CHALLENGE: Check your bookshelves first

[Hunter]

Before hitting "buy" go look at your bookshelves! What is already there that is not being used? Is the thing you want to purchase better? Are you SURE?

 

I have memory loss issues so will give myself a bit of slack...but...shame on me! I have some awesome stuff here and I almost bought something inferior to what I already have.

 

The grass is always greener. The promises of streets of gold are so seductive. The mirages shimmer so beautifully and promise refreshment. But when the books come in and we start using them...you know the story, we are off and looking again almost immediately.

 

Do you even know what you have on your shelves for each subject? Go look. Then come back and post the title of the best thing you found, for the subject you are currently researching to make a purchase for, and didn't even remember you had.

 

I found How to Read and Write about Fiction. I no longer need the literature analysis item I was looking at. This is different but not an inferior resource. My goal is to tighten up my language arts studies, by using the same vocabulary and methods, for both analysis and composition. I only paid a penny for this book but it is a good book and perfectly satisfactory for my needs right now. Or so I am trying to convince myself.

 

What did you all find? :bigear:

 

Of course this is only going to send us all off on a different spending frenzy, as we read about what people find that we don't have yet, but... :lol: We are hopeless, but at least please refrain from using links so as not to purposely enable people.

[K in MI]

((Shamefully hiding my face here :blushing:)) I am guilty as charged -- just found two books on the shelf matching the two I just got in the mail last week. Can I feel better knowing I'm not the only one? ;)

[silliness7]

I did this just a couple of days ago and saved myself $29. Well, I got the idea a couple of days ago and got the official word today that I could use what I have because what I was going to buy isn't wildly unique. I LOVE these boards. :001_smile:

[PeterPan]

((Shamefully hiding my face here :blushing:)) I am guilty as charged -- just found two books on the shelf matching the two I just got in the mail last week. Can I feel better knowing I'm not the only one? ;)

 

Well for the issue of duplicates, library software can help. I think there are some services online that might even be free. But to the issue Hunter is talking about (insecurity that we solve by perpetually buying), well she's right. Now let her look at my shelves and tell me the grammar solution I need is there. I guess I'll have to go spend the evening and look. Maybe it is. :)

[My Three J's]

Unfortunately, all my school stuff is in boxes due to lack of space so it's not that easy to look, but this is a great reminder! Thanks for the suggestion!

[PeterPan]

Well for the issue of duplicates, library software can help. I think there are some services online that might even be free. But to the issue Hunter is talking about (insecurity that we solve by perpetually buying), well she's right. Now let her look at my shelves and tell me the grammar solution I need is there. I guess I'll have to go spend the evening and look. Maybe it is. :)

 

Well I'm back a couple hours later to say I DID find something I wasn't expecting. :lol: It's something I bought a year ago for "someday"... I guess someday is here! :D

[LBS]

MOST EXCELLENT advice.

 

I constantly re-research, thinking something will materialize that is bigger, better, easier, smarter, more colorful, easier, deeper, easier.....and I have almost purchased the same thing again, but not quite. I finally just weaned myself from watching/searching and even keeping a "want" list. The lure of the hunt just got to consuming.

 

Yep, I've got all of high school on the shelf already, at least once if not twice over in many subjects.

 

Thanks for a great reminder!

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Well I'm back a couple hours later to say I DID find something I wasn't expecting. :lol: It's something I bought a year ago for "someday"... I guess someday is here! :D

 

 

And this something is ________________________. :bigear:

[HejKatt]

((Shamefully hiding my face here :blushing:)) I am guilty as charged -- just found two books on the shelf matching the two I just got in the mail last week. Can I feel better knowing I'm not the only one? ;)

 

Guilty here . I found a whole directory of eBooks (100s of them) from Yesterday's Classics sitting on my laptop. :blushing: I had bought it in a fundraiser and had every intention of using it for read-alouds to my dc, but I had entirely forgotten about the purchase.

 

I've started keeping a spreadsheet of what I own (electronic and physical), but I agree with PP that the lure of the hunt is great. That's why I keep scouting out library booksales for lovely vintage books - where else can I find educational and literary gems for a paltry few dollars? And it helps the library, right? (Sorry, Hunter, I'm failing the challenge!)

