was a gainfully employed 20-something with no debt but not a lot of knowledge about personal finance. It was a co-worker’s comment about Roth IRAs that sent me to the internet, searching for information. It was then that I realized that I really didn’t know a whole lot about personal finance and that my current financial situation was due a lot to inherent frugal tendencies, generous family members, a fear of debt, and good luck. While that was working for me, clearly I needed a better plan.
While I had no debt, I was also pretty much living paycheck to paycheck and not worrying about going over budget (I say this as if I had a real budget) because I had an emergency fund set aside to cover any overages.
Except that’s not what an emergency fund is for.
So I did a lot of research, read a lot of blogs, and decided that I needed a plan. I needed to budget. I needed to know what I was spending my money on. I needed to prepare for the future.
I decided to create a blog not only to make myself accountable to others but also to share the knowledge that I gained along the way. I’ve learned so much from my fellow bloggers, and I hope that my readers can find something useful in what I have to share as well.
I’m glad to hear more about Kindle. I’ve been curious. I love that “new book smell” but in this economy I’ve been unable to justify $30 every time a favorite author publishes a new book. So maybe I’m a candidate. Meanwhile, I found http://www.bookins.com and I’ve LOVED every trade I’ve made there. I like that they arrange the trade and stand behind each one; other sites I looked at left it up to the traders to resolve any disputes. The website is beautiful and I encourage you to take a look (www.bookins.com/index.php?p1=1c_0cq0cA). They also trade DVDs, which also has worked well, but I love finding new homes for books! It’s the ultimate recycling project!
I don’t think I’ll get a kindle any time soon (I’ve really lapsed on my reading!), but I know what you mean about libraries. I’ve always ended up with late fees too!
I like to read my books several times, so I like to own a copy. I looked at the Sony Reader about a year or so ago, because I thought that it would save some space for storing books too. But, I still haven’t purchased one because of the cost.
I think I’d want one. I want to try and get rid of as many books as possible.
I’m going to take a look at it and the range of available e-books now..
Fabulously Broke in the City
Just a Girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver
I am patiently awaiting my Kindle as we speak. It was backordered by the time my husband ordered it for me. So now, instead of being a holiday gift, it will be a VERY generous Valentines gift. I also ordered one for my mom for her birthday (later this month). It probably won’t arrive in time but I know she’s going to LOVE it.
I am excited about it for many reasons, not the least of which is the whole clutter issue. I love books but struggle to keep them under control. I don’t normally buy them new anymore (I love paperbacksswap.com), I still have too many to store well. This will solve that issue for me. I also carry a book everywhere I go, so the small size/shape is a bonus, for sure.
Are you worried about using such a pricy piece of equipment on the Metro? I wonder if people are getting bonked on the head for Kindles like with iPods some time ago… I wouldn’t be worried on the actual train but someone could follow. Be careful!
Amelia, that’s a good point about the Metro and not one I had thought about. I’m not too worried, mainly because when I’m riding the metro, it’s during rush hour, so it’s not just me and some creep who happens to follow me, but rather me and eight hundred other people who would like to trample each other on the way home. I’m not sure if it’s true or not, but I’m a fan of the idea of safety in numbers.
I also love PaperBackSwap, and am working through my list of books to read so I can swap more. I have gotten some really great keeper books through PBS though – big books of photos and stuff. So I’m not sure how well it helps declutter!
I am very curious about the Kindle. I probably won’t ever buy one and I really don’t have much time for reading books. But, I wish I did, and I think I would like one from the description!