We’ve all been there. You’re in the middle of an absolutely amazing read, you need to take a break, but you don’t have a bookmark! GASP. What to do?
If you’re like us, you probably picked up the nearest bookmark-like object you could find and made good use of it. (Or you’ve committed the ultimate reading sin and dog-eared one of the pages. FOR SHAME!) Here are six things that aren't bookmarks but totally work when you need one.

Class notes
Once you’re done taking notes for a class and studying said material, you probably don’t ever want to look at those notes again, even though you spent so much time and effort meticulously getting everything down on the page. So it makes sense to recycle them as bookmarks. Plus, you can brush up on your studies in between reads!
Letters from loved ones
Cherished handwritten letters from loved ones can make wonderful placeholders in our favorite books, especially if they’re small and can be easily folded into shape. If you ever need a quick break from reading your book, you can reread the letter that always makes you smile! But is this really the best place for it? Hanging it on the fridge or storing them all in a folder is probably a safer bet.
Money
At least you’re keeping it somewhere safe, right? Right? The main problem with using a dollar bill to hold your spot (or a ten or twenty if you’re feeling fancy) is that it can slip out of the book at any moment, and this is definitely not something you want to lose.
Transit passes
If you live in an urban area, you likely have a card you swipe that gets you onto local transportation, and you’ve probably used it as a bookmark at some point. This works well while you’re on the train or the bus and have nothing else handy, but like money, it’s valuable and can easily slip out of your book. It’ll cost you precious transportation and your place in the book all at once.
Napkins
Sometimes you really have no other choice but to use a dirty napkin to hold your place in a book, especially if you’re getting some reading done at your favorite coffee shop. They’re flimsy and not super resilient and they may have coffee stains on them, but they’ll do in a pinch. And hey, at least you’re recycling!
Birthday cards
We all get them, and we all run out of places to put them and reasons to keep them. But they’re hard to throw away, especially if there’s an adorable animal on the cover and a super sweet message written inside. The added benefit of using a birthday card as a bookmark: they can mark multiple places at once!
Readler2
I use receipts, tissues, and lots of other absurd items that are just hanging around!
Kittyqueen79
I use ziplocs
Meryem
I use receipts from the library.
Tanya
It helps you keep track of the due dates too
Just_Some_Writer
What a good idea!
TheFunWriter1
I TOTALLY AGREE!!! I am always using the most ridiculous things! Like if my parents want me to to fold laundry, (there is a TON of it in my house living with 5 other people and a puppy) I sometimes used underwear as a bookmark! LOL
Lunalily
I use:
Safety Pins
Heavy Things
Junk
Other Books
tesshaiku
Other books!!???????? me too, though.
shrumplings
Yes! Sometimes I use gift receipts or my hair-tie. Also, I use the flappy part (I dunno how else to explain it) of the book jacket and stick it where my page is.
shrumplings
Yes! Sometimes I use gift receipts or my hair-tie. Also, I use the flappy part (I dunno how else to explain it) of the book jacket and sticker where my page is.
M-girl
Whatever thin thing I can find, and I absolutely do not understand how anyone can use a pencil as a bookmark, and some of the comments say pencil!
List of the top things:
String
Candy/gum wrappers (the gum wrappers are my mom’s since I have braces *angry/sad face emoji*)
Unused tissue or toilet paper
Little scraps of paper that are scattered all over the house
and last and definitely least (I don’t do it anymore) I used to dog ear books, I’m sorry.
Readler2
I use all of these too!
Miko_Mercury
I use a piece of string
MiaBee
I use Kleenex, as it is usually the closest thing