Libraries, Unsung Heroes of Saving Money

Libraries are one of the best things that local governments provide. Librarians are almost universally wonderful, helpful people who will go above and beyond to help you. Also unfortunately as funding for other support networks have declined, libraries have become one of the last places a homeless person can go for help or to get out of the cold. For people of almost every socioeconomic category libraries provide significant money saving resources. I was frankly shocked at the breadth and depth of the services they offer. If you are feeling flush this year consider donating to your local library foundation, they do great work.

As I live in the Los Angeles area a lot of the examples are focused on California, but similar resources are available locally in virtually every major city and suburbs.

Free online access to major newspapers and magazines

The Economist, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other major publications are often offered for free or at extremely discounted prices via a link at the library. For example the Los Angeles Public Library offers free passes to the New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Pressreader (2k newspapers from 100 countries). The passes last for 3 days at which point you have to renew them.

Audio and e-books on Libby and Hoopla

The Libby App has a huge variety of free audio and e-books as well as magazines. It works like a physical library. You can get a copy of a book if its available or place a hold and get copy of the book when the existing loans are “returned”. When I logged into Los Angeles’ Libby site, a ton of magazines such as the New Yorker, Newsweek, Bon Appetit, Kiplinger, Vanity Fair, and Wired were available to read immediately. The interface is pretty intuitive and has a search function that can help you find what you are looking for. Hoopla is similar to Libby, but focuses on audiobooks.

Free tickets to local museums and attractions

As I detail in my article on museums, you can get free or extremely discounted tickets to local museums, zoos, gardens and aquariums at your local library. Many of the libraries use a system called Discover & Go which will list the tickets/discounts that are available.

Boston Chicago Dallas Denver Los Angeles Miami New York  San Diego San Francisco Seattle

Borrow tools and gear

Got a 100 foot extension cord, 24 inch bolt cutter, an auto engine code reader, or an acoustic guitar? The Los Angeles library has all of these items available for you to borrow. LA has one of the more extensive list of things you can borrow (instruments, hiking gear, baking pans, crafting tools), but libraries throughout the country have similar tools you can borrow. Sometimes they charge a small daily fee of a few dollars, but often the loans are free.  Localtools.org has a map of all the tool lending libraries in the US, some of which are normal libraries and others which just focus on tools.

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Streaming movies

Kanopy is a free movie streaming service offered by libraries. The movie selection is pretty mediocre, but if you can’t find something to watch on your existing streaming services or are looking for a movie you would otherwise have to pay for, it may be worth seeing if Kanopy has it for free.

Courses via Coursera

More than 5,000 online on-demand video courses are available for free on Coursera via state libraries. In California you get 6 months of free access via the CA state library website.

California state park passes

In California, libraries offer 3 week free passes for one car to state parks. The wait lists tend to be fairly long, so request the pass early.