[PeterPan]

And this something is ________________________. :bigear:

 

Naughty naughty! But really, it is pretty eccentric. It's a diagramming book by the great Gene Moutoux. I had enjoyed looking at his site, and then last year he showed up at our convention. It was one of those things where you purchase something for someday, knowing you probably won't get the chance in person again. Such a delightful man! Anyways, it suddenly looks very right to me, and I don't think I'd have realized that if I hadn't redefined my search to be making do with what I have. :)

[Osmosis Mom]

This is a hilarious thread and definitely not for the restless, bored, nor disorganized of us :D.

[8filltheheart]

Yep, you're right. I have a much tighter budge this yr than normal and I was trying to decide what I should use with my older kids b/c we have gone through AG and AG style the last 2 yrs. I couldn't see spending money on another grammar program, so I started looking through stuff I haven't used in yrs and found an Abeka high school grammar text that we can use. I actually think it is better prep for the SAT/ACT punctuation portion, so I am glad I found it.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I did this a while ago and realized I had everything I needed for high school already on my shelves. Such an eye opener.

[Mommee & Baba]

I wish I would've not been so terrible about ignoring what I already had. I simply forgot all the good things I had tucked away in the far back of our book shelves. I found them all last month when I was packing up things, sorting for donations and yard sale and was so bummed with myself. Alot of things that I wanted to use I forgot I owned and ended up going a different direction, which in turn cost us money we didn't really need to spend.

 

I now am sticking to the thought that I will buy what I am going to use THIS year and not purchase anymore in advance than what we'll need the current year. If I go back to purchasing ahead of time I will end up throwing money out because I will forget about buying it or we'll go a different direction.

 

So glad you brought this up. I had an overflowing set of 3 bookshelves that I ended up ridding of so many books that we're now down to 1 full book shelf with books we're currently using/reading and anything we're not using this year got packed and put in the closet. AND any books I was hesistant or unsure of whether we'd use or not..I kept but anything that I almost knew we weren't going to use I sold or donated.

 

I think purging on a regular basis in your home needs to go along with your book shelves too!

[elegantlion]

I'm a hunter/gatherer. I buy things I find at thrift stores. Before we moved I got to plunge through some book donations for free. So I could almost do high school without purchasing anything but Latin and a Physics book.

 

Most of my books have been boxed up, so occasionally I'll find a gem I forgot about. The latest ones I had forgotten about are:

 

Civilization of the Middle Ages by Norman Cantor

 

and 2 copies of Greek Tragedies (volume 1) by Lattimore

[Greensa]

like next year's Cambridge Latin. But when I went looking for the literature selections we will be reading this year, I found *ahem* more than one in duplicate.

 

That just means I was thinking ahead so each of us could have our own copy, right?:tongue_smilie:

 

Sara

[BridgeTea]

One find:

 

A huge medical terms list printed on the inside covers of an anatomy & physiology book left behind by one of my older kids. My 12yo girl has been asking to do medical roots for some time and I had been poking around the internet looking for something to purcha$e, although I hadn't yet found a product. I pulled the A&P book off my shelf the other day because I was curious if I had the same one being discussed in another thread. Boom! There's a huge list of terms my girl can use to make flashcards, which is all she was really asking for anyway.

 

Bonus find: My Nesbit's Shakespeare book showed up yesterday when a friend returned it. I would've hit the "purchase now" button on that one with my next Amazon order because it's exactly what I needed. I forgot I owned it already.

 

I need to stick two signs above the computer: Keep It Simple, Stupid and Go Look on Your Shelves First !

[Tiramisu]

Yep, you're right. I have a much tighter budge this yr than normal and I was trying to decide what I should use with my older kids b/c we have gone through AG and AG style the last 2 yrs. I couldn't see spending money on another grammar program, so I started looking through stuff I haven't used in yrs and found an Abeka high school grammar text that we can use. I actually think it is better prep for the SAT/ACT punctuation portion, so I am glad I found it.

 

Okay, 8Fill, you just saved me a lot of money. I already have ABeka on my shelf but was struggling with the grass is greener syndrome and nearly bought MCT.

 

I always thought ABeka was particularly good for punctuation in the early grades compared with other programs I've seen.

[mcconnellboys]

Excellent advice! I finally began going through all my things, collected for years, last summer, and am trying to use as many of the resources I've collected as possible, since I'm running out of students and years of school!

