Books, saving money, travel tips, Uncommon Adventures

How to Save on Travel Books (or Any Books)

October 15, 2019October 16, 2019 Jessica Lippe

I’m excited to feature my travel book, Uncommon Adventures, in this post. However, while my paperback only costs $6.98 (and the ebook is just $2.99), books often are pretty pricey. Travel books are definitely no exception!

Despite the price, travel books will contribute to having a better time traveling. Famous travel writer Rick Steves often says “Guide books are a $20 investment for a $2000 trip.” But I know firsthand that when it comes to saving for a big trip, every penny counts. Especially if you’re visiting several destinations, a guide book for each location could add up to be hundreds of dollars!

Uncommon Adventures, Rick Steves, and a pumpkin

It does seem counterintuitive for me as a travel writer to recommend ways to save on travel books, especially since some of these tips may cause less of a profit for me. But I think it’s important to share tips to save that will allow you to have richer travel experiences. If you like what I have to say and use any of these tips to save money while reading my book, I’ll still appreciate it.

Whether you want to read my book or a book by another author, here are some ways to save money when it comes to travel books.

Use the Library

This sounds like an obvious way to save money on books. Obviously, most libraries have a travel section where you can borrow books for free. But let’s dig deeper.

Be warned that using the library for travel books can sometimes end up costing MORE money! No, I’m not talking about late fees, though you should try to avoid that. A few weeks ago, I went to the library and decided to check out the travel section to see if they had any of my favorite travel books like Europe Through the Back Door or How to Travel the World on $50 a Day. Instead, a Rick Steves book about Belgium caught my eye. Since I’m planning a trip to Germany, which borders Belgium, I decided to thumb through it. Not only did I end up checking out the Belgium book, but it convinced me to take a side trip from Germany to Belgium! And since the bus from Hamburg to Brussels has a layover in Amsterdam, I decided to make a stop there too! So in the future when you see my Instagram pictures of Mannekin Pis or Anne Frank’s House, know it was the library’s fault that I went there!

Library Guidebooks, Movie, and Reciept — My library’s receipts tell me how much money I saved when I check out books, DVDs, and more! (I’m even currently borrowing a ukulele from the library!)

Oftentimes, instead of browsing for books shelf by shelf, I go to the library website and search for books I want. Then I can reserve them, which is especially helpful if a book is currently checked out by someone else or is shelved at another branch. The library will ship it to my nearest library, which right now is within walking distance of my apartment. Yay for no gas or parking fees!

I know library books can be a bit of a debate in the writing community. Isn’t it better for the author if you buy a book? Check out the next tip for how you can use the library AND support an author at the same time.

Make Requests

Do you want a specific book that your library doesn’t have? Most libraries accept recommendations for the next books they should order. You can ask your librarian for the exact details on how to make this request, but often it’s as easy as filling out a short form on their website.

I’ve made many requests for book orders at my library, and most of them have been approved. I’ve requested travel guides and novels that take place in interesting locations. And I’ll admit, I requested that my library purchase both Uncommon Adventures and Girls Who Change the World, both books authored by this girl named Jessica Lippe.

67667459_2930444403649260_261203319484055552_o

If you can’t personally afford to buy a book, ask your library to make the purchase for you. It’s a great way to support an author. Better yet, if you’ve bought a book you really like, also ask the library to buy so others can share your book treasure. Naturally, I’d recommend going to your library’s website and requesting they order Uncommon Adventures right now!

As an added bonus to making library book order requests, you often get to be the very first person to check out a book, even before it’s been shelved!

(Note: You can still use this tip even if you don’t have this library service! Instead, make requests for specific books as Christmas or birthday presents. Friends and family probably want to give you a gift that will help you with your trip but would prefer to gift you something you can unwrap instead of cash or an experience gift. Travel books are the perfect solution.)

Use Your Resources

I’m not the biggest fan of AAA guide books. They’re very advertising-heavy and don’t seem to paint the full picture for their destinations. But I always get a copy of their book for my next destination. Why? Easy: I can get it for free.

Europe Guidebooks — The AAA Guidebook is free. The Rick Steves book is also free, but only from the library.

If you or someone you know has a membership with AAA, getting their guide books is a great way to make up the cost of membership. (I’d also recommend membership for their emergency auto services, which I’ve used recently!) But there are probably lots of other resources available to you. We’ve already mentioned the library, and next, I’ll be talking about digital resources you may have. But you can also check out book exchanges such as Little Free Library, or online sources like blogs and Pinterest. Or find a traveler you know in person and ask if they have any literature they can pass on to you.

I’d highly recommend getting at least one hard copy of a travel book that you can keep in your possession. The rest of your travel books can be ebooks or from the library, but on your own hard copy, you can use the margins to take notes from your library books or other resources you can’t take on the trip with you. Then, tear out the pages of this book that are relevant to your specific trip.

