Got your attention? Well, I’m going to share a side of myself I rarely, if ever, talk about online. My frugal side. Without going into depressing detail, I was raised in a household where pizza night was a really big deal. My mother worked as much as humanly possible and my dad was a carpenter, which really just meant he did just about any job he could to keep food on the table. My oldest brother was our babysitter. I’d watch my mom come home at 10:00 o’clock at night and still do laundry and make dinner. We were lucky to have two cars that actually ran, much less have all the extras the cars have today. With four kids it couldn’t have been easy on my parents. Not by a long shot.
That type of thing shapes a person. Today, I look at my parents with respect. I know they sacrificed a lot for us. As a mother myself I understand that type of love. I’d do anything for my kids. They really are my world. Still, Anne Rainey knows how to make a dollar stretch, my mom taught me that (thanks, mom!). I’m not going to squeeze a dime until it cries uncle, but I’m definitely the type of gal who looks at the tag and thinks, ‘do I really need that? really?’ I rarely say yes to that question. My clothes are from discount stores; my jewelry is whatever catches my eye. There’s not a single ‘real’ thing in the bunch. Flea markets, dollar stores, or I leave empty handed. I’m good with leaving empty handed. If I feel you’re nickel and diming me to death, I won’t be back. My purses are sooo not Coach, my shoes are definitely Prada. If it’s cute I’ll buy it, but only if I can get a good deal. I’m all about functional. Simple clothes, comfortable shoes.
Where am I going with all this? Well, I just got a birthday present that I’m in love with. Simply in love with! My husband didn’t get it at the discount store. Usually I feel bad when my husband spends money on me. I tease him that I expect diamonds and he teases me that I’m way too expensive, but in the end I’m content with dinner and a movie on my birthday, and we both know it. Spending time with my husband away from the computer and the phones and all the other distractions? C’mom, that’s worth it’s weight and god right there! Can I hear an Amen?!
Nevertheless, this time was different. I’m still getting the dinner—hey a girl’s gotta eat!—but when I mentioned to him some time back about needing an ereader he perked up. Truthfully, I’m probably not easy to buy for considering I usually just tell him to get me a gift card to a bookstore. After awhile a husband gets bored with that, ya know? They want to WOW their wife. Dazzle them a little. So, I told him I was going to buy an ereader myself. I was checking prices and found a few different ones online that interested me. I didn’t want to spend a lot, but I did want one. I have so many favorite authors who write ebooks exclusively and I’m tired of sitting at the laptop or desk to read their books. I want my own ereader. I figure I need it considering I’m an author myself.
Anywho! When I told him all this, he said, ‘why not get the new Sony?’ Psst, he’s an IT guy, he’s up on the latest technology, which is totally hot to me. LOL Of course I thought of the money. “Too expensive’ I grumbled. Even though I had already begun calculating how much gas and money I already spend on print books every blessed time I go to the ONLY Barnes and Noble close to me, which is 45 minutes away. I’d already begun seeing the benefits of having the new Sony. Several ereaders on the market today are grade A! But the Sony, eh, it appealed to me. What can I say. Like a chocolate chip cookie, it seemed to be calling my name.
So, what does he do? He buys me the Sony. LOL I’d insisted on going half, after all I can use it for my business. Well, it came in the mail yesterday. It came early. Who doesn’t like an early birthday present? Seriously, dude, this thing rocks my socks off. I’m in love with it. Totally in love with it! I sat at my daughter’s booooooring cheer practice last night and read. I pulled out my ereader and browsed through the 40 books I’ve already loaded and started reading one after another. I read a few chapters of my own books too. I already have a list of books I want to buy from Samhain and so many other online stores. And guess what? I haven’t used a single gallon of gas. My wallet is happy and so is the environment!
Ebooks aren’t as expensive, and I can take my entire bookshelf with me everywhere I go. I’m slightly in awe of that notion right there. The way I figure it, within six months this sucker will pay for itself. Now that’s what I call smart spending!
My mom is mega proud of her only daughter, let me tell ya. lol And she’s thinking of asking for an ereader for Christmas. I’m thinking I know what I’m buying my hard working mama, what do you think? 
