Welcome to my 52 Ways to Save $100 a Month series. We’re serious about saving money in 2016. Sometimes it’s the little things and sometimes it’s the big things. I’m here to walk you through some little things that can add up to BIG savings. 52 little things to be exact. Every week, join me back here for another small money saving tip or idea that might not seem like significant savings until you see the overall yearly savings. It might just blow your mind. So pop in each Tuesday and read a new tip that will help you on your way to save $100 a month!
Libraries are the coolest places. First, they are free to enter and the environment is always calming and quiet. Second, they are great resources for all things learning. Third, you can get a library card for free and go to town saving money on all sorts of items you would otherwise have to purchase. Libraries can save you big bucks. Here’s how:
- Borrow Books: This is what brings most people through the doors. You can check out any book your little hearts desire {and most libraries don’t have limits on how many you can check out at a time, so go to town!}. And if you are only into digital books, libraries can help with that, too. Most libraries have digital books that don’t even require you ever getting in the car. So, if you have a laptop, kindle, iPad or some other device, chances are you can get some free reads by just logging onto your library’s website. How cool is that?
- Read Magazines: Instead of having magazine subscriptions, check them out from the library. While you can’t check out the current month’s issues, you can check out all of the back issues.
- Rent Movies: The library has pretty much every movie you can possibly want and they are free to checkout. So the next time you’re thinking about heading to a Redbox or renting a movie on Amazon, a quick trip to the library will make that family movie night FREE!
- Read Newspapers: Instead of paying for a newspaper subscription, read it while you wait for your kids to find their book selections. You get all the news without the price tag.
- Borrow Video Games: Let’s face it. Video games are expensive. Sometimes you’ll cough up all that money for a game you or your kids rarely play or decide isn’t as great as the hype. What if you could test drive the video game for free or just rent it occasionally when you get the urge to play it? Libraries have some great game selections and are adding to them all the time. This one has the potential to save you some big bucks!
- Surf the Web: You can take advantage of educational computer games and the internet. The children’s part of the library usually has computers loaded with fun educational games. For older kids, Wi-Fi offers a little bit of surfing with some pretty strict restrictions that will keep them fairly safe.
- Rent Music: Did you even know you could check out CDs at the library, too? This has saved me hundreds over the years because I’ll hear a song I like and go check out the album to see if it’s worth buying. So many times it’s not and I’ve saved myself the $15 I would have wasted! They normally have all the latest albums as well as a great children’s selection.
- Take a Class: Most libraries have tons of free programs and classes. Younger kids can go to story time and older kids/adults can do book clubs. My library even has a Lego club {where kids get to build massive creations} and a knitting club {for all skill levels} as well as arts and craft days for young and old.
Do you utilize your local library? What is your favorite thing about it?
How Much Can You Save: $112+ A recent survey estimated the average American adult spends about $112 each year on just romance novels and video games alone. Factor in every other type of book, magazine, music and any video rentals and you are well on your way to saving hundreds each year!
More Ways to Save:
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Clean Out Your Closet {Week 1 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Break Up with Cable {Week 2 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Barter Better {Week 3 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Change Your Own Oil {Week 4 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Adjust Your Thermostat {Week 5 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Take Advantage of Your Perks {Week 6 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Pack Your Lunch {Week 7 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Make It Yourself {Week 8 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Preserve Your Bounty {Week 9 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Keep the Change {Week 10 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | The Art of Borrowing {Week 11 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Ditch the Gym {Week 12 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Clip a Coupon {Week 13 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Start Your Garden From Seed {Week 14 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Learn to Cut Hair {Week 15 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Become a 1 Car Family {Week 16 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Make a Phone Call {Week 17 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Shop Christmas in July {Week 18 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Grow a Garden {Week 19 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Just Say No {Week 20 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Go Generic {Week 21 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Make a Budget {Week 22 of 52}
jennifer says
My library has a summer reading club that offers fun activities for kids as well as incentive to read. Last year they had a balloon artist and a magician! The kids loved it and it cost nothing!
Beth says
I wanted to let you know that you can now rent audible books at the library for free, at least it’s that way in CT. I don’t pay anymore like I use to through audible.com – This is saving me a ton and I can rent as many as I want there are no limits. Pretty exciting since I have a long commute and through audible.com I could only afford to rent one per month and then I would have to wait until I could do it again a month later. I was only able to listen to one book a week and then the radio or pod casts the other three weeks.
Tami says
All is true unless you live in a tiny town with a library the size of a dime!! Lol
Gigu says
Often they are part of a bigger network and have interlibrary privelidges.
