6 ideas for where to find free or cheap puzzles
I love a good jigsaw puzzle but they can get pricey if you’re doing a lot of them!
I’m always on the lookout for ways to snag cheap puzzles so I can keep up my puzzling habit without breaking the bank.
Here are some of my favorite ways to find cheap puzzles:
Where to find free or cheap puzzles
- Check your library! You knew this was going to be the first thing on this list. My current library doesn’t have puzzles that you can check out but MANY of them do. Some libraries also have a puzzle swap station where you can take a puzzle or leave a puzzle (if they don’t currently have one, ask if they’d be willing to set one up either for a few weeks or permanently!). And many libraries will host a periodic jigsaw puzzle swap – my library just hosted one a few weeks ago where you can bring as many puzzles (in good condition!) as you’d like and then leave with the same number of new-to-you puzzles.
- Swap with a friend. I’ve found that people who love puzzles generally are delighted to swap puzzles with another puzzle-loving friend. My friend Jenny has a million puzzles and periodically brings me a big stack of options and I’ll hand off a stack of my own puzzles to her and then we each work through the stack before swapping back again (she usually gets through her stack much faster than I do mine!). My in-laws also periodically borrow some of our puzzles and we’ve borrowed plenty of theirs. It’s a great way to get more use out of a puzzle and do new puzzles without having to buy every single puzzle you do.
- Check the thrift store. We’ve gotten quite a few thrifted jigsaw puzzles over the years and it’s hard to beat the prices (usually they’re $1-3!). If the possibility of a missing piece is an absolute no-go for you, this might not be the right option, but if you’re willing to risk that you may end up a piece or two short, this is a great way to get your puzzle fix on a budget. (Plus, I’ve had multiple brand-new, out-of-the-box puzzles that were missing pieces so it’s a risk no matter how you get your puzzles!). Even better, I never feel badly about re-donating a thrift store puzzle after we’re done with it, so I don’t have to find a place to store it after the fact!
- Scope out discount stores. If you live near a Marshall’s, TJ Maxx or Ross or Home Goods, check to see if they stock puzzles. It’s a treat to find a brand-new puzzle at a fraction of the cost it would be new!
- Try a puzzle subscription. If you’re a power puzzler, it may be way cheaper to sign up for a puzzle subscription like Completing the Puzzle where you can do as many puzzles a month as you want for a flat fee rather than paying for each puzzle.
- Look for a Little Free Library that includes puzzles. This is becoming more and more common and if there isn’t one in your area, you can start one!
Any other suggestions for where to find cheap puzzles? Please share in the comments!
