Lightweight Eats

On a budget? Try your local library.

Between moving and selling most of our books, losing most of my music collection, and canceling our Hulu Plus subscription, we’re definitely in need of entertainment. Board games are only fun for so long.

We currently have a Netflix subscription, but the cheapest option gets us about a DVD a week.

The library here has filled in the gaps. We’ve checked out three movies, a bunch of CDs and tons of books. Not only are all of these free, our local library also has contests (like a raffle for an iPad mini!) and online education. There’s also free wi-fi at the library, a ton of great magazines, newspapers and other resources.

Many library have a whole host of other free resources designed for people living on a budget. From tax forms and printers to career advice and quiet reading areas, they’re really community resources.

Of course, part of learning to live on a budget is learning to use these free community resources before spending the money on alternatives. Spending money on yourself is incredibly gratifying. Learning to get the same satisfaction out of getting something for free is definitely a process.

Some tips:

- Treat yourself in other, less expensive ways, like buying nice coffee at home. 

- Pretend like you’re going to buy it, and then get it at the library instead

- Put the money you save (e.g. the price of each book you check out from the library) into a vacation fund

- Use resources you would never pay for otherwise

What are your tips for living on a budget? Any other resources we should check out?