I got the tip to tear out pages from your travel guide from Rick Steves. Of course, he recommends this because it will cause people to buy more of his books! However, it truly is a good tip since it allows you to pack lighter and keep more organized. Since I tear up my free AAA guidebook that’s filled with notes from Rick Steves and other sources, I don’t have to spend any money replacing torn books.

Digitize

Uncommon Adventures Amazon

You can buy Uncommon Adventures for $6.98, plus shipping. Or, if you have Kindle Unlimited, you can get the ebook for free! In this digital age, you can get the same exact content as a book’s print copy in digital form, but you’ll save several dollars by going the ebook route.

There are more ways than just eBooks to get good travel book content. Referencing Rick Steves again, in addition to reading his guidebooks, I often watch his PBS show. I have many of the episodes on DVD, but you can stream his shows and his lectures for free online. On his show, he often quotes sections of his books verbatim. He also has his Rick Steves Audio Europe app that contains audio tours, interviews, and excerpts of his books in audio form.

Whether you’re reading an eBook, streaming an educational program, or listening to an audiobook, there’s one extra advantage for travelers to use digital versions of books: they reduce the weight of your luggage! Instead of bringing a guide book for each of your destinations plus some recreational books, just download them all onto your phone or another device.

Uncommon Adventures is Compact!

While I often travel with just a Bible app on my phone nowadays, on my first trip to Europe, I struggled with how to pack a Bible when I wanted to pack light. Shortly before my trip, I attended a local street fair, and someone from a Christian booth offered me a free Bible. It was just the New Testament plus Psalms and Proverbs, but it was smaller than my hand. The small print and thin pages made it perfect for packing, and it was worth having a print Bible so I could take this cool picture in Athens on the exact spot where Acts 17 took place! (I share more about this amazing accidental experience in Uncommon Adventures.)

Acts 17 on Mount Areopagus, Athens — I didn’t know it when I was packing this miniature book, but it helped history come to life in Greece.

While Uncommon Adventures is a full-length book, the adjusted page margins and print size allow it to be only 84 pages. That’s thin enough to slip into your carry-on bag! And because it costs less to print fewer pages, that savings is passed on to you as the reader.

I know I like to have some books and daily reading guides in print form instead of digital, especially if I’m going someplace where I won’t always be able to charge my devices. In that case, avoid large print editions! (Even if you have a hard time seeing small print, a pair of reading glasses will probably take up less weight and space than bigger books.)

Another way that Uncommon Adventures is a great compact book is that it is multipurpose. Instead of a devotional and travel guide, you just have to bring this one slim book on your trip!

Be sure to check out Uncommon Adventures on Amazon and leave a review!

Uncommon Adventures by Jessica Lippe

How have you saved money on books? Share your tips in the comments!

Pin This:

5 ways to Fall (1) save on travel books

Books, Couponing to Travel, Uncommon Adventures

July 2019 Recap: Counting Down to Uncommon Adventure’s Release

August 1, 2019 Jessica Lippe

Today is book release day! My very first travel book, Uncommon Adventures, released on Kindle and Paperback! So before you continue reading how I saved for travel this past month, check the book out on Amazon.

Uncommon Adventures Jessica Lippe

(I hope you enjoy this post illustrated by book quotes- you have my permission to share these!)

Making Time to Travel

No matter where in the world I go, I can always count on being able to enjoy a pleasant stroll.

I didn’t really have any trips planned for July, mostly because I didn’t have the time! Every weekend involved one commitment or another. But I was able to turn some of those things into adventure.

Earlier in the month, my church hosted a rafting trip. I joined the fun and got to paddle a tahiti down Southern Oregon’s Rogue River. THAT was a lot of fun, and while it was worth every penny, it didn’t exactly contribute to my travel saving.

The next weekend, it was my turn to host a church event. I took a small group from the women’s ministry to explore one of the most unique hiking trails I’ve ever seen: the world’s only Bigfoot Trap! I loved this adventurous group and we decided to even hike down to Applegate Lake and then drive to a covered bridge together.

Travel was partially limited because I was working a lot more, with some different hours than my normal schedule. Because I was working in daylight hours more, I could often walk to work. This was a great way to get in some exercise, enjoy my local community, and save on gas money. But I got to have some bigger adventures with work, too. Since I was working the morning of 4th of July, I took everyone to an Independence Day parade. During the last Saturday of the month, work took a trip to Wildlife Safari. Since this trip was for work, I didn’t have to pay for admission. We even had volunteer drivers to transport us!

How I $aved Over $200 in July

the ultimate adventure to have is the adventure we’re invited to take with Jesus.

My current savings goal is for a cruise to The Bahamas this December. If I save $200 per month between now and then, I’ll have no problem reaching my goal. I went a tiny bit above and beyond this month, saving $204.80.

As suggested above, church was a great resource for fun, low-cost summer activities. In addition to the adventures above, I attended a free movie night (with free snacks!) and enjoyed the usual church services. Two other good activity resources were the library and parks and rec.