Kayla says
Our library (granted I live in a big town) offers a Discover & Go program that gives free admission to select museums, attractions, historical locations, and such. You simple use your library card, request the day you want to go and print your passes. Free admissions to local attractions, I’ll take that.
Also, our library offers job training, internet basic classes, free online government test taking courses (for getting a state job), and a literacy program for older adults. They offer a free location (if scheduled) if you want to start your own club, sewing class, cooking class, homeschool demonstration, even mini science fair. Our library also offers select activities for kids with special needs and families. Our library is awesome!
Susan says
I was going to mention that as well, Kayla. Our little library (in MA) has 13 passes for local museums (for free passes or significant discounts). For instance, the Harvard Art Museum is $15 per person, but the library pass provides free admission for two adults. The Boston Amuse of Science is usually $23/person (yikes, right!), but is $10/person with the pass for up to 4 people. We’ve definitely taken advantage of this!
Another library perk is amazing concerts. We’ve enjoyed classical, blues and Scottish music the past year in a gorgeous room in the Peabody MA library, but there are similar concerts all of the region. My sister is a reference librarian in Central MA and puts together a really fun summer concert series for her library (lots of folk, Polynesian, polka music — fun!). If I’m looking for something fun to do, I’ll poke around the calendars on the websites for area libraries and have found some amazing offerings.
Finally, if our kids successfully complete the summer reading program, they get free admission, a couple ride tickets, and a hotdog dinner at the Topsfield MA Fair — super fun!
Lesley says
I have loved the library since my very early years. My parents like to remind me that I wanted my first date to be in a library! Just last night, my daughter and I walked downtown to the library to return books and find new ones. The weather was amazing, and on our walk home, I found a $5 bill on the sidewalk! I told my daughter that it was the Universe telling me to keep on walking to the library. Woot!
Shelle says
I love the library! We take advantage of the free kids programs and they typically bring in some awesome speakers, authors, and presenters for adults too. Now that school is out, you can bet the kids and I will be at our library often!
Ellen in Clackamas says
I have always loved libraries. In fact I really wanted to be a librarian when I grew up–you’d get to read all those books!! But then I found out you had to go to school to be one and totally changed my mind!! We are often so silly when we are young. Now days I am at my library at least once a week. Ours doesn’t have as many activities as Kayla’s but they always have lots of programs going on. They just has a big plant sale which was a lot of fun. And I started reading magazines there when I couldn’t afford to buy them. So much to do. Also, growing up our library had a book-mobile–but we lived too far out of town to have them visit us. Total disappointment!!!
Jennifer says
Check to see if your library supports Freegal. It is “iTunes” for free. You must download the app and use your library card to access the songs. They have tons of new, old, whatever artist will allow them to publish their songs for free. Two minor catches… They have a lot of songs that are cover so just listen before you download and You are limited to five songs a week but still… It’s free
HollyG says
Many public libraries are also creating Makerspaces. DIY spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn. They often have 3D printers, software, electronics, craft and hardware supplies, tools, and more.
Donna says
I, too, have loved the library for years. When my husband wanted to move to a small town (pop. 15k), I made him let me look at the library before I would agree. Even though it is a small community, it is big with services and programs. We have most of the things mentioned above, but also a summer reading program for adults with incentives including a Kindle (lol), many classes, and a community section. We just broke ground Monday for a new library which will more than double our space. Can’t wait!
Linda Sand says
Do libraries still offer children’s story hour where some adult read to kids? They did when I was young and again when our daughter was young. It’s where I first met Mary Poppins.
Kathleen says
We have a wonderful library in our area that offers many programs for children and adults year round and also acts as a gathering place for our small community. We have made many friends over the last 10 years as patrons and now that my kids are older I have taken a part time job at our wonderful library ! I love working there and enjoy helping with the programs and seeing all of the new books and movies when they come in ! Support your local library !
Janet Howard says
I can stream movies, music, audio books and magazines from my library in Massachusetts. All you need is your library card and you rent items just as if you were at the building. Most of the movies are old , but I got to see James Stewart in “Harvey” again.
Museum passes are the best and everything else mentioned by the other posts.
Danielle says
You don’t always have to live in a city/county to have a library card with a particular library. This would be especially useful for digital access to ebooks and audio books. Also, our county libraries have a great hold program where they will transfer a book from any participating library to the one closest to me. It’s great to access the library catalog from home, locate a book, request a hold, and get notified when it is ready to pick up. Some like series also have digital magazines available for free.