YOU'RE SLEEPING ON THE LIBRARY: 21 Ways to Use the Library

Summary

Frugal Friends Podcast

Episode: YOU'RE SLEEPING ON THE LIBRARY: 21 Ways to Use the Library

Hosts: Jen Smith & Jill Sirianni
Date: March 27, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This energetic and laughter-filled episode goes deep on one of Jen and Jill’s favorite frugal living resources: the public library. With the cost of subscriptions and consumer services constantly piling up, the pair break down 21 (plus a few more!) surprisingly diverse and modern ways to use your local library—saving money while enriching your life. The episode is packed with anecdotes, tips, and fervent encouragement to love and support libraries for much more than just borrowing books.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Why Libraries Matter (01:13 - 03:46)

• Jen’s passion: “My one issue voter stance. Local libraries, how to use them, why to use them… I cannot stress this enough.” (01:13)
• Jill’s take: “You’re going to get yelled at, mostly by Jen, sometimes by me... we think there’s no problem you have that library can’t solve.” (01:42)
• Countering subscriptions: The motivation is to replace costly subscriptions with free/low-cost library offerings, as discussed in their previous “subscription crisis” episode. (02:19)

---

21+ Ways to Use Your Library

1. Books (03:50)

• All formats: physical, audiobooks, ebooks; new releases often available on launch through apps or reservation.
• “If there’s a book that your library doesn’t have, you can request it.” – Jen (04:10)
• Libraries are key for accessing books without buying, including the hosts’ own book.

2. Movies & TV Shows (06:02)

• DVD and Blu-Ray collections; sometimes lending DVD players and streaming sticks preloaded with services like Hulu or Netflix.
• Digital streaming via library apps (Libby, Hoopla): “Are they the newest things you’re going to see on Netflix? No. Are they comfort shows and probably things you haven’t seen before? Yeah.” – Jen (08:24)

3. Music (08:51)

• Stream current popular albums via Hoopla (Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Chapel Roan, etc.).
• “You now no longer need any of your streaming subscriptions.” – Jill (10:02)

4. Magazines & Newspapers (10:17)

• Free access to premium online magazines like Consumer Reports.
• “If you’re online and it requires a paywall, before you pay, see if your library has a subscription.” – Jen (11:43)
• Pro tip: If your library doesn’t carry it, ask them to!

5. Video Games (12:22)

• Some libraries lend recent games and even consoles—ask at the desk, as they’re not always openly displayed.
• “This is for dabblers!” – Jill (14:04)

6. Library of Things (15:01)

• A huge assortment of borrowable items: seeds, gardening tools, musical instruments, projectors, board games, telescopes, cake pans, power drills, podcasting equipment, and much more.
• Jen highlights: “A ukulele, a kid-size electric guitar, a record player… looking at all this that are so expensive, but you don’t have to drop your money on all of them.” (16:53)
• Jill: “There’s just no end in sight for what you might be able to get.”

7. Printing (17:43)

• Libraries offer significantly cheaper printing than commercial services—about 15¢/page vs. 26¢ at Staples (black and white).

8. Museum or Attraction Passes (19:10)

• Free or discounted passes to local attractions, reserved like a book.
• Jen’s tip: “Check to see when the pass is going to be back at the library… for the competitive ones, you definitely have to go look at when it’s going to be back and then go that morning.” (20:25)

9. Study & Meeting Rooms (21:40)

• Quiet, bookable spaces for work, study, meetings.

10. Wi-Fi & Bathrooms (22:08)

• Great for changing up your routine or when traveling/road-tripping instead of using cafes or fast food places.

---

Community and Educational Resources

11. Baby & New Mom Events (24:41)

• Play groups, sign language for toddlers, sensory play, supportive environments for parents.
• “If you’re a new mom and you’re feeling a little lonely... your mood will shift. That’s exactly what I did.” – Jen (25:17)

12. Kids' Learning Events (27:02)

• Lego clubs, Pokémon clubs, STEM and tinkering workshops—all free.

13. Teens’ Clubs & Study Groups (27:32)

• Paint nights, chess club, robotics, D&D, writing collectives.

14. Book Clubs (28:12)

• Multiple genres and formats: “From horror to cozy mysteries, to ‘words and wine,’ there’s a book club for everyone.” – Jen (28:35)

15. Adult Hobby & Craft Groups (29:22)

• Fiber arts, puzzles, yoga, trivia, journaling, movie nights: “So much of our wealth comes from our social circles…take your girls night to the library!” – Jill (30:05)

16. Coffee Shops at the Library (32:28)

• If your library has a café, it’s usually cheaper and profits may support the library or local causes.

17. Free Notary Services (33:49)

• Save up to $25 per notarization—particularly useful for major life paperwork.

