It’s just plain too expensive to keep buying the kids new books and DVDs to keep up with their avenous (if wholesome) appetites.

Sure, we have a Blockbuster Online rental program for movies… But it’s so nice to own the “Little House” series that we’re watching together as a family, gradually. And those favorites that people want to see again and again.

And there’s the library, of course. But what do you do when your kid has read everything there that he finds interesting and you find appropriate? Or when you want a certain book that’s out of print and they don’t have? I know some people use interlibrary loan to great effect… I’ve not had that much success with it – or maybe just not librarians who cared enough to really help out.

And then if it’s something you want to keep for a reference?

I looked at a lot of swapping type sites out there, and I found the whole process exhausting.

What are the odds, after all, that the person who wants the book I’m trying to get rid of actually has a book that I’m interested in?

But then I found the site of my dreams – actually two versions of it.

• I set up my account, and list all the books (or DVDs, respectively) that I want to swap – and they even give you a couple of free credits just for doing that!
• Someone else in the system “requests” a book from me.
• I pay the postage to send it to them (Media Mail, not too bad). I get one “credit” in the system.
• I can use my credit to order any book listed in the system (and the sender pays to ship it to me).
• They even have a “Wish List”, so you can automatically request an unavailable book you want if someone posts it!

It’s free to join, so what have you got to lose?  Except, you know, those books collecting dust over there…

Click these handy (giant) buttons to go to PaperBakcSwap and/or SwapADVD.

It just plain makes sense.

I recycle homeschool books this way, as well as Nick’s reading “stack”…

We’ve gotten rid of the DVDs we had accumulated over the earlier years of our lives that we don’t feel are good family entertainment. And, for instance, I just received the six-disc set of Little House on the Prairie Season 3.

I haven’t done the math myself, but according to PaperBackSwap, based on a used book price of $4.50, I’ve saved over $2,200 using their service. Not too shabby, eh? And imagine the cost of new books…

Full Disclosure Notice: There is a referral bonus awarded at PBS, and probably at SwapaDVD, too. Last time I checked it was 1 credit for each referral who posted their initial 10 books. So I will benefit if you click through my link and check it out – although I would have to tell you about it anyway, since it’s too good to keep a secret!

Of course, that also means that you can get some extra credits by referring your friends to sign up…

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