spending money to save money!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2004
spending money to save money!
10
Sun, 10-31-2004 - 6:22am
Ok, you are all going to think I am an awful person, but for 6 months now I have owed the public library $86!! I know, it's awful.. but I we had lost a video and returned some things late. Things were so bad with us financially, that I couldn't pay it. I didn't forget it though, and added it in with our debt total. Well, yesterday I went and paid it, and I am now in good standing with the state of delaware library system! (thank you, thank you, very much.. hold your applause..)I am so glad to have done this , because it is going to save us alot of money!! I am a bookaholic and spend way too much money at the bookstore (a new audio book every 2 weeks or so, and a new book once or twice a month, and that was my budget after I cut it down!) We were also renting movies at blockbuster every weekend. So now, I have a bunch of movies on reserve at the library. I also found the next two books scheduled for my book club, so that saves me $30! yay!! I am an upstanding citizen again, and the library police cannot come steal my library card.

I recently bought "Total Money Makeover" on ebay last week, but I found it at the library too, so I am going to resell it as soon as it arrives in my mailbox.

thanks for listening, I am going to go read now..

kel

Avatar for cl_beckymk
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Sun, 10-31-2004 - 6:28am

At least you are in good standing again!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2004
Sun, 10-31-2004 - 6:37am
Yup, they do have an online system, which is awesome! And I can reserve all the books I want on there and renew ones i have out. There is really no need for me to spend money on books now, they have every book I have on my amazon.com wishlist. Books have always been a sticking point for me in our budget, but there is really no reason for me to spend that much money on them. I can now use my budgeted spending money on things I really need!

kel

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 10-31-2004 - 6:45am

Congrats!

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-30-2003
Sun, 10-31-2004 - 11:04am
Oh, I dunno-if you ever go into Powell's, I'm pretty sure you'd find *something* to spend your money on, LOL!

I absolutely loved the library system there-I really really missed it when I first moved here!

Lisa :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-30-2003
Sun, 10-31-2004 - 11:12am
Yeah, us librarians are MEAN,LOL! Nah-mostly, we're nice, and if someone had come to me with that same situation, I'd have done everything I could to reduce the fine. I don't do it for everyone, just the fine, upstanding citizens. ;)


Another good reason to use your library is because you pay taxes to support it-go use it! The more circulation a library has, the more valued it is in the community, and the less likely it will be closed (which of course leads to going back to the bookstore!).


You also might think about donating all the books/audios, etc. that you don't want. Many times, libraries are really hurting for book budget money ( I get $1800 for all next year, myself), and are grateful for donations. They will also, if asked, give you a nice tax deduction slip!

good for you-I always like to see library users!

Lisa :) (who has been known to have double digit fines herself...)

Avatar for lovmy2kids
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 10-31-2004 - 11:37am
I think the best thing of all is that you no longer have this nagging little debt hanging over you shoulder!!! That is the one thing that drives me crazy those little nagging debts that are so easy to put off because nobody ever calls you on them, and I am very good at putting them off.

-Darcy

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-21-2004
Sun, 10-31-2004 - 12:02pm
I love the library too. That has been my form of entertainment lately. The only books I spend money on are Stephen King. I am a member of the Stephen King Library and I get a book sent to me every 6 weeks. He is my fav author!
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-06-2003
Sun, 10-31-2004 - 1:51pm
I love the library. I too am a bookaholic and was spending way too much every month to get new books at Chapters.

This year I rediscovered my library in my childhood neighborhood not far from where we live now and I'm a regular borrower.

Also since I read books like I gulp down water, it's helped me to save tons of money and gain so much knowledge for free :)

That's a worthy debt to pay off!

Kassandra

Kassandra

"It is said that life has its peaks and valleys.  The challenge is to accept them equally and experience them

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2004
Sun, 10-31-2004 - 6:23pm
That reminds me, I owe a library $8. from years ago. I want to use them again, need to mail in a check.
Avatar for cherfer
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-11-2003
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 10:21pm
Hey Kel, buy your books on Amazon used. The bookstores charge and arm and a leg for new books. Who cares if someone has read it once or twice?? I have purchased dozens of used books on Amazon, some as cheap as one red cent. :)

Cheryl