18. Educational Kits for Kids (34:13)

• STEAM/educational kits, adventure backpacks, American Girl dolls, bibliotherapy/book therapy bags for difficult topics.
• Jill: “You don’t have to buy it... you can put library into the regular rotation to see what your kid likes playing with.” (34:18–35:24)
• Jen: “Who knows more about these books than the librarians… specially curating these little bags of books to help parents talk about sensitive subjects.” (37:02)

19. Free Tax Help (38:12)

• Weekly workshops and drop-in hours ahead of tax season.

20. Genealogy Resources (38:12)

• Free access to websites like Ancestry.com, HeritageHub, MyHeritage, and local genealogy clubs or workshops.

21. Networking & Community Meetups (39:26)

• Civic engagement events, small biz networking, creative groups, and community boards to meet neighbors and collaborators.
• “Local politics are arguably much more important than what’s going on nationally because everything…starts locally.” – Jen (39:57)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Don’t be like the alpha podcast bros who are like, ‘I don’t read.’ Don’t be like those people. Read!” – Jen (05:30)
• “LBRY solves it for you. Yes—no, done. Save!” – Jen (10:17)
• “If you’re bored at home and don’t want to pay money to go out, try a video game. Try it, see what’s up.” – Jen (14:18)
• “If you don’t even have an idea of what you might find, just look at what do they have—that could spur some creativity.” – Jill (17:13)
• “Take that hobby craft graveyard that you have…dig into it, and I almost guarantee there is a class at the library.” – Jen (31:34)

---

Listener & Host Stories

• Listener Bill of the Week (42:20): Melissa shares that she paid off her last loan other than her mortgage and is celebrating by investing and saving.
  • “It feels so good to pay off debt because it is such a hard-earned goal…you aren’t stopping there!” – Jill (43:06)
• Host anecdotes:
  • Jill borrowed a robot that draws with her niece/nephew (45:43)
  • Jen borrowed a tree-identifying kit and emphasized how “Amazon-like” the library catalog now is (46:07)
  • Jill’s heartwarming library welcome story: “It was the most pure, wholesome experience of my life.” (49:05)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:13 — Why libraries are the ultimate frugal hack
• 03:50 — Books for every age and interest
• 06:02 — Streaming movies, DVDs, and TV through the library
• 08:51 — Free music streaming on Hoopla
• 10:17 — Magazine & newspaper access for free
• 12:22 — Borrowing video games and consoles
• 15:01 — The ever-expanding Library of Things
• 17:43 — Cheaper printing
• 19:10 — Free museum and attraction passes
• 21:40 — Study/meeting rooms, Wi-Fi, and more
• 24:41 — Baby/new mom classes and events
• 27:02 — Activities for kids, teens, and adults (book clubs, hobbies)
• 32:28 — Cheap/no-cost library coffee and supporting the library
• 33:49 — Free notary services
• 34:13 — STEAM/edu kits, bibliotherapy bags
• 38:12 — Free tax help and genealogy resources
• 39:26 — Community events, networking, bulletin boards
• 42:20 — Listener Bill of the Week (Melissa paying off her debts)
• 45:34 — Host Politing Round: most unexpected library borrowings

---

Final Thoughts

Jen and Jill’s impassioned, humorous advocacy throughout this episode makes it clear: whatever your age, interests, or financial situation, you are probably missing out by not utilizing your local library. The library is positioned here not only as a cost-saver, but also a hub for community, creativity, and connection.

They encourage listeners to report back in the comments about what their own local library offers—which, as Jen says, is guaranteed to be at least five things from this episode’s list. Take this as your call to action to “support your local library, even if you can afford [subscriptions], because you are helping everyone have access.”

---

Memorable Wrap-Up Quotes

• “Let this be our own subreddit for libraries in this comment section.” – Jen (41:42)
• “I want a shirt that says I love library.” – Jen (50:14)
• “I need my entire wardrobe, essentially, to be library themed.” – Jen (50:32)

---

Further Links

• Buy What You Love Book
• Frugal Friends Podcast episode archives

---

Don’t sleep on your library—there’s much more there than you think!

Transcript

[Jen]

I just got up there and I was just like, oh my God.

[Jill]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Jen]

The award winning Tell Me what happened

[Jill]

podcast from OnStar is back.

[Jen]

New emergencies, new heroes. Find out what happens in season six of Tell Me what Happened.

[Jill]

In a world full of noise, long term thinking stands out. On the Capital Ideas podcast, Capital Group leaders explore the decisions that matter most in investing, leadership and life. It's a rare look inside a firm that's been helping people pursue their financial goals for more than 90 years. Listen to the Capital Ideas podcast from Capital Group, published by Capital Client Group

[Jen]

Inc. You are sleeping on the library 21 ways to use the Library. Welcome to the Frugal Friends podcast where you'll learn to save money, embrace simplicity, and live a richer life.

[Jill]

Here are your hosts, Jen and Jill.

[Jen]

Hey, Frugal Friends. I'm Jen.

[Jill]

I'm Jill.