WOW, Anne, I was already leaning toward the Sony, but this post has sealed the deal for me. LOL!
I saw Amazon had a pretty decent price for one. Is that where you ordered yours?
Great blog! I have a hard time buying stuff for myself too. I almost never do. Any extra money goes to my kids. I think its a mom thing
Congrats on your Sony!
WOW – I’m so jealous! <LOL> That’s on my Xmas list, (or my what-to-do-with-my-first-royalty-check list). My husband and I first saw it in the Borders store in Brunswick ME and were attracted to ease of use and the fact that fonts can be magnified for my husband (he’s legally blind) so he can actually READ.
Enjoy!
Renee Wildes
He got mine from the sony store itself, but Amazon would certainly be a good bet!
I have to share this too. Last night after I shut down the computer and went to bed, I took the ereader with me. I sat up for an hour editing. That’s right, editing. I had put my current WIP on it and I was going through making notes and highlighting things to look at today. Is that cool or what? I love that I can edit my stories anywhere I go!
I love my e-Reader. When I first got it back in June, it had some problems, then they did a software upgrade and OMG I really fell in love with it. I love being able to take it along in my purse when I know I’m going to be sitting waiting for my kids or at the dentist or somewhere. It’s SO handy. For someone who wears trifocals, I love that you can increase the font size. No paperback can do that for me.
Leah
http://leahbraemel.blogspot.com
Renee, one of the things I love about the Sony is ease of use. All I did to load books on it was plug it in, then drag and drop. I’m all about easy! LOL
Leah, I like being able to increase the font size too. That really is handy!
I love the Sony Ereader. I have the ebookwise that a lot of people have and love and I just didn’t love it. To me it was bulky on one side, hard for me to hold. So I gave it to my niece a long time ago. I have been reading ebooks for a long time now and I used to read them on my pocketpc. In February, I bought the Sony and once I figured out it was smarter to put all my books on a memory card instead of the actual reader, I have loved it. Right now I have about 160 books on it and I haven’t even used a quarter of the memory card.
I spend a lot of time waiting for my daughter at different places so I have always had books with me.
Renee’ M
Anne, I love my Sony Reader. I have the little SD card that allows you to save bunches more books so you can save them in case you get a really good deal. Sometimes the Econnect booksite has great prices on bundles of books so you buy 5 for the price of 3, etc. It helps to have a little disc to save TBR books and already ready books so you can go back and read them again and again and again all with a couple clicks of a button.
Laura
Laura, I can see I need to invest in a memory card because I have big plans of buying lots of ebooks! g
Anne, your hubby sounds like a real keeper. I won my eBookwise this year and hardly ever read a print book anymore.
I’m with you on the spending. I had grandparents who had me help them peel the foil of the gum wrappers and stick it on a ball to be sold for scrap metals, etc. Their motto was “ a pemmy saved is a penny earned”.
That kind of upbringing is hard to break.
Have fun with your new Sony Anne.
sandie
Heya, Anne! I’m so glad you passed this info along to us. I’ve been eyeing different readers and finally gave up because I had no idea which was the best buy and because, well…I’m frugal too. grin I read ebooks on either my laptop or my Alphasmart, but my eyes are getting worse by the day reading off those screens, so I would LOVE a portable “library”. salivates That would be teh awesomeness of all awesomes.
But since I already have 2 ways to read ebooks, I keep telling myself I can’t justify the splurge. Hmm, but now I’m thinking I might put the Sony on my shopping list after all. BTW, Happy Birthday!
Titania
Sandie—My husband is pretty wonderful, I’m lucky to have him! I’ve heard ALL good things about the ebookwise. I think I would have been happy with that one too.
Ti—Thanks for commenting! The Sony Reader isn’t cheap, but from what I can see it’s moeny well spent. I think with Christmas coming up, you should definitely add it to your wish list.
I was sooo thrilled for you when the Sony ereader came in. As you know, I have the ebookwise and I DO love it. Haven’t had a seconds’ trouble with it and at $140 it’s a bargain. One day I’ll graduate to the new Sony (which is also sold at Best Buy) and pass my ebookwise to a friend. I very seldom buy paper books anymore and it’s opened a whole new world. Know how when you go on vacation and have to pack a small bag just for books? I don’t have to do that anymore. Put the reader in my purse and I’m set.
