Public Libraries: A Gold Mine for Saving Money

I have vivid memories of reading with my mom every night before bed. She used different voices for characters and was so engaging. When I was older, we would take turns reading pages in chapter books. Eventually we would give each other book recommendations (I got her hooked on Harry Potter when I was a teenager). 

She knew that reading was the key to unlocking a lot of doors for me. Although she always encouraged me to be a reader, she was also frugal and savvy with her finances. Instead of buying a ton of books, she used the library. 

We were lucky to live close to a public library. My folks made weekly visits to check out books and I was a regular at weekly story time. I have no idea how much money my parents saved by consistently using the library, but it must have been significant. 

As adults, my husband and I access our local library. Libraries have evolved with the times and the way we use it today is drastically different from the 1980s and 1990s. Below are things that we regularly use from the Spokane County Library. 

Books:

This is maybe a big “duh.” Even in this digital age I still enjoy holding a physical book in my hands. In the past few months, I have checked out countless books about business, finances, and hobbies (fly tying and crocheting). This is one way I’ve been saving money while getting my business off the ground. 

I typically get on the Spokane County Library website, search the catalog, and reserve books. When the books are available, they are transported to the library of my choosing. I get an email alerting me they are ready to be picked up. This whole process saves me time by not needing to go into the library to browse for books. I can also renew books by using the website. 

Libby App:

This mobile app is gold. The Libby app has thousands of digital books and audiobooks. I check out books through the app and then download them to my Kindle. Before I go on road trips, I download audiobooks to my phone. This ends up being hours of great entertainment when traveling. My husband travels for work and he always has books or audiobooks downloaded on the Libby app. 

A downside to this app is that you sometimes need to wait for items. I’ve waited weeks to get popular books.

Hoopla App:

This mobile app is similar to Libby, but it also includes music, TV shows, and movies. I honestly haven’t used Hoopla a lot, but I was just browsing what is available and checked out The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel (a book I’ve been patiently waiting for on Libby). 

A plus side for this app is that you don’t need to wait for items. The tradeoff is that you can only check out 10 items each month. 

Free Spaces to Use:

Local libraries often offer spaces for people to use. They can include meeting rooms, conference rooms, and study rooms. I volunteer with a nonprofit called Spokane Falls Trout Unlimited and we use The Hive for our monthly meetings. The space is bright, beautiful and works so well for presentations. 

You can reserve rooms on library websites. I’ve found that things fill up fast (so don’t drag your feet). 

3D Printer:

There is a 3D printer at the Spokane Valley Library. We have yet to use it, but my husband drools every time we walk by it. 

Other Things:

Libraries also offer many things for people to access. I haven’t used the list below, but it might be worth checking out for yourself:

-Free Events 

-Story Time for Kids

-Lego Free Play

-Checking out Mobile Hotspots

-Reserving a Computer

-Library of Things

In case you’re wondering, the library isn’t technically free. Your tax dollars help support it. So you’re already contributing money to all of this stuff. Why not take advantage of something you’re already paying for? 😊

How do you use the library to help save money? Share in the comments!