[Jen]

And today is all about my favorite thing in my in the world. My one issue voter stance. Local libraries, how to use them, why to use them. We're going through all kinds of things, so if you don't think your library offers it, stay tuned because I assure you they're going to offer at least five of the things on this list. I love libraries. I cannot stress this enough.

[Jill]

You're going to get yelled at, mostly by Jen, sometimes by me throughout this episode because we love library and we think there's no problem you have that library can't solve.

[Jen]

No, I, we've said this before. We said this last week. No problem that you have and you let us know in the comments if there's a problem you have. No. No problem lbry cannot solve.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

And I am here just standing on that business.

[Jill]

I haven't thought through it that much, but at face value, it feels like

[Jen]

we're going to spend the next 45 minutes flushing that out and solve it.

[Jill]

All right.

[Jen]

And we are so excited. I literally went, I go to the library at least once a week and I brought this from my local library. We will be referencing it and yeah, I'm just, I'm so excited to. This is really a response to the episode we did last week about the subscription crisis. So if you didn't listen to that one, cue it up next. We'll link to it in the description. But about how businesses are now not innovating, like to make their products and services better or different or more unique. They're innovating how they can turn their products and services into subscriptions so that they can make more money with less time and money investment and effort. And it is working for them. And the only way we can fight back against this is to find alternative ways to get the same thing without paying a subscription price for for it. And I truly, jokes aside, believe that so many things that the public library offers are the direct solution to that problem. Not just the subscription problem, but a lot of the over consumption problems that we are seeing today. So buckle up, especially if you're listening in the car and let's get into our list of 21 things.

[Jill]

Put library into your GPS.

[Jen]

Master library, let's go.

[Jill]

Number one. You know it. It's books. Hear us out though. New books, old books, audiobooks, ebooks, hardback books, paperback books, picture books, guides, all of the books, children's books, teen books, adult books, all books, history books, fiction, nonfiction.

[Jen]

If there's a book that your library doesn't have, you can request it too. So this is like, this is crazy. There are so many things where if you want to get something for free, I got to roll my sleeves up. We're gonna get into it today. There are so like you have to wait, you know, if you don't wanna pay money to see a movie in the theaters, you gotta pay or you gotta wait. Like to get it on streaming, right? Not so with the books at the library, they get the books before it comes out. So the day it comes out, you can get it. It's either delivered to your phone through an app or it's at the library like ready for you to pick up. You can reserve it early. So through your library's online system.

[Jill]

We wrote a book and one of the reasons that we went the traditional publishing route is so that our book could be in the library and that you, our frugal friends, can read our book from the library. Get it as an ebook, however, an audiobook even. Although that's another one. We'll get there. And we even have a how to order our book from the library like, like a walkthrough for you all. So that. And buy what you love book dot com.

[Jen]

You can find it at that website. Buy what you love book dot com.

[Jill]

Also just buy our book if, if that's the one book you want to invest in this year. But you don't have to.

[Jen]

You don't have to. So we, we love the entertainment and the knowledge that books bring. Don't be like the alpha podcast bros who are like, I don't read. Don't be like those people. Read. Whether it is with pages or clicks on a Kindle or through an audio player. Read. Expand your mind Expand your forms of entertainment. And that's all I'm going to say about books.

[Jill]

Okay, number two, movies and TV shows. Did you know that you can get DVDs from the library and even sometimes DVD players because most of us don't have that anymore. So if we wanted just a blast from the past, do life like it's the 90s, baby, or early 2000s, I suppose would have been DVDs and Blu Rays. But also apps like Libby and Hoopla also provide. That's where you can get your audiobooks and digital books, but it's also where you can stream. There are oftentimes TV shows and movies on the Libby and Hoopla that you can download the app and then connect it to your local library if you have a library card. And also streaming sticks from the library. I recently went to a library out in Cleveland where my sister lives and they their like library of things were streaming sticks. You could get a streaming stick for Paramount plus or Hulu or Netflix. And so however long you're able to rent that out for usually 14 days. So sometimes longer. So if you don't have Hulu, but there is something that you really want to watch, but it's not worth it to get the subscription, go get a streaming stick from your local library.

[Jen]

I had no idea.

[Jill]

Binge the show for the 14 days. Yes, a library.

[Jen]

Okay, I am going. So here are some popular movies on the Hoopla app, at least for our. We've got the Truman Show, Wuthering Heights, the old one, not the one that's in theaters right now. We've got Sonic Mean Girls, Kate and Leopold, Interstellar. This one we love, the Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog. If you're a parent, you know, 13 going on 30 Wolf of Wall Street. So like good movies, right? Movies we would watch on our streaming. And then we also got Libby. We've got TV shows. Let's see what some of the popular TV shows are on Hoopla since I have it. A remarkable place to die. Sorry. Doctor who, Dark Winds. I've actually never heard of that one. A lot of Doctor who. So a lot of stuff they know their. Actually they know their audience. A lot of Doctor who, the librarians, doc, Martin Murdoch Mysteries. So are they the newest things that you're going to see on Netflix? No. Are they comfort shows and probably things you haven't seen before? Yeah. They got season one of Sherlock from the BBC. That's a good show. If you haven't seen that, that's a really good show. You should get on Hoopla. And watch that.

