Utilizing your public library is the best way to reduce, or completely eliminate, your book and entertainment budget! Whether your child needs to research a specific topic for school, or you’re looking for a little “brain candy” to indulge in, check with your library first before hitting up that pricey bookstore.
Here are some points to remember:
* Books – Library shelves are overflowing with books on every topic under the sun including: self help, gardening, cooking, crafts, child care, medical, personal finance, “do it yourself” guides, auto repair & more.
* Magazines – Save on pricey subscriptions and read the latest issue (or take home a stack of back issues) for free.
* Music – Although selections may vary between libraries (and finding the latest releases will be tricky), you can certainly find a variety of great music to listen to for nothing! Be sure to check out the children’s music, too. (I refuse to pay full price for a CD that my kids will think is “lame” after a few months! Hee hee)
* Movies – As with music, the selection here certainly won’t rival that of Blockbuster or Redbox, but hey – it’s free. 😉 I’ve found several classics and old TV shows that my entire family loved!
* Internet Access – Got computer issues? Don’t stress out – simply head to the library and finish up your tasks lickety split! 😉 (Although I’ve never personally used the library to print anything, they will generally let you do this for a small fee of about $0.20 per page.)
* Toddler’s Story Time – Many libraries offer a fun, engaging Story Time for toddlers and pre-schoolers. Check with your local branch for more information.
* Homeschooling – I’ve met dozens of home schoolers who have used the library for everything and saved tons of money on curriculum each year! All they had to buy were pencils, paper and printer ink! (Sweet!) 🙂
* Can’t find what you’re looking for? No problem! – Hundreds of libraries are hooked up to the Inter-Library Loan System, which is a fancy way of saying that if you can’t find something at your local branch, your librarian can submit a special request for that book, cd, movie (you get the idea) with a different library. Then when that item comes in, all you have to do is pick it up from your local branch! Voila`! Save time, money – and GAS! Woohoo! I’ve ordered video documentaries and out of print books this way.
What good books have you read lately for yourself? (I am always on the lookout for a new great read!) Or do you have any great children’s book suggestions?
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
Allison says
I use Interlibrary Loan all the time. If our library doesn’t have a book or other item I want, my library will get it for me from another library and will call me when it arrives. Pretty cool, and of course free is always good!
Tanya says
I live in Quincy and our library is very small but it is part of the North Central Washington Library system. You can sign up for mail-order library items. You can do everything online (sign-up, get a library card, and select books). Everything is delivered in the mail to you and you can just mail them back or drop them off at your local branch (which saves on their shipping costs). It is so great-my husband and I order books all the time online and they come within a couple of days. Its so great and definitely easy on the budget!
Evee M says
The Mid-Columbia Library Summer Reading Program starts June 1st. Be sure and sign your kids up, as every child who finishes will recieve a free book! Also, check out the website for program dates and times: http://www.midcolumbialibraries.org/srp2011
Liza says
The Mid-Columbia library also has e-books and audiobooks that can be downloaded onto your iPod (I assume they will also work on the Kindle, but I haven’t tried), free of charge, from their website. And the “check out” period is 21 days for those as well. Sweet! Using this system I have read two books myself the past week and have downloaded several for my kids to read. They love the chance to use my electronics, so it is a win-win all the way around.
Mary says
We use the library ALL the time. Most of the time we have the limit (50 items) checked out!
Emily G. says
Our local library has cultural passes that you can check out that are good for free admission to the children’s museum!
Charlie says
The local libraries around here are amazing! They offer tons of free activities for the children, especially in the summer. They also offer their conference rooms for free use to the public. Our local library has NEW movies to borrow, and Wii games too. They offer a great selection of CD’s too. They have a summer reading program that rewards the kids with cools things including a swim party at the end of the season. It is one of our favorite places to go!
Kendra says
The movies have gotten better at the library recently I think. They have full seasons of older and current tv shows and Ive seen a lot more new movies there! I was suprised! And you can look online and “order” a movie (or book) that is in the whole Mid Columbia Library system and u can pick it up at your closest location. I like doing that, it saves time in searching for the item!