Is Audible worth it? How I got 25 free books
Learn how I signed up for Audible and got 25 free audiobooks, even after cancelling my membership. I listened to 17 free books last year alone, worth more than $800, without renewing my subscription. Here’s how you can do it too.
I consumed 17 books last year. That’s an increase of 15 books compared to the previous year, and I managed to do it with Audible, and they were free. It was transformative. If you’ve ever found yourself wishing you had more time to read, this post is for you.
In years gone by, I could never find the time to read books because I work at a computer all day, and the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was read. My eyes needed a break. I probably consumed the equivalent of a book or two per week at work anyway, but reading for work is very different from reading for enjoyment, and purely from a place of personal interest. I held off using Audible for a while because I found the idea of someone reading to me weird, and I didn’t like the subscription model. I have so many books at home that I haven’t read…why would I pay for another?
Three years later, I know exactly why. Because I can pay about $7-14.95 per month to have someone narrate almost any book to me while I do things that, traditionally, I probably couldn’t do while reading.
Walking to the train station? Listen to a book. Cooking dinner? Listen to a book. Doing the dishes? Listen to a book. Running in the rain? Listen to a book. You get the idea. I managed to fit in 15 audiobooks while doing mundane tasks like walking, commuting and cooking, and gained a world of knowledge at the same time.
This post is not sponsored, my love for Audible is genuine. There are some affiliate links, clicking on them is of no extra cost to you, it just helps keep my site running :)
How to get free books on Audible
Get an Audible Premium Plus membership that gives you free credits. This is explained below.
I downloaded Audible with a 30-day free trial, listened to the first book in The Wheel Of Time series while I recovered from wisdom tooth removal, and then I forgot about it altogether. I didn’t like the book at all (sincere apologies to those who love it, I really tried) so I didn’t feel the need to race back to Audible.
I’m not sure how long I had the subscription for before I cancelled it, or what the deal I signed up for was, but it must have been a good deal and I must have been on it for a while because I suddenly had about 25 free audiobooks to claim. Some Audible plans come with monthly credits that allow you to buy any book in the catalogue, regardless of the cost. I must have realised I was paying for Audible at some stage and cancelled the plan, but I kept getting emails telling me I had unused credits.
I downloaded the Audible app again, checked my account, and realised I had 25 unused credits. I didn’t want to sign up for Audible again, but that didn’t seem to matter—I could buy 25 audiobooks, free of charge, without signing up to a plan.
Of course I did initially pay for the subscription but, if you’re not on a subscription plan, audiobooks do generally cost the same amount as paperback books because there’s a whole production process involved—there’s a professional voice actor or narrator, they’re often recorded in studios with sound mixers, and sometimes there’s background music.
I’ve managed to listen to more than $1000 worth of audiobooks with credits alone, and I definitely didn’t spend anywhere near that on my subscription.
Audible free trial and membership
Audible will give you 30 days free, or $0.99 per month for three months. During that period, you can listen to however many books you like. Plans start at $7.95 per month after free trial.
From there, you have options.
Audible Plus: $7.95/month means you can listen all you want to thousands of titles.
Audible Premium Plus: $14.95/month includes thousands of titles plus one credit per month for any premium selection title.
Audible Premium Plus Annual: $149.50/year includes thousands of titles plus 12 credits a year for any premium selection titles.
Any book you actually buy, with a credit or cash, is yours to keep. You can’t keep books that are download with your subscription benefits.
You can probably do some math here to work out what the best value is for your lifestyle and how often you’ll use it. I listen for a little over an hour per day, so the $7.95 plan works for me. I don’t need to keep them once I’ve listened to them, so I don’t mind that I might lose access to them if I cancel my membership. A friend of mine listens all day while she works, so the annual subscription is more worthwhile for her.
I do think the 12 credits in the annual plan is a great deal because it gives you 12 free audiobooks per year. If you get this plan through Google Play or App Store, these credits will not expire, even if you cancel your Audible membership.
A common question is whether Audible is included with Amazon Prime. Sadly, it is not—it’s a separate subscription.
Do Audible credits expire?
It depends on your plan, and how you signed up for Audible. Some plans have credit limits that expire once the billing period rolls over. But if you get them through the app, they will not expire even if you cancel your subscription.
Some of my free titles are below, I highly recommend them all, and I get to keep them because they were purchased using credits.
How does Audible work?
Audible is really easy to use. Download the app, sign in with your Amazon account and get a free trial. Search for a title you want, download it, and you’re good to go.
I find audiobooks download quickly on my phone using wifi, and you can start listening even before it finishes downloading. You can also choose to buy an audiobook with credits.