[Jill]

Okay, so number three is music. So before you close out, what do you see on there for music?

[Jen]

Okay, I want to check over to Libby to see their. Their what they got. Okay, so because a lot of us

[Jill]

pay for Spotify or Apple, thankfully you don't really have to pay for podcasts. Some of them try and charge you.

[Jen]

But we'll get to more podcasts later. Okay. I'm seeing mostly books here and I don't have time to inspect. Hoopla is much easier music. Okay. Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift, K Pop Demon Hunters, the Wuthering Heights soundtrack from the one that is in theaters right now. So like their music is much more up to date. Sabrina Carpenter, the new Hillary Duff album, Chapel Roan, you know, all of this, some good stuff. Alex Warren. That's a good album. The Wicked for Good soundtrack. So like, what do you need? You're a fan of Taylor Swift. Why you on Spotify?

[Jill]

Because I get on hoopla. Library. We just got rid of so many subscriptions because of lbry. You now no longer need any of your streaming subscriptions. You now no longer need any of your music subscriptions. LBRY solves it for you.

[Jen]

Yes. No, Done. Save. And it doesn't have to be forever, right? Like, but if you're trying to save an emergency fund, trying to pay off a credit card, trying to cut costs without depriving yourself for a year or two. Library. Got you. Okay, next is magazines and newspapers. And I know you're like, Jen, who reads magazines or newspapers anymore? Hear me out.

[Jill]

Some of us do.

[Jen]

There are some magazines that are worth it. So New Jersey residents receive full text access to Consumer Reports magazine, which is a paid subscription, an online magazine that provides unbiased reviews, ratings and comparisons of consumer products. So like, if you are going to find, if you're going to buy a big appliance or something expensive for your home and you want to see actual tested ratings that aren't just on the Internet for profit, but like unbiased reviews and ratings and comparisons. If maybe, God forbid, you want to buy an older version of something and you can only find comparisons online of the brand new version, you're going to find how they compare to everything in Consumer Reports. They're going to have older versions and reports on older like versions. So Consumer Reports is a. Is such a great magazine that we have subscribed to as Frugal friends for the business so that we can like give quality over quantity type recommendations and. Yeah, so stuff like that. It's not just like The Glamour magazine or Vogue. It's. If you're online and you're trying to get on something and it requires a paywall before you pay, see if your library has a free subscription to it already that you can check it out.

[Jill]

And if they don't request that, they do ask them to get it. They are there for you. And I just wrote a poem.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

Okay. Next is video games. That's right, my friends, you can be a gamer and a library fanatic. Both can happen.

[Jen]

Yeah. So this one is gonna be a little more niche. So a lot of we. There's a subreddit for libraries. Spoiler. You can go in there and it's a bunch of librarians and people who love libraries talking about libraries. All right. It's fantastic. So there is a thread on the. Our library subreddit where people are talking about video games and libraries and it's kind of like a mixed bag. So some libraries do have video games and video game consoles. Some. Some do not because they are prone to theft. You're not going to see video games out, like books, anywhere you go. The ones that do have video games, you're going to have to ask the librarian because they're going to be kept away from where they could get, you know, easily stolen. So if they do have them, they're going to be probably behind the desk and they're going to be not old games. So not old classic games, but the games that maybe are like a month to a year to a couple years old. So if you want to play it instantly, it's not like a book where you get the new release. You are going to have to wait a little bit for your library to get it. But they'll. And they will only have for the latest versions of the gaming consoles from what I saw. So if PS5 is out, they're not going to have like PS4 games, stuff like that.

[Jill]

Yeah. So this might not be for your avid gamers. We get it like this. This might not. This might not solve for you, but for your people who like gaming and you just want to dabble a little bit on the weekends, it's for dabblers.

[Jen]

If you're looking for something, you're like, I'm bored at home and I don't want to pay money to go out. Try a video game. Try it. See what's up.

[Jill]

Yeah. Or see if you can rent the old stuff. See if Pac man still exists. Bring your friends. Okay. This next one is one of my personal favorites. Same number six is the library of Things. And this is becoming more and more popular. Nearly every library that I know of has a library of things. Some of them are stacked more than others. Check yours out. Here are the types of things that you could get at the library.

[Jen]

Seeds.

[Jill]

That means you don't have to return them. Like some of this stuff, you just get to keep and go plant the seeds. Gardening tools, cake pans, museum passes, board games, puzzles, toys, outdoor games, tools, musical instruments, telescopes, colorblind glasses, video production equipment, podcasting equipment, crocheting or knitting kits, water testing kits. And literally so much more there is at our St. Pete beach. So there's a lot of libraries in our area. One of them has a metal detector that you could run out and go have fun on the beach. There's just no end in sight for what you might be able to get at the library of things.

