Guest Blogger – Christina Poulsen

As a stay-at-home mom on a budget, one of my favorite places to go with my daughter during the week is my local library. As I have mentioned before, I live in the country, and I need to drive a good 20-30 minutes to get to the nearest store. The price of gas is a concern whenever I want to drive anywhere. Luckily, one of our town libraries is less than 1/2 mile down the road. It’s small, VERY small, but provides a place for me to escape from my home once in a while. Here are the perks of heading to the library.

1. You can rent movies for free. They usually don’t carry the newest titles, but it’s a whole lot cheaper than renting from Blockbuster, and you can keep the movies longer.
2. You can read magazines for free. This could save you $10 a year per subscription. And a lot of times, they give them away after a month or two.
3. You can use the internet for free. If you only use the internet a few times a week, it may be better to cancel your internet and head to the library when you need to use it. You could potentially save $50 or more a month.
4. You can order books from other libraries. You may have to check with each state, but I know mine has a program where you can order a book from any other library in the state and they send it to your chosen library. I can actually search for and order the books online, which makes it even easier.
5. 3 words: children’s play area. I have yet to see a library without a children’s section. Usually they have toys as well as board books. I love to sit and read while my daughter plays.
6. Free or discount passes. Many libraries offer free or discount passes to the local zoo, children’s museum, or other fun places.
7. Free classes & activities. Most offer storytime and other activities for children. Also see if they have any adult activities. My library is starting an “intro to knitting” class on October that I might be joining. :)