What I loved, and what I didn’t
Through this Audible journey, I learned I don’t like listening to fiction. I much prefer reading it. After The Wheel Of Time, I tried Dune, and I even tried something completely different by Margaret Atwood. But no. I don’t know if fiction is too slow in audiobook form, but it’s not for me.
What I love listening to is non-fiction. I largely listen to biographies by people who have lived very different lives to me—Unfollow, Wavewalker, Sociopath, and What My Bones Know were all excellent. They were read by the authors, which I prefer because their tone is crystal clear—you know exactly how they speak, and the tone of all the characters in their lives. Louis Theroux and Jennette McCurdy were especially good at this. Sometimes you also get extras in an audiobook—Louis Theroux had a whole section at the end of Gotta Get Theroux This that isn’t in the readable version.
I feel as though I’ve gained valuable knowledge about the power of religion, trauma, mental health, and travel that I wouldn’t have otherwise had. If I had those physical books on my shelf, I know I wouldn’t have finished them.
Audiobooks are as beneficial as reading
The act of listening to an audiobook is not the same as the act of reading, but it’s still the absorption of information and it activates similar brain regions to reading. It can improve cognitive processing, and language comprehension.
Researchers analysed brain scans and found that stories stimulate the same cognitive and emotional areas, regardless of the way they’re delivered. Whether you’re reading print books or audiobooks, you’re still absorbing information effectively (as per The Journal of Neuroscience).
Personally, reading books is important to me because I aim learn, rather than to improve my comprehension skills. If you want to improve your reading skills or your attention span, picking up a physical book might be the way to go. I recommend Kindle for that—you can have 500 books in your pocket at all times, and they are significantly cheaper than physical books. It’s amazing.
No matter how you decide to consume books, being open to new information is never a bad idea.
Is there a product or service you want me to try out? Let me know in the comments below!
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Are Bkr Water Bottles Worth It?
Looking for a durable and reusable glass water bottle that won’t leak? A Bkr water bottle is the answer. I have had my pink Bkr bottle for about five years now, which means I got it before it became a designer bottle. Yes, you read that correctly - ‘designer’ water receptacle. But having had one for so long, I can absolutely see why they became so popular.
Looking for a durable and reusable glass water bottle that won’t leak? A Bkr water bottle is the answer.
I have had my pink Bkr bottle for about five years now, which means I got it before it became a designer bottle. Yes, you read that correctly - ‘designer’ water receptacle. But having had one for so long, I can absolutely see why they became so popular. They don’t leak or break, the mouthpiece is the size a mouthpiece should be and not one of those ridiculously large ones that slosh water all over your face, and they look great. If anything happened to mine, I would literally spent the cash to get another. Here’s why.
The lid is a revelation
The lid screws on tight in one rotation. One rotation! And it doesn’t leak, ever. I have had so many water bottles leak in my bag it’s ridiculous, so the fact that this doesn’t leak and screws up really easily is a big plus for me. It’s also designed to be carried with a ring, so you could tie it to your bag if you wanted, or just loop it around your finger and off you go.
A weird design feature Bkr came up with within the last five years is a lid that fits a (vegan) lip balm in it. Of course, it specifically fits the Bkr Water Balm which, at $35, is more expensive than the lid itself, but I guess it would look nifty with the balm clipped in.
It (probably) won’t break
The bottle is smooth grass wrapped in a silicone cover that’s reinforced at the bottom, which adds a layer of protection if you’re a bit clumsy like me and drop things.
I have dropped mine a couple of times, but the worst was when it fell top-down and the lid cracked where the loop is. That’s not a design flaw - I don’t think anything could have survived that. The lid is made of quite a thick plastic and is not easy to break. It still functioned normally and I was able to close it without any trouble, but the glass has remained unbroken. You can buy replacement lids separately, so that is what I did.
Handy Sizes
Bkr comes in three sizes - one litre, 500ml and 250ml. I have the smaller one because I don’t carry around huge bags and I like to be able to slip it in a handbag while traipse to the supermarket or around the world, but there are definitely times where I’ve seen the benefits of a larger one, like when I’m working out.
Having said that, the litre bottle would probably be quite heavy. The bottle is made of glass, which adds to the weight, so keep that in mind when choosing.
Easy Cleaning
A few reviews say the Bkr bottle is hard to clean, but I’ve never really found that - you can put the whole thing in the dishwasher, or take the silicone slip off and wash that separately. The only thing to watch out for is don’t take the small silicone ring wedged inside the lid out - it’s what stops the bottle from leaking. I took it out once to clean it thinking I was being thorough, and it never really fit back in properly and it was a pain, and I’m kind of glad the lid broke so I could get a new one. That was not a design fault, that was just me taking things apart when I shouldn’t have.