[Jen]

Yeah, I wanted to see a particular if I could find a library's like library of things online. And I did. The Buffalo library has their library of things online. And so these are just a couple. These are such legit things again for dabblers. If you're not sure you want to invest a bunch of money into something, you can dabble with the libraries before you buy it yourself. So a video projector, the binoculars, a bunch of like music stuff. Synthesizer, bongo drums, reverb, a power drill set with bits, overdrive pedals, a video creator bundle. Want to create some videos for your social media account? Don't go out and buy a ring light and all that stuff. Get it from your library. An electric bass guitar. You want to learn music. Don't go out and buy the guitar. Get it from your library before you drop all that dough to become somebody who looks cool on TV but may not be who you are in real life. But like all the compressor pedal, all these pedals, I don't even know what they do. A ukulele. So many looking at all this that are so expensive but you don't have to drop your money on all of them. A kid size electric guitar. Buffalo is really doing the most shout

[Jill]

out record player to the bills. Even if you are wondering like oh what what could we get into? What could we get up to? You don't even have to have an idea of what you might find. Just look at what do they have that could even spur some creativity of you know what, maybe I will try to pick up some songs on the ukulele or let's get a record player for the weekend and have fun dancing around or put it on while we're cooking. Like there's so many fun things.

[Jen]

A portable DVD player so you don't have to buy the car that has the DVD player that you're going to use on the one trip you go on every year. Get a portable DVD player and some DVDs from the library for your summer vacation. A selfie step a. A WI fi digital microscope. How fun is that? And it shows up on the phone. So like these libraries of things are truly like Amazon nowadays. Like you just have to go to your library and see what they have. Ask the librarian and just keep that in your back pocket. All right, next is printing. So while printing does cost money at the library, it's cheaper than getting the annual or monthly subscription to HP's Ink Thing that they're going to make you buy in order to be able to use the ink you've already purchased. If you missed that in our subscription episode, it's that you have to buy the subscription. And if you let your subscription lapse, even if you have ink in your printer, you're not going to be able to print anything. It's absurd. But you can print at the library. It's about 15 cents at the library I checked, versus 26 cents cents per page. And this is black and white page at Staples. So even if you're going to pay for printing, don't go to like Staples or Office Depot. You will save money by printing at the library.

[Jill]

Significant amount of savings, nearly half the cost. Number eight, museum or attraction passes. So we kind of mentioned that in the library of things. But there could be a ton of options for what's local to your area. Museums, possibly even like some special events, might be working with the local library to give a certain amount of passes away that you'd be able to rent out. So that is the thing. It still is a rental. You rent the museum pass for a certain amount of time. So you got to make sure that you go while you've rented the thing. And certainly wands might be used up a lot. I know that that happens with certain museum passes in our area. And that's where you just ask the librarian, hey, what's the wait list for for this? What's the time that it is renewing and when should I be coming in to be able to get access to this pass? And they'll be helpful with that.

[Jen]

A big so how, how we do it is museum passes you get for seven days so you can actually go online and just like you would check to see if your library has a book you can Check to see if your library has that museum pass. We have 20 different museums available through our library system and not everyone's going to have that. But you can see each library has its own set of passes and they just print out a receipt. It's not a pass that you like, give to the museum and then have to bring back to the library. But they can only give it out once every seven days. And so you can look to see when the pass is going to be back at the library. And so I would go in and be like, okay, the pass is going to be back Saturday morning. So go Saturday morning. When they open and ask for that pass, you're going to be the first one to get it. For the competitive ones, you definitely have to do that is to go look at when it's going to be back and then go that morning. And then you have to be able to go in the next seven days. And then if you have multiple libraries around you, maybe you don't go to the one that's closest to you, maybe you go to a different one who's going to have their pass back at a later time. If you can't go within, you know, the next seven days with the one closest to you has it back. So, like, you can finagle it. It's not that hard to finagle for four free tickets to the library or to, to any museum.

[Jill]

Okay, moving through these next few rather fast. Number nine, most libraries have study rooms or meeting rooms. So if you just need a change of scenery, but you don't want it to be at the coffee shop, go to the library and of their dedicated spaces to have a meeting or get your studying done or even get some work done. I know you work from the library a lot.

[Jen]

I, I get a study room quite often at the library because it's just like closer to my house than our office.

[Jill]

Yep. And number 10, somewhat related. They have WI fi and they have bathrooms. So if you are also on a plan like Mint Mobile, where you only have a certain amount of gigabytes that you can use monthly and so it reduces when you're using cell service on WI fi, you can go to library.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

And join the, join the WI fi there and still have a change of scenery and maybe read a book or maybe participate in an activity or you're

[Jen]

like on the road and you need to use the bathroom instead of going into a Starbucks or a McDonald's, you can look to see if there's a library around. So these are, you know, super important. If you're out and about and, you know, you just need some wi fi or a bathroom. The library.

