I forget who exactly said it, or the exact wording of the expression, but there is a rule about bookmarks: never buy one worth more than a dollar, because a single dollar bill can be used as a bookmark. For Britons, this works out slightly more expensive, requiring a five pound note. Still, you get the point, we shouldn’t be spending silly money on bookmarks.
Assuming you don’t own a bookmark, and don’t want to fold the corners of your pages, here are some things you can substitute in during a pinch.
Paper/Polymer Currency
I basically just said this in the intro, so I’ll keep it brief. But you can use something like a one-dollar bill or five-pound note as a temporary bookmark. Hell, you can get extra flashy and use a higher value note just to flex, but I wouldn’t recommend doing that in public.
Think of it as the worst piggyback system ever.
Clothes Tags
This sounds silly, but I’m actually referring to the cardboard tags that are often attached to items. In the past, I’ve used some random tags from jumpers I bought out of Next, because they not only had a nice texture and pattern, but worked fairly well as substitute bookmarks.
Of course, it’s definitely not worth going out and buying clothes just to then use the cardboard tags as bookmarks, but you could always try to use it as an excuse if you want to justify shopping. But it would definitely be better to just spend a few pounds on proper bookmarks instead.
Short Ruler
A five- or six-inch ruler might be an odd, but fitting, substitute. It really depends on how thick then ruler itself is, and if the length exceeds the height of the pages.
I’m not sure why anyone would have a small ruler handy, and not a bookmark or anything else on this list, but it’s still a fallback option. I think I’d rather just fold the page corner, though.
Scrap Paper
This is the cheap man’s solution, but still perfectly practical. Simply cut bookmark-sized slice out of a sheet of A4 paper, and now you have a flimsly bookmark.
It certainly won’t feel as quality as something you buy in a shop, but you could always choose some coloured paper or add some designs to one you’ve cut out.
Flashcard
Diligent students will usually have these on them. Whether that be in their pencil case, school bag, or perhaps even in their school blazer (if you attend a uniformed institution), which makes them handy.
Personally, before I got myself some nice bookmarks, I used to use some spare flashcards to mark my pages. Similar to paper, you could even decorate or paint them—even cut or resize them, too—if you felt so committed to taking this frugal route.
Other Cards
When I say this, I mean anything from a bus pass, to your debit card, to your driving licence. Naturally, these aren’t ideal, and you could easily lose them—but they would still work in a pinch.
Moreover, you could use a business card, if you happen to keep any on you. However, if you’re the sort of person who carries business cards in your pocket, then I’m sure you’re more of a Kindle reader anyway. Even something like a parking or toll booth ticket could work, if you happen to be reading in the car.
String
The cartoonishly poor option, but actually still fairly practical. Many hard cover books come with a ribbon attached, so you can think of your impromptu bit of string as a very, very economical (and removable) alternative to that.
Speaking for myself, I think I’d rather have something made out of paper, which also would not be as prone to falling out of the book should it open ever so slightly.
Pressed Flowers
Pressed flowers, or perhaps even pressed anything, can work as a bookmark. Flowers, however, would be the most pretty option.
This could be particularly aesthetic when reading in the spring, summer, and autumn months. But I also feel like your bookmark would either crumble or wither away slowly with use, so this is more of a novelty option you can use when posting on your social media or whatever.
Feathers
Similarly to the aesthetic nature of pressed flowers, feathers could be an option. Of course, this is where I warn you that stray feathers can be unsanitary and carry both germs and diseases. So make sure to wash them first.
Also, isn’t it both a little odd and morbid to be carrying around a part of an animal? Perhaps you would be better off getting a bookmark designed to look like a real feather instead.
Paper Clip
Actually not an absurd idea, and one that is both very simple, compact, and proper-looking. Moreover, there’s no risk of it dropping out of your book since it’ll be comfortably hooked over a page.
Perhaps not ideal, and more apt to give off an office worker or school teacher look, but still a perfectly sensible way of marking pages. Plus, you’ll always have hundreds spare.
Clearly, there are a lot of options, some more ideal and logical than others. It’s about finding what is the most convenient or handy for you, even if it is only a temporary solution.
Bookmarks shouldn’t be expensive, and they generally aren’t. But if you’ve lost one, or just don’t feel like buying any, there’s no shame in taking a more frugal approach to marking where you left off. Seriously though, just fold the page corner rather than looking on the ground for a dried leaf or something, you can always flatten the book out later.
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