Trying to trim your budget? Perhaps pay off some debt or save for that vacation? Your library can help. We’ve got lots of ways to help you save and all of our resources are free.
We carry more than 100 magazine titles, as well as downloadable magazines through Zinio. Check out popular new DVD releases, all free when using your library card.
Did you know we also have free music? We have hundreds of music CDs to check out. But did you know we also have free music downloads online? Freegal lets you download six free songs a week, and they never disappear. They are yours to keep, so get that summer playlist going.
Packing your lunch instead of eating out? Move beyond those PB&J’s and browse our cookbook section for some exciting new lunch ideas. Titles include “Beating the Lunch Box Blues: Fresh Ideas for Lunches on the Go!” and “Weelicious Lunches: Think Outside the Lunch Box” with more than 160 Happier Meals are great books to get you started.
We also have books on frugal cooking such as, “Good Cheap Eats: Dinner in 30 Minutes (or Less!)” and “Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook,” both by Jessica Fisher.
Want to learn how to coupon and save even more? We’ve got you covered with books such as “Couponing For the Rest of Us: The Not-So-Extreme Guide to Saving More,” by Kasey Trenum.
Books and eBooks are free here. We have an amazing collection in-house and online. If it turns out we don’t own it, let us know. You can suggest a title to purchase or we may be able to get it through Inter-Library Loan, a free service that allows us to borrow books from libraries across the country.
I’ve purchased only two books in the past two years. That alone has saved me hundreds.
Overwhelmed and need some help on how to start saving money? Check out my favorite book, “Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover.” Dave will show you how to create a simple budget and start saving in no time. My favorite blogger, Crystal Paine, also has a wonderful book, “The Money-Saving Mom’s Budget.”
Don’t forget our Summer Reading Club starts tomorrow. You can sign up online anytime, and it’s open to all ages. Simply log in and track your minutes to earn some great free prizes. One winner in each age group, children, teen and adult, will win a $100 gift card. Who doesn’t love free?
I hope you’ll take advantage of our resources to help you make the most of your money.
Jessica Hendry is a library assistant at the Bartholomew County Public Library and can be reached at [email protected].
