In a Pinch, Some of the Best Things in Life are Free...

I remember as a kid, going to the library weekly, and reading Nancy Drew, later The Hardy Boys, and the last series I remember reading was Tolkien's The Hobbit. I took it as a personal challenge to read as many books as I could in a week - even if that meant I had to read with my flashlight under the covers. LOL

With last year being such a challenge, I had to find ways to be creatively frugal with my money. Since I had no internet, I had to find other ways to get online. And in the process, I rediscovered my public library. I had gotten a library card, way back when (20 years ago) when I moved to Florida, so of course, I had to update my records. 

I found myself pleasantly surprised at the amenities offered at my local library. Of course, they offered free wi-fi, which was nice for my smartphone and therefore, my wallet. They also offered desktop computers with access to printing (you did have to pay for that, but the fees were completely nominal). I knew that most libraries had them, but this was my first chance to use one. They weren't brand new computers, by any stretch, but they were decent, virus-free, and, the best part, free for use. The number of computers offered surprised me, too. It wasn't just 10 or so, there were 35. You checked out a computer for an hour and could use the Internet or any of the Office applications loaded on it. There was a timing application that showed how long you had before your hour was up and if you got close and needed more time, you could, from the desktop, log it out for another hour. After two hours, you had to give up your seat, but you could just go back and sign up for another computer at that time and wait until one freed up. It was a pretty decent system.

And for entertainment, the library now offered CDs and  DVDs for rental. The music and movies weren't brand new, but they did present a multitude of titles to choose from. Not just classical music and classic movies (think Marlon Brando), but a real plethora of options - and, you got to rent them out for 3 weeks! It wasn't Amazon or RedBox, but it didn't claim to be - and the best part was - *it was all free.* 

I rediscovered my love of reading by borrowing a few novels a week. I also found that I enjoyed reading with some soft music on, so I did rent some of those classical CDs. And movies - well, I partook of some really-out-there titles and just had fun with it. 

That's not to say it was an ideal situation - it wasn't. I am not in a major metropolitan area, so my library's hours were limited. Since I am an online student, I missed an entire semester of classes because the library closed at 8:30 pm (and my classes started at 8 and ran until 10 pm). A few times, I did go to a Starbucks, buy a bottle of water, sit outside, and partake of their free wi-fi by using my earbuds and my laptop. But that was 1) cold, it was wintertime and 2) problematic, because sometimes loud people sat by me and I had difficulty hearing my professor. 

The moral of the story is.....if you are down on your luck and need access to a computer, a CD, a DVD, or a printer -- visit your local library. And be sure to let 'em know who sent ya'! 

Above image and quote from:

     Hughes, John. (Director). 1986. Ferris Bueller's Day Off. (Motion Picture). (Available from Paramount Pictures. 5555 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90038).