Making Frugal Choices - Library Edition

As a kid, I would go once a week to the library in the summer time. I loved to read and it was a good waste of a few hours for my stay at home mom to occupy me. As I got older, she’d drop me off for a few hours while she ran errands or did some grocery shopping.

As a self-proclaimed bookworm, I am embarrassed to admit that I had not been in my current town’s library, except when voting, since moving here in 2011. This is extra embarrassing, as the library is legit five minutes from our house. That horrible crime has was rectified in 2018 and I am now a proud library card carrying member of my community. They even gave me a free tee shirt when I signed up!

PoniesandFIREjr is 5 years old and the two of us now have a weekly date to the library on Monday nights when they stay open late. We’ve gone the past six months and we are loving it! The great things I remember about libraries from my childhood are the same and I have found some exciting new free stuff in ours too!

Here are my six reasons to check out your local library for some FREE entertainment:

1.       This is obvious, but BOOKS! I LOVE to read and if I’m being honest, I probably qualify as a book hoarder. The library gives me an unending supply of free books for myself and for bedtime stories for PoniesandFIREjr.
2.        My library has hundreds of movies on DVDs available to check out. This week we borrowed Cars 2. Last week was Lady and the Tramp. It will take poniesandFIREjr years to get through them all!
3.        On the same vein, DVDs of TV shows and stuff Mr. poniesandFIRE and I would want to watch too! Seriously – everything from Friends, to Breaking Bad to anything in between.
4.        My library has puzzles you can check out! I have no idea if this is a normal thing or not, but how cool! I love puzzles, as does my son, but I have zero desire to ever pay money for them or have them permanently take up space in my house. PROBLEM SOLVED!
5.        My library hosts free community events for kids. There are afternoon movies, crafts and back in October a super cool presentation from a wildlife rescuer that included a real life SLOTH!
6.       Librarians are awesomely nice! Our local librarian lets poniesandFIREjr run the scanner himself to check out his own books and movies and he thinks that is incredibly cool. They also give great suggestions of books we might love. Last, but not least, they sometimes give out free snacks! So many wins!
7. Our library is dog friendly. I suspect this isn't the case everywhere, but how cool is it to be able to bring you dog? 
 
All in all, there are so many things to love about libraries, most of which is that they are in EVERYONE’S budget! In honor of National Library Week, take some time to swing by your local library and check out all the amazing free stuff they have to offer.

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