💰 Book Budget Calculator
Enter your monthly book budget and the average price you pay per book to see how many books you can buy per month and per year.
Budget divided by price, held to two decimals
books per month = monthly budget / average price
books per year = monthly budget × 12 / average price
annual spend = monthly budget × 12$40 a month against a $15 average is 2.7 books a month, 32.0 a year, and $480 spent. The monthly figure is deliberately fractional: 2.7 means two books in most months and three in some, not a book cut into pieces. Raise the average price to $20 and the same budget buys 24 books a year – a quarter fewer for the same money, which is why the price you type matters more than the budget.
Getting the average price right
- Mix your formats before averaging. New hardcovers commonly run $28–$32, trade paperbacks $16–$19, mass-market paperbacks and most ebooks under $12, and secondhand copies $4–$8. Buying half your books used can halve the average outright.
- Check the cost per hour, not per book. A $15 novel of about 90,000 words takes roughly 6.3 hours at 238 words a minute – the average adult prose reading speed – which is $2.38 an hour, cheaper than most entertainment.
- Match the budget to your reading, not your buying. A 52-book year at $15 a book costs $780, or $65 a month. If your budget says 32, the extra 20 have to come from a library or your existing shelf.
Frequently asked questions
How many books can I buy on $40 a month?
2.7 at a $15 average, so 32 books over a year. At a $10 average it is 4 a month and 48 a year; at $25 it drops to 1.6 a month.
What monthly budget do I need to buy a book a week?
52 books at $15 each is $780 a year, which is $65 a month. Shift the average to $8 by buying used and paperback and the same 52 books cost $34.67 a month.
Is buying books cheaper than a streaming subscription?
Per hour, usually yes. A $15 book gives about six hours of reading at roughly $2.38 an hour, and unlike a subscription you keep it, lend it, and can resell it.