Borrowing My Way to Savings

Nope, I’m not talking about taking out another loan or racking up credit card debt. Been there, done that, and don’t want to visit again. Nope, this idea is cheap but pays dividends throughout the year and is a great source of entertainment. You can give it as a gift or keep it for yourself, and it works well for people of all ages, genders, races, and life situations.

What’s the secret? A library card membership!

I LOVE my library membership. I get to read as many books as I’d like for one price the entire year (you can find your local library by checking out the PublicLibraries.com site)—the average American membership costs $20 or less annually. That’s the cost for about 2 new books, so the return on investment is pretty great.

Plus, the library carries a lot more than just books. They’ve got up-to-date magazines and newspapers, DVDs, CDs, recorded books (great for road trips!), academic materials, and lots of other community resources, too. So you can cancel your magazine and newspaper subscriptions and stop buying new music and movies.

I love my library card so much that I’m considering it as a gift idea for people on my list this holiday season. And it’s a green gift to boot. Here are the benefits:

• Less wasted paper: One library book loaned 10 times saves the book’s weight in paper by a factor of 10. That leaves trees in place for generations to come.
• Lower fuel costs: Most libraries are now part of shared collections. By working together, libraries share their materials with other counties and communities, so you can request items from other regions and have them delivered to your local branch. This will save you driving around to other locations.
• Fewer bookshelves required: By borrowing from libraries, you don’t have to worry about buying new storage boxes and shelves for your expanding personal library. Instead, they’re stored for you at the library.

Add convenience to your borrowing habits with a resources like Library Elf, an online service that will hook up with your local library and send you notices for when requested items arrive, when books are due, and more.

- Lucy