[Jill]

Go.

[Jen]

Three, two, one. I was doing the spring closet sweep recently and had that moment when you pull out last year's swim shorts for your kid and realize, yeah, these are not gonna fit. And it got me thinking. If that much has changed in the last year, are our insurances, much less our life insurance, keeping up?

[Jill]

Honestly, that's exactly why we love policygenius. It's not an insurance company, it's an insurance marketplace. So you can compare quotes from America's top insurers all in one place. Completely free. Life insurance, home, auto, side by side. No sales pressure, no guesswork.

[Jen]

Their licensed team works for you, not the insurance companies. So the guidance you get is about your needs and your budget and your family, and they handle the paperwork. As someone who has approximately zero desire to deal with paperwork that matters, protect

[Jill]

your family with a policy that grows with your life. With Policygenius, you can see if you can find 20 year life insurance policies starting at just $276 a year for $1 million in coverage. Head to Policygenius.com to compare life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. That's policygenius.com

[Jen]

I just got up there and I was just like, oh my

[Jill]

God, thank you, thank you.

[Jen]

And then I heard, someone, anyone, please help.

[Jill]

He's like Superman being able to carry me off the mountain.

[Jen]

The award winning Tell Me what happened

[Jill]

podcast from OnStar is back.

[Jen]

New emergencies, new heroes. Find out what happens the in in season six of Tell Me what Happened. Out now.

[Jill]

Number 11 baby and new mom events. These aren't the only types of events, but libraries really love children so much. And so if you're a new mom, just trying to figure out, how do I feel normal again? How do I find other people in a similar life stage and life position as me? Library.

[Jen]

It's. There are so many, like, I'm looking at 1, 2, 2 and a half, 33 and a half pages of children's classes and events across all the public libraries in our area.

[Jill]

Give me two examples.

[Jen]

Okay, so let's see some. They have like the. Okay, Toddler Tuesday Zoombini. So they have a little mini Zumba class per toddlers on this Tuesday. They also teach. This one teaches sign language to toddlers. They have a Pokemon league for kids. Well, we're at babies right now, right? Sensory play for preschoolers. The thing that I found. So, yeah, sure, these things are great for babies, but when I was a new mom. I found a lot of solace in going to these events and meeting other new moms with babies. It can be very isolating being a new mom. It can be hard to get out, like, where do I take my baby? But you're going to these events. If you're a new mom and you're feeling a little lonely, find every single baby event at the library. Go to every single one of them. Fill up every morning of your life that you can manage, and your mood will shift. That's exactly what I did. And I met people, I made friends, we would go get coffee afterwards. And it was a really sensitive time of my life that these baby classes, it's basically a lot of them are read to me classes.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

And some of them are actually for babies. So, like baby sign language, 0 to 3. And then you've got your toddler sign stages. So you can find the right age bracket that's going to offer, like, the best chance for you to find, like, other new mom friends.

[Jill]

Yeah, because it doesn't stop there. Number 12. There's also reading and learning events for kids.

[Jen]

This is where we get like the Lego clubs, the Pokemon clubs, all of these, you know, kids 3D printing.

[Jill]

Whoa.

[Jen]

Tinker Labs, which is like STEM classes for kids. These are all free?

[Jill]

Yeah. Okay. Number 13, we're moving up in age. Teen clubs and study groups also exist at library.

[Jen]

Yes.

[Jill]

Give us some examples.

[Jen]

We have a page and a half just for tween and teen classes and events. So there's a free paint. There's another Pokemon hangout, Chess club, Game chasers, which I think they just play board games or something. Friendship Friday. Oh, a crochet club. Robotics competition teams, Steam scene, Candy science.

[Jill]

There are just candy science, graphic novel

[Jen]

book club, D and D club, Creative writers. Like, there's just so much creation station.

[Jill]

Okay, and moving up in age again, number 14. Book clubs for all ages and genres. So even if you're an adult and you want to meet other people and have something to be able to talk about, find a book club. Specifically reading books that sound intriguing to you? So here's some examples of some book clubs just at our local libraries.

[Jen]

Okay, so we've got a horror book club. Adults read ya, which is young adult books. Shelf Indulgent romance book club, Fiction addiction. We've got. It's a mystery Cozy Book talk, a novel idea book club, Books and bagels book club, which is a morning book club. Words and wine book club, which is an evening book club. Like, there is everything from like, super nerdy books, classical books to, like, killer reads, books about beaches. It's contemporary everything. Everybody's got a book club, and we're

[Jill]

not done yet with what they have for adults. Number 15. They also have hobby groups for adults.