This is truly the wave of the future for booklovers!
Rita—I never thought of vacations! I always have a bag of books for the car ride. Now I’ll just need my ereader, AND I can take more books!
I got my Sony eReader from http://www.HSN.com they had it for $299, but it was also available on flexpay 4 payments of $75 – which made it affordable:-)
I’m with Anne – I love it plug and play and now when I got on vacation I can take a couple of hundred books and dh will never know it:-) rofl
Enjoy your Anne I know I am going to enjoy mine:-)
Theresa—the one on HSN.com is the older version. Mine is the new, PRS 700 version, which is a little more pricey. Either version is wonderful though. It’s the best thing I’ve gotten since TiVo. LOL
I have an ebookwise on the way. I’ve heard there can be a few downsides but I won it and I’m not scared of the learning curve. Winning it makes it a very thrifty aquisition. All I paid was a little time entering the contest.
Great post.Enjoy your sony and your birthday!
Crystal Dee
Wow, what a great gift! I soooo want a Sony, but I don’t see one in my imdiate future. So I’ll just have to dream of reading all my ebooks somewhere other than in front of the computer. ;-0
Hi Anne!
I’ve already told you I love mine. It’s great. Don’t forget to charge it. It sucks for the battery to die at a good spot. LOL
BTW If you get one for your mom don’t let anyone worry you about vision if it’s an issue. Not only can you adjust font size but if you make it ladscape instead of portrait you get even bigger font.
I like not havting to carry two books because I’m almost done. LOL
Connie
Crystal, I hope you enjoy your ebookwise and thanks for the b-day wish!!
Julie, I was so thrilled when he offered to buy it. I’m still shocked this thing is mine. I keep thinking someone’s going to want it back or something. LOL
Connie, I love that landscape feature! I stumbled on that by accident, totally cool!
My hubby got me an ebookwise for Christmas last year and I love it. Love filling it up to take on vacation – and I’ve found I can curl up with it just like a paperback.
And another thing, I love taking it out to read where other people can notice it. I’ve had quite a few people comment on it. I explain it’s like an ipod for books and people seem to get it. I love exposing people to ebook readers who’ve never seen them before.
Great post, Anne!
Ooooh, what a great hubby. Mine is a lot like that, too, but he usually just says, “If you want it, buy it!” It’s not conducive to saving money when your hubby encourages you to spend.
I’ve been looking at ereaders for a couple of months and had narrowed my choices down to the Sony (the new one you got) or the Kindle. Then, the Oprah discount happened and the price difference between the two was $100. I told my dh, “I can buy a lot of books for $100.” so I bought the Kindle. Like you and your Sony, I LOVE it. The only drawback so far – it’s just too darn easy to buy books on it. I’ve probably already spent my $100, but now it’s got enough to keep me busy while I’m in Europe for ten days in December – which was one of the reasons for buying an ereader in the first place.
I also tend to pull it out when I’m somewhere with people I know will be curious. It’s so much fun to explain about ebooks to people who have either never heard of them, or, at least, has never read one. I don’t know about you, but some people are turned off by the price until I point out all the benefits of being able to pack around hundreds of books in such a small package. The readers in the group then sit up and take notice.
Regardless of which ereader you have, there are still people out there to whom it’s a novelty, but I definitely think they are here to stay.
Denise—It’s SOOO easy to buy the books and load them onto the reader, how’s an author supposed to get anything done! LOL
Cool that your hubby got the Sony for you, Anne! My hubby likes to pretend birthdays and Christmas don’t exist.
I’m like you: I have trouble spending on myself. It’s easier if I can justify it for work, but still— $300— If it could only do more things— If I could only get my reference books on it— I saw the Sony at Fry’s Electronics, but I sighed and set the little critter back down.
I bought the MSI Wind mini-notebook, and I love it as a tiny, lightweight computer that travels very well. As an ereader, it doesn’t have the battery life I’d like, but I mostly read at home, and don’t mind using AC when I need to. I really need the computer portability more. So as a compromise that does double duty, I’m happy. And it’s cute, too.