One Hundred Dollars a Month

Now that the kids are out of school, you might be looking for some inexpensive forms of entertainment to keep everyone occupied.  When my kids were little, we used to hit the library once a week.  It seriously saved of TONS of money over the years and it kept them reading throughout the summer, so come the new school year, their brains weren’t mush.

Lot’s of people think that the library just has books, but it has totally evolved into a free multi-media entertainment shop–only instead of shopping, everything is FREE.  Here are a couple of tips to help you get the most out of your library:

1. Use the “hold” service if your library has one.  This is probably my favorite thing about the library.  You can get an online account, search for whatever, put it on hold, then they notify you when it has come in.  You go pick it up, where it is ready and waiting just for you.  It helps you get exactly what you want without having to take the gamble that it might already be checked out.
2. 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.
3. Borrow movies.  The library has pretty much every movie you can possibly want {unless you live in a super small town}–and it’s free.
4. Borrow video games.  Did you know that most libraries now have video games.  You can even put them on hold {suggestion #1}, so your kiddos can totally try out the latest game before you buy it.  Or even better, maybe you’ll never have to buy it at all.
5. Books.  I know this is a no-brainer, but seriously, read them at the library first.  If you know you will reference them or reread them over and over, then buy.
6. Digital books.  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.
7. 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.
8. Music.  Want to check out a CD?  The library has those too.  I can’t tell you how much this has saved me over the years–sometimes I end up finding out that owning the whole album just isn’t worth it.
9. Newspapers.  Take advantage of your local newspaper or even the Wall Street Journal while your kiddos peruse for books.
10. Take advantage of programs.  Most libraries have tons of free programs and classes.  Younger kids can go to story time, older kids 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}.

I’m telling you, the library has really diversified, and it’s totally worth your time this summer.  Do  you use the library?  What’s your favorite part about it?

~Mavis