Change the colour to match your outfit
The coloured silicone sleeves are also sold separately and are interchangeable, so you get a different colour for every day of the week. Not strictly essential, but a pretty cool feature nonetheless that makes this brand stand out. You can also get different kinds of sleeves, like spiky ones and smooth ones in different colours to suit your vibe.
Water tastes better from glass
I know that sounds subjective, but it’s true - the water tastes fresher and cleaner than out of a plastic bottle. Once you start drinking from glass, it’s really hard to go back to plastic. Chemicals from plastics also leak into your water bottle over time, which means you’re ingesting a hell of a lot more than water at the end of the day, which is kind of terrifying when you think about it. Whether you get a Bkr bottle or not, plastic bottles should be a thing of the past.
Water tastes better from glass
I know that sounds subjective, but it’s true - the water tastes fresher and cleaner than out of a plastic bottle. Once you start drinking from glass, it’s really hard to go back to plastic. Chemicals from plastics also leak into your water bottle over time, which means you’re ingesting a hell of a lot more than water at the end of the day, which is kind of terrifying when you think about it. Whether you get a Bkr bottle or not, plastic bottles should be a thing of the past.
vegan and cruelty-free
It seems odd for a water bottle to be vegan, but animal products make their way into the strangest things so it’s definitely worth noting. I make an effort to promote companies that are clean and ethical, and Bkr definitely fits that category - even the lip balm is vegan. Winner!
Cons
The one con I can think of is that you can’t fit ice into the bottle. That’s not a huge problem for me but, from what I understand, people from the US love having ice in their drinks and, unless you have an ice tray that makes tiny cubes, the Bkr bottle doesn’t cater for that. You would think ice would be more of a deal in hot Australia, buuuuut it’s not ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
What’s your favourite glass bottle? Let me know in the comments below!
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I Tried the Frank And Oak Subscription Box. Here’s What Happened.
Is the Frank And Oak ‘Style Plan’ Subscription Box worth it? I gave a go and here’s what happened.
If you’re in North America and Facebook detects that you’re remotely interested in clothes, you’ve probably come across ads for the Frank And Oak monthly subscription box, and hovered over it, wondering if it’s really worth it.
There’s no subscription fee and you can opt out of a certain month, or unsubscribe completely at any time for no cost whatsoever. You can also return any items you don’t want within 30 days for a full refund (they’ll even pay shipping), and they’ll only keep a styling fee of $25 if you return everything. This means that if you received nine items and only keep one, they won’t charge the extra $25.
On top of that, all their materials are sustainable and ethically sourced from around the world, everything is recyclable (including the tags), and their clothes are very practical and made to last. Considering the horrid effects of the fast-fashion industry (looking at you, H&M), Frank And Oak know where it’s at.
Anyway, back to the box…
My personal style can be a little out there – I don’t hold back when it comes to glam makeup, fancy (thrifted) skirts, and giant platforms. This can (and has) resulted in some unwanted attention in the past, so when I move to a new city, I like to check out the fashion trends so I know what to expect. Knowing I was moving to Quebec in a matter of weeks, I decided to subscribe to the Montreal-based fashion box to see what French Canadian style was all about.
Here’s what happened.
Frank And Oak Style Plan: A Review
After drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid and clicking on a <gasp> Facebook ad, I arrived at a beautiful-looking website and was asked to pick from the men’s box or the women’s box, and place a range of style preferences (preferred patterns, whether I liked casual, classic, or creative styles, colours I’d never wear, sizes for different items of clothing) and what I would usually spend on shirts, dresses, pants, ect. I chose the cheapest in all areas.
Everything was very visual – I was asked to select a range of preferred outfits and items from images, and knew exactly what I was selecting at all times. It was an easy process and I felt confident about my choices.
Two days before the box is due to be dispatched, I would get an email to preview the box and confirm the items.
It should be noted that if you don’t confirm or decline the box for that month within two-days, the box is automatically confirmed, your credit card is billed, and the box is shipped.
Box 1
I was road-tripping around Jasper, Alberta with no internet, and had no idea the email for my first box had arrived. Three-days flew by and, low and behold, when I got back and realised more than $300 had been billed to my credit card for clothes I’d never seen before, I immediately contacted Frank And Oak to explain the situation.
Surprisingly, they were extremely accommodating. Since the box preview fell over a long weekend, they hadn’t shipped mine yet and happily gave me a refund.
