More Than Books - The Many Ways Your Library Can Save You Money
If you have not visited your local library in awhile, you might want to make a trip there to check out all the activities and services they offer these days. The library now offers a whole lot more than just books and it’s a perfect place to save yourself a bundle of money each year. Here are a number of ways that your local library can save you money:
Books: One of the greatest entertainment values around is reading books. You can spend hours and hours reading for a small price. There is absolutely nothing wrong with purchasing a book that you’ll read or use time and again. The problem is that you don’t know how much you’ll use a book until after you have read it for the first time. The library offers an easy solution to this dilemma. Before you purchase any book, you’re able to “test read” it first.
If you’re going to purchase a car, you’d usually test drive a number of different models to see which one you like best. Only after test driving and finding the one that is best for you do you purchase it. You can save yourself a bundle of money by test driving your books before you buy them, too. Your local library offers you this opportunity.
Books On Tape: No time to read? It’s not a problem. Most libraries have a nice selection of a book on tape. Check out some of your favorites and play them in the car on your commute to work or when you’re doing your daily errands.
Videos / DVDs: You may be surprised at the selection of movie videos and DVDs that many libraries now carry. Many now resemble small video stores and they are all free to borrow. While it’s still difficult to get the latest releases in their first week, there are plenty of great movies available a few months later. If something that you want is out, you can usually reserve it for when it does come in simply by asking.
Instructional Tapes: If you ever wanted to try something new, your local library is a great place to start. Libraries usually carry a large selection of “how to” videos and cassette tapes for every conceivable hobby or skill you’d like to learn. Most also carry a good selection of language tapes and books if a language is something you’d like to study. Again the test drive concept works well here. Instead of paying a lot for lessons, do a little studying on your own first to make sure it’s something that you’ll want to continue for more than a few sessions.
CDs: Like videos and DVDs, many libraries now have a nice selection of music CDs available. This is a great way to test drive new music and singers that are new to you.
Magazines: Magazines are something that you usually can’t check out of the library. Still, the library offers a great way to see a large variety magazines without spending any money at a news stand. Spending time going through all the different magazines that your local library offers is a great way for you to find the magazines you really like.
Computer & Internet Access: Many libraries now offer computer and Internet access for free. If your main computer is in for repairs or you don’t have computer access for some reason, you can still have all the benefits that the Internet has to offer at your local library. More and more libraries are also installing wireless computer systems so that you can hook your notebook computer to the Internet for free.
Entertainment For Children Libraries can be a great place to provide entertainment for your children and give you a break for an hour or two. Some libraries still provide story readings for smaller children while older children can wander around and find what interests them which will give you some time for yourself.
Newspapers: Libraries often carry some of the larger and better known newspapers that would be expensive to have delivered to your house unless you lived in the area where they are published. Such newspapers as The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal can often be found and read at no cost.
Video & Computer Games: More and more libraries are beginning to carry computer games and video games that can be checked out and test driven to see how you like them.
Local Activities: Your local library is often a great place to find out all the local activities and events that are taking place in your town and local area. Most libraries have areas where these notices can be placed and it’s a great place to find inexpensive entertainment in your area.
Heating / Air Conditioning: On cold winter days and hot summer afternoons, the library is a great place to escape for a few hours. It will be nice and warm in winter and cool in summer without you having to pay for the heat or air conditioning.
Can’t Spend Money: If you aren’t sure what you want to do with yourself, going to your local library is a great alternative to shopping. The library will provide activity that doesn’t cost a cent and can enrich your life in a number of ways.
One great library perk: Stock research. Investment newsletters and other research periodicals and newspapers, which might cost an individual investor hundreds of dollars can be had for free at the library!
I silently laugh at any of my friends who tell me they shell out hundreds of dollars for stock newsletters that I can access (sometimes online!) from my library. No doubt, they do not calculate their stock rates of return with these hundred dollar “transaction fees” included.