Most of my savings came from using Swagbucks. I saved on regular needed purchases, plus I got some freebies and even moneymaker deals! My other online moneysaver site is GiftCardGranny, where I buy discounted gift cards.

Now that I had most evenings off, I got to attend my local baseball league’s games twice. The Medford Rogues have a deal that when they have home games on Wednesdays, Rogue Credit Union members can get in free. I signed up for this bank earlier this year to help me save for travel, so that’ s definitely been worth it!

A not-as-fun way I saved happened when my car ran over a bolt and I got a flat tire. Thankfully, I didn’t even have to change the tire myself because I have a AAA membership, which did this for free. The next day when I took my car to a tire shop, they offered to fix it for free! And they gave me free popcorn to boot.

It really is the little things that add up. Sometimes mass mailings include a coin, and I save up those coins. I also pick up coins when I go for walks, and one evening I found 79 cents lying in an intersection!

Goals for August and Beyond

Shouldn’t we treat every day that we live on Earth like an adventure_

July brought some changes, and August will likely bring even more. Now that I’m an author with a book under my belt (I even have an Amazon page!) I’ll be promoting Uncommon Adventures while working on a few upcoming releases as well! I also have some other tough decisions to make, so I’ll need to pray and think things through this month.

As far as travel saving goes, I’ll be housesitting for a while, so I’d like to treat that as a sort of staycation. I’m taking my church’s women’s ministry on another day hike in the middle of the month, so that will be fun. I recently bought an on-sale Groupon to a wildlife refuge, so I may use that soon. And the National Parks Service is offering a free admission day to all parks on August 25th. I will definitely be taking advantage of that, and maybe I’ll even make a long weekend out of it! By this time next month, I hope to report that I’ve saved at least $400 toward my trip to Florida and The Bahamas.

Just for fun, here are a couple more book quotes!

Do you think you’ll like Uncommon Adventures? If you read it, be sure to review it on Amazon!

Books, resources, saving money, travel tips, Uncommon Adventures

Overwhelming: An Exclusive First Look at Uncommon Adventures

July 19, 2019 Jessica Lippe

A surprisingly pivotal trip for me was a week in Niagara Falls. It was here that I first decided to backpack across Europe, but it was also the setting where I met a young man with a very inspiring story. Enjoy this sneak peek of my upcoming book, Uncommon Adventures:

Niagara Falls 2014 052.jpg

Overwhelming

There are several people I’ve met over the course of my life who inspired me to do bigger, better, things, especially when it comes to travel. One of the most inspirational people I’ve met is a young man whose name I don’t remember, but I definitely remember his story.

I was backpacking Niagara Falls. Most of my time was spent on the United States side since that had more natural area to explore. But having never been to Canada, of course, I had to walk across the border and spend a few days there. I booked a couple nights at an upscale hostel down the river from the falls. During my first night there, I sat down on a couch in the living room to write in my journal. I heard someone clamoring around the kitchen. A few minutes later he walked into the living room with a bowl of ramen and sat on the other end of the couch. He turned to me and, carefully considering his words before they came out of his mouth, said, “I want to practice my English.”

We had a conversation the best we could, though sometimes we would have to pause so he could look up a word or write down something I said that he never heard before. It turned out that he was visiting from Japan. I was impressed enough that this 20-year-old would come halfway around the world on his own, but as he described what he was doing there, my jaw hit the floor.

Apparently, he flew into Los Angeles, then hopped on a bicycle and started making his way to New York City! He didn’t have anyone help him out; he just pedaled his way through many of the states. In just a couple months, he had seen more of my country in a more thorough manner than I have in my entire life. Because he was ahead of his schedule, he took a detour to Toronto and that’s why I found him in Canada. How did he do it? “Once a week, I stay in a place like a cheap motel. The rest of the time, I set up a tent.” So not only did he take on a physical challenge that most people couldn’t imagine, but a budget challenge, too! As I described the tourist attractions I visited that day, I asked if he had done any of them. “No. I have some money, but I don’t have a lot of money.”

I thought he must have a sponsor, or maybe he was doing some sort of fundraiser, so I asked: “why are you doing this?” The conversation paused again as he paged through all the notes of English words and phrases he learned. He obviously had an important answer for me, but didn’t quite know how to explain it. Finally, he held up a page and pointed to a sentence on it. I read, “I wanted to do something overwhelming.”

I think about his word “overwhelming” when I’m about to embark on a new experience. Traveling on a budget can certainly be overwhelming. At the same time, traveling is a fun way to be overwhelmed: overwhelmed with trying new things, seeing new places, and meeting new people. Saving money while traveling is overwhelming, but it can be part of the experience, too. Those money-saving techniques can include ramen, a bicycle, and camping on the side of the road. But there are plenty of other ways to save, too!

Uncommon Adventures Jessica Lippe

Travel doesn’t have to be overly overwhelming! Want to find out some of those ways to save? Be sure to check out Uncommon Adventures, available for preorder now!