Crisis averted, and I was looking forward to actually being able to preview the next month’s selection.
Box 2
I was living in Montreal by the time box two came around, so I was super-excited to take a look.
The previews come with nine stylist-selected items already in your box, with a price on the top right-hand corner of the page. You can thumbs-down any items you hate and never want to see again, then refresh to see new items in their place.
I wanted to see allll the options (maybe there were ones I’d like better if I kept going?), so I kept thumbs-downing things to see what else they had, and then eventually I ran out of options, the price dropped significantly, and I couldn’t go back and thumbs-up anything I rejected.
I used the chat function to ask a human if there were any more items, and some new ones popped up, though because I look terrible in pastel colours, I had to reject more and the number of items diminished again. I ran in to this problem a couple of times.
Eventually someone at Frank And Oak told me they might be adding more items later in the day, so I waited.
When I got back to the preview screen, most items I wanted were sold out and the cost of the box was hovering at around $200 for what I perceived as less items.
Since none of the items I really wanted were available, I decided to skip that month and wait for the next one.
Box 3
Third time lucky, right?
The email came, I previewed the box immediately and liked way more items than I had the previous month. Win! I thumbs-downed a few odd colours that would make me look like I had liver failure, but kept most of them, including some jeans, a scarf, a fluffy navy sweater, two black dresses, some 40s-style tweed pants, black boots, and a few other things.
For the first time in three-months, I hit ‘confirm’ and almost immediately got a receipt. It cost $224, but for nine items, it looked like a pretty good deal. So far so good! It wasn’t until I got the shipping notice that I realized what was actually going on.
You have to confirm the items you want to keep by clicking on the image. There’s no thumbs-up button to do this, you just have to know to double-click the items you want. I didn’t do this on any of the items, so the top three were automatically confirmed for me, and the shipping notice read that I was only receiving three items for $224, rather than nine.
One item was a $70 scarf (to put this in perspective, the last scarf I bought was $1 at a garage sale) and I tried really hard not to think about it.
Because I’m living in Montreal, impressively, the box arrived the next day. There were indeed three items in the box and, I have to say, they were beautifully folded and packaged.
what was in my box
The first item I picked up was the $70 scarf. It was a deep red, finely woven, and thick enough to withstand a Canadian winter, but not chunky. It was stunning. I was floored. The picture above doesn’t do it justice.
I’m a traveller so I usually thrift clothes, or buy cheaper ones, so wearing brand on the higher end of the scale was an experience I hadn’t had in a while.
The sheer quality of everything was a nice surprise – it’s something I didn’t even consider, but it made deciding what to keep astonishingly difficult. All items were extremely well-designed, and made from soft and wearable materials that had a nice weight to them – something fast-fashion labels just don’t have.
The black dress didn’t look all that remarkable from the outside – it looked like a few other dresses I’d seen on racks everywhere for years. It was shorter in length and sheer with small buttons down the front, but didn’t feel like it would blow everywhere in the wind or cling to my tights on cold days.
The sweater was thick and warm. I think I was imagining something slightly oversized when I saw the preview because I’m small and things usually look big on me, but it was surprisingly fitted with room underneath for layers, and sat just above my hips.
On top of that, everything fit perfectly.
Is It Worth It?
The thing with subscription boxes is that they’re meant to be great value. I’ve signed up to a few beauty boxes in the past, and have received quite a few items for a seemingly low cost, so I assumed this would be a similar thing.
While you do save around 20% on each item with the Frank And Oak Style Plan, for regular humans who work for a standard wage in Canada, it’s not cost-effective. What I didn’t realise upon signing up is the more you ‘confirm’ to your box, the higher the price goes. For example, I added a Thinsulate snow coat recently and, with three other items in the box, the cost of the whole box jacked up to more than $500. Sure, you’re getting a discount, but it’s not a huge one.
All in all, if you’re happy to spend a little more on quality, durable and sustainable attire that will last, then yes, the Frank And Oak Style Plan subscription box is totally worth it.
If you’ve been gawping at the cost and can’t fathom spending that much money on only a couple of items, then maybe it’s not for you, but I wouldn’t rule it out. Signing up is a risk-free process – you never pay for anything you don’t want, and if you proceed with the box and don’t like any items when it arrives, it’ll only cost you $25. If you can part with $25 or more for the sake of curiosity, then I’d give it a try.
At the end of the day, I probably wouldn’t have picked out any of the items I received from a rack in a store, which is kind of the point of investing in a stylist. In that capacity, it’s a fun and interesting thing to try.
Have you tried Frank And Oak, or another clothing subscription box? Tell me what you think in the comments below!
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