Books can seem expensive too, but books are so essential in the education of our children, this is not an expense that should be cut out of the budget. Think of books as an investment in your child's future. When my own daughter was tiny, I spent lots of money on goofy picture books that inspired her to giggle. The warm, fun times centered on books helped her learn to love reading. That opened the way for intellectual curiosity in general. Flash forward to college. She was rewarded with a full-ride scholarship worth almost one-hundred and forty grand over four years.

So, tell me again that buying picture books is too expensive?

Money is not an excuse anyway because there are so many easy ways of controlling the expense of books. I was a broke single parent and learned all the tricks. First, shop at discount bookstores. Often, you can find excellent, educational and entertaining children's books at bookstores that are labeled as ?50% off? stores or even ?75% off? stores. In fact, many of the books you find here will be the exact same books that are at the full-price bookstores for bundles less.

Shop at thrift stores. Thrift stores like the Goodwill and Salvation Army have amazing little libraries in them. You can buy hundreds of dollars worth of kid's books for a few measly bucks. Don't be embarrassed to shop in a "poor folks" place. Call it thrift store chic for education!

Shop garage sales. Children grow up, and every parent in the world eventually unloads everything that's been outgrown, including books. The cost of kid's books at a garage sale is practically nothing. Often, you'll be able to find a box of books, most of which are in good condition, for a few dollars.

Shop online. If there is a particular book you are looking for, don't head to the bookstore. Sites like Amazon, where you'll find individual sellers offering discount prices on books, will save you a bundle. Even better than that, online auction sites like eBay also give you the ability to purchase rare or out of print books from other sellers, some of which are excellent children's books. If you're just looking for standard books, you can find them on eBay for virtually nothing! I've seen great kid's books sell for pennies on eBay.

Go to the library. The library is the ultimate way to control the expense of kid's books, since it is free to borrow the books you want. It also allows you to test out a book to see if your child even likes it prior to spending money on it. Anything you can purchase in a bookstore can be found at the library, and again, it costs nothing (as long as you return everything on time!). Another great reason to get into the library habit is that most public libraries have delightful children's programs. They offer everything from art classes, to reading circles and parties and organized games. Best part is that the public library is 100% free!

Accept hand-me-downs. There is nothing wrong with taking your niece's or nephew's old books and saving them for your child to use at the appropriate age and reading ability. In fact, you may even find some of your own old books in those boxes!

While there are expenses that are much harder to keep from shrinking the wallet, like diapers, school supplies, and clothing, the honest truth is that books ? one of the most essential supplies for a healthy mind and personality ? don't have to cost a fortune. You can find many ways to save in this arena without skimping on the material and quality.