[Jen]

Oh, my gosh. We have got miniature worlds, which I can only imagine. Diamond art painting, Zen doodling, crochet circle, jigsaw puzzle group. A not so critical history of art class. Paper quilting, weaving, upcycled crafting. We've got the medicare enrollment counseling. Sometimes that's important.

[Jill]

Sometimes it's just important.

[Jen]

Beginner's jewelry, team trivia, restorative yoga, a ukulele strum group. We've got.

[Jill]

Gosh, man, I love this because we often talk on Frugal Friends about how important it is to build relationships, that so much of our wealth actually comes from our social circles and the relationships that we're forming. That is how we become truly wealthy when we can have in person interactions with people. And so not just as an outlet for meeting new people, which can happen and should happen, and these are great opportunities for that, but also if we are looking for alternatives of things to do with our friends that are free. And we want to do fun new things, but we don't want to spend the money to get all of the supplies to have a fun girls night. Take your girls night to the library, look up what's already happening and say, let's go to the library for the crocheting class or the pottery class or the like, whatever it is. The library offers these things for free.

[Jen]

Yeah. And it's not just, like, craft stuff. I'm trying to, like, find stuff that's not craft. We've got a Spielberg movie series, Pizza and a movie. We've got journeys in journaling, Jigsaw puzzle club for adults, beginning tai chi, advanced tai chi, witty knitters, which I can only imagine is a bunch of older ladies knitting and just being hilarious.

[Jill]

Oh, that does sound fun.

[Jen]

So there is, like, sewing machines for beginners. So I have to imagine you have to bring some of your own stuff. Like, I think you might have to bring your own sewing machine to the library. But cameras and coffee, like, you might have to bring your own camera or, you know, but a lot of this is going to be, like, a great way to meet new people to do things with your friends that don't cost money. And take that hobby craft graveyard that you have. If you watched our hobbies episode, you know what we're talking about, Dig into that hobby graveyard, pull something out, and I Almost guarantee that there is a class at the library or a meetup at the library where you can, you can do it with other people.

[Jill]

All right, number 16, coffee. Sometimes there is coffee at library doesn't mean that it's free. However, any library that I've ever been to that has a coffee shop significantly less expensive than your typical coffee shop,

[Jen]

and it could even put proceeds to charity or back into the library. So if you're going to get your coffee anyway, get it from the library and you can support your local library or local organizations, maybe save a few dollars in the process. It's much better than buying your coffee from Starbucks. I will so much better die on that hill. Next, free notary services. So there anytime you need a notary, this isn't everywhere, but I mean, there's a library in St. Louis where I got this information from. They offer free notary services. Sometimes places will charge $25 for notary services. So this is a great way to save money. If you're getting a power of attorney or something for a parent, which everyone should be thinking about doing that for their parents at this point in your life. If you're a millennial starting to look into that, that needs to be notarized and so that can be done at the library.

[Jill]

Number 18 educates for kids. So this could also be like steam kits, your stem kits, where they can actually rent out on a variety of things. Things like fossils or all the steam stuff. Right. Science, technology, engineering, art and math.

[Jen]

Yeah. You did it. You don't even have a kid. Good for you.

[Jill]

Yeah. And this was another really fun thing again. I went to a library out in Cleveland, my niece and nephew. So I was really digging into this particular section and they had all of the cool stuff from the magna tiles to a whole like engineering kit to be able to turn lights on to like a, a robot thing. All kinds of like building type stuff or engineering type again, like all the steam stuff. But if, if you are seeing other people have these toys for their kids and oh, should I be getting that for my kid? And it's good for their learning. You don't have to buy it because most likely your kid is going to only play with it for a week to two weeks anyways, be done with it and move on. So we could put library into the regular rotation. If you were already thinking Magna tiles are so cool, go run it from the library first before you invest the money into it to even figure out what does my kid like playing with, what is going to be worth me Just owning.

[Jen]

So another thread on the our library subreddit is librarians talking about the types of educates they have at their libraries. One has adventure backpacks. So these backpacks will have a map of local trails, a compass, a magnifying glass, and a book of bird or plant identification. We actually checked out one something like this from our library. And so a lot of libraries have things like this one library has American Girl dolls.

[Jill]

Whoa.

[Jen]

That they can check out. Yeah.

[Jill]

Like puppets and toys.

[Jen]

Just all kinds of stuff. Yes. Snap circuits sets. I don't know what those are, but one of them has those. They have early literacy backpacks, all themed to something that young kids love.

[Jill]

This is adjacent and maybe like a number 22. But I also noticed at the library that they had bibliotherapy bags, specifically in the children's section. So the librarians have curated five to seven books on a particular topic. So you don't have to go through and pick all the books and curate it yourselves. You can just go in and rent the bibliotherapy bag. Whether it's. So some of the topics that I saw was adoption, a new sibling, moving, death, some of these big life events that can be really disruptive for kids that, you know, parents are often looking for. How do I help my child process this? How do I talk to them about it? Library, Bibliotherapy bags.