[Hunter]

This is a hilarious thread and definitely not for the restless, bored, nor disorganized of us :D.

 

I'm enjoying reading the responses.

[creekmom]

OK.... but, can we pack it up in pretty brown paper and seal it in a big brown box and place it outside the front door?? -Nothing beats opening up a big box of school books/supplies!!! - Maybe we can even bottle "new book" smell to spray inside the box. :D

[bugs]

OK.... but, can we pack it up in pretty brown paper and seal it in a big brown box and place it outside the front door?? -Nothing beats opening up a big box of school books/supplies!!! - Maybe we can even bottle "new book" smell to spray inside the box. :D

:lol::lol::lol::iagree:

[Hunter]

I love new book smell too. But for me it's the little yellow slip in my PO box that says there is a box behind the desk that is too big to fit in my box. It doesn't matter if it is a $0.01 book with stains in it from Amazon, as long as it is new to ME and doesn't have writing and highlighting in it.

 

I'm addicted to little yellow slips.

[PeterPan]

Hunter, then I guess now would be a bad time to mention that if you buy two or more books from the same vendor on alibris the shipping rate goes down, allowing you to have even bigger packages. :D

[Hunter]

I don't think I have bought from alibis. I'll have to check that out.

 

EDIT: A seller I want to purchase from, is just selling the items for more money at Alibris, as well as their own website, than they are on Amazon. I find that same thing from another seller I often purchase from. It all ends out the same. The $0.01 books are making their profit off the shipping and HANDLING charge.

 

There are a few cheap workbooks I want to buy, but no matter how I attempt to buy them, I'm going to pay over $10.00 shipping, or a price that is inflated to above full price. So I need to settle for what I have on the bookshelf! Cause I'm not paying OVER full price! Just NOT!

Edited July 21, 2011 by Hunter

[4wildberrys]

Great suggestion! I saved myself about $80 by digging through boxes and bookshelves yesterday :D I have to say ONE large problem with your suggestion, though, is ALL the curriculum I found boxed up that I wasted money on :glare: And not to mention all the other curriculum sitting on my shelves, looking at me, making me feel guilty that I either don't like or isn't a good fit----subsequently making my head spin rethinking my plans and perhaps I 'should' try it one more time.........

[Mommyfaithe]

Great suggestion! I saved myself about $80 by digging through boxes and bookshelves yesterday :D I have to say ONE large problem with your suggestion, though, is ALL the curriculum I found boxed up that I wasted money on :glare: And not to mention all the other curriculum sitting on my shelves, looking at me, making me feel guilty that I either don't like or isn't a good fit----subsequently making my head spin rethinking my plans and perhaps I 'should' try it one more time.........

 

I have been seriously purging. My new rule...and I have been sticking to it: Use it, sell it or pass it on. If I put it away for "later" you can bet I will NEVER use it. I like to get new to me stuff in the mail....so....I packed up everything and made a huge donation....Now, what is left fits in my house AND I can find what I want when I want it. It feels good.

 

Oh, I did order 3 sets of CLE 8th grade LA by mistake. Thank goodness they were so gracious about their return policy.

 

Faithe

[jamajo]

OK.... but, can we pack it up in pretty brown paper and seal it in a big brown box and place it outside the front door?? -Nothing beats opening up a big box of school books/supplies!!! - Maybe we can even bottle "new book" smell to spray inside the box. :D

 

 

Hilarious! Good for me that I haven't been homeschooling too long b/c I have permission to buy, right? I immediately sell resources that I won't need to use again so I can feel like I am reinvesting those funds into newer purchases. Although I have kids who could reuse some resources I honestly like trying different curriculum to keep my motivation of teaching the same material. Is that weird?

 

The only resource I don't do that with is Math and IEW.

[PeterPan]

I don't think I have bought from alibis. I'll have to check that out.

 

EDIT: A seller I want to purchase from, is just selling the items for more money at Alibris, as well as their own website, than they are on Amazon. I find that same thing from another seller I often purchase from. It all ends out the same. The $0.01 books are making their profit off the shipping and HANDLING charge.

 

There are a few cheap workbooks I want to buy, but no matter how I attempt to buy them, I'm going to pay over $10.00 shipping, or a price that is inflated to above full price. So I need to settle for what I have on the bookshelf! Cause I'm not paying OVER full price! Just NOT!

