Your Money and careers writer for the NZ Herald·Herald on Sunday·
2 mins to read
Diana Clement is a freelance journalist who has written a column for the Herald since 2004. Before that, she was personal finance editor for the Sunday Business (now The Business) newspaper in London.
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If you really must buy a book, shop around. Photo / Thinkstock
If you really must buy a book, shop around. Photo / Thinkstock
I had to buy a book recently. It hurt. Much as I love books, my financially sensible self would rather get them from the library or stock up on a few good novels at the school fair at $2 to $3 each.
The main exception to this rule is thethree to six books I buy a year for book group. I view the money spent on those as the cost of belonging to the book club.
This month, I wanted my children to read a particular book. Borrowing from the library wasn't an option because I wanted to refer back to it. So I had to cough up.
A Google search showed I could get the book at The Parenting Place's bookshop for $38.90, including postage, $39.95 at Whitcoulls and $27 plus postage on Trade Me.
It feels good to shop at The Parenting Place or Whitcoulls. But this wasn't a book I yearned for. It was a necessary purchase. Shopping around paid off.
The same book, including postage, was $16.36 from BookDepository.co.uk and $16.58 from Fishpond.co.nz (which ships from overseas). I settled on Fishpond.
I hope my small purchases also help keep a Kiwi in work. I should add that Fishpond's reviews on PriceSpy.co.nz are painful to read. I took the risk because I also like the idea of being able to return items to a New Zealand address, if necessary.
The moral of the tale is that if you really must buy a book, shop around.
More deals
• Whitcoulls: Buy 1 get 1 half-price on all children's books. Offer ends Sunday April 6. Lowest priced item half-price.
• Fishpond.co.nz: Pre-order The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike) in hardback for $26.08.