[Jen]

Library. Who knows more about these books than the librarians that work there? And they are specially curating these little bags of books to help parents talk about sensitive subjects. Like those are. I'm glad you added those. Those are crazy useful. They have them. They have them at ours. And then also I'm seeing the lovevery. I've seen ads for lovevery. Well, apparently some libraries have the Love Every toy kits available to check out. So you don't have to pay for that subscription because I'm pretty sure it's a subscription. You can correct me if I'm wrong, but yeah, there's just so floppy. Okay, moving on. We got three more. 19 is free tax help, which is very relevant right now. If you haven't done your taxes or if you've done your taxes and you, like, haven't submitted because you're like, I don't know if this is right. This. Take it to the library. They have free tax help. Like hours you can go. They're like weekly right up until tax day. And you can take it and be like, I don't know if I did this right. And they can help you figure out if you did or not, or if you need to see an accountant.

[Jill]

Real quick, number 20, access to genealogy materials. This is another specifically subscription based thing that a lot of people do pay for, a lot of people are interested in. I also notice as we get older, it becomes something that just generally generationally we find more intriguing to dig into. Like where did I come from? What makes me who I am? So if you're at that age where you're starting to be curious, you don't have to pay for the subscription, you don't have to buy it. Library and, and even I was noticing in our local one they've got so many groups where you don't even have to know about how to dig into your genealogy. There could be, yeah, they have a whole category for genealogy classes and events. So many people are interested in sharing with you how to figure out where you've come from, what to be digging into, what are the key searches that you need to be doing. So if that's interest to you, library offers it.

[Jen]

Oh my gosh. Yeah, there's like Ancestry.com FamilySearch, MyHeritage, Heritage Hub, Fold3. All these the Hillsborough County Library has access to and you can access them in the library.

[Jill]

And last but not least, number 21, they have so many networking and community meetups. So we mentioned all of the classes that happen and a lot of times those are kind of regular things. But there will also be random events that might happen throughout the year, the month where it's kind of like a one off for a particular type of interest or a particular topic. Sometimes you can find things that are more politically like civic engagement.

[Jen]

There's a lot of civic engagement which is so important because local politics are arguably much more important than what's going on nationally because everything, everybody that gets to the national level almost starts locally. So at least they start networking locally. So it's super important if that's something you're passionate about to be engaged specifically like locally.

[Jill]

And libraries often have a community bulletin board or something like it where you and other people who maybe have small businesses or are looking for a networking opportunity to be able to leave a business card or, or an opportunity for an event or an activity that might even be outside of the library. So it's just worth going and seeing what of these 22 things that we've just mentioned to you is available for you and how you might be able to utilize them? Yeah, we do save money and make friends.

[Jen]

Didn't even go through all of it. We've got a Writer's meetup, Mahjong meetup, Line dancing meetup. Oh, there's just so, so much. Everybody's got tax help. We've got like a whole section on ukulele programs. It's insane. And maybe yours isn't as robust as ours, but we're not a huge city, so I cannot imagine you would not have access to at least five of these things. And so I'm going to need you in the comments to go to your library and you tell me what you're getting from this list or maybe you can add to it. Yes, let us.

[Jill]

Let us know.

[Jen]

Let this be our own subreddit for libraries in this comment section.

[Jill]

What did we miss?

[Jen]

What did we miss?

[Jill]

You know what we're not gonna miss because we never miss it? The bill of the.

[Jen]

Bill of the Week. That's right. It's time for the best minute of your entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name is William.

[Jill]

Maybe you paid off your mortgage.

[Jen]

Maybe your car died and you're happy to not have to pay that bill anymore. Duck bills, Buffalo Bills, Bill Clinton. This is the Bill of the Week.

[Jill]

Hi Jen and Jill. My name is Melissa and I've been listening to your podcast for a while now. My bill of the week is I just paid off my last loan, so the only thing that I currently owe on is my mortgage. I'm so excited. I just opened up my first high yield savings account and opened an investment account with Fidelity and I'm just really excited to start using my money in other ways that's not going to a car payment or a loan or debt

[Jen]

and to just really start seeing my

[Jill]

money work for me. So thank you for all of your advice. I really love your show. Have a good day.

[Jen]

Woo. Yay.

[Jill]

This is awesome.

[Jen]

Oh, this is so great.

[Jill]

Congrats, Melissa. It feels so good to pay off debt because it is such a hard earned goal. Usually it takes us a decent amount of time and sacrifice and constant intentional decisions to be able to become debt free. And you did that, Melissa. And we're cheering you on and you aren't stopping there. Making one good decision after another, that can be such a hard shift for so many people when they become debt free is what do I do now? It was such a singular goal and the world is opened up to us and a lot of times we want to reward ourselves by getting all that money that we were putting towards debt just back in our pockets and just, just live in large. But not you from opening up a high yield savings account which is where we recommend keeping an emergency fund to also opening an investment account with