 

Ahh, but what you haven't caught yet is that alibris then has coupon codes! You can always get at least $1 off your order, just by googling for a code. :) So the book comes out the same price, and you get to combine shipping. It has taken me a while to perfect this. I now keep a wishlist on alibris and when I find a book I want, I search that vendor's listings to see if he has anything else off my wishlist or my amazon wishlists. So for instance I just ordered 3 from BlueCloud. So instead of it being a little over $12 like it would have been through amazon, it came it at just under $10 on alibris. Cool. :D

[woolybear]

Can we cross post this to the K-8 board? What a great reminder. Does it count if I selling a lot of my stuff that's sitting on my shelves so I can buy new stuff, which I swear will not just sit on my shelves? :D

[Maverick_Mom]

I not only checked my bookshelves, I read TWTM (as opposed to just skimming it like I did before). Not only did I change my mind about many things, I found that I *own* many of the things SWB recommends, and her recommendations also cancelled out the need to buy anything in some other subjects. :)

[FourOaks]

OMGoodness!!!!!

 

The kids and I were just going through their school things and getting their new notebooks ready. I told 2 of them to go to the school room and get their new Spelling Workout workbook pages that I had ripped out to put in their notebooks. All of a sudden they pull brand new workbooks off their shelves and say "Um, mom, we already had new workbooks for G and H. You didn't need to buy them." AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!

 

They were very apologetic, but it wasn't their fault. Had I just walked into their room and looked on their shelves prior to placing my order, I would NOT have spent the $40+ on items I already own. Bless their hearts, they tried to make me feel better by reminding me that I can use 2 of them for their younger sister, so now I just have 2 brand new books I don't need. I had done the same thing with a student book of MUS earlier this year.

[AngelBee]

Before hitting "buy" go look at your bookshelves! What is already there that is not being used? Is the thing you want to purchase better? Are you SURE?

 

I have memory loss issues so will give myself a bit of slack...but...shame on me! I have some awesome stuff here and I almost bought something inferior to what I already have.

 

The grass is always greener. The promises of streets of gold are so seductive. The mirages shimmer so beautifully and promise refreshment. But when the books come in and we start using them...you know the story, we are off and looking again almost immediately.

 

Do you even know what you have on your shelves for each subject? Go look. Then come back and post the title of the best thing you found, for the subject you are currently researching to make a purchase for, and didn't even remember you had.

 

I found How to Read and Write about Fiction. I no longer need the literature analysis item I was looking at. This is different but not an inferior resource. My goal is to tighten up my language arts studies, by using the same vocabulary and methods, for both analysis and composition. I only paid a penny for this book but it is a good book and perfectly satisfactory for my needs right now. Or so I am trying to convince myself.

 

What did you all find? :bigear:

 

Of course this is only going to send us all off on a different spending frenzy, as we read about what people find that we don't have yet, but... :lol: We are hopeless, but at least please refrain from using links so as not to purposely enable people.

Did my husband tell you to post this??? :001_huh:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

;) :lol:

[LindaWood]

This reminds me of when I worked in the acquisitions department of a college library (20 years ago, before kids and before online catalog). We had to do much research to make sure that we didn't make a duplicate purchase--check OCLC for correct title, check the card catalog, check the on order items, etc. Woe to the person who made a mistake along the way and caused the library to order a duplicate!

 

Linda

[PeterPan]

Oh mercy, and now it's so easy! My readerware software cost like $35. I use a cue-cat scanner, but you don't even really need that. Half the time I just enter isbn's by hand. And the software can sync with your devices. There are also online services. It's not perfect, but it's very nice having the software, that's for sure.

[LindaWood]

Oh Elizabeth, can you explain more about how your readerware software and cue-cat scanner work? Brand? Where to buy? We have a large collection of books all over the house, and I forget what I have. For example, two years ago I needed the Leif the Lucky book, and our library does not have it. After we passed that time period in history, I found the Leif the Lucky book on our shelf at home.

 

Linda

[PeterPan]

Google readerware. Everything is on their website. You download the software. I bought my cuecat off ebay. But while you're at it search the boards for library software. There are probably newer or better options.

[LindaWood]

Thanks, Oh Elizabeth. I will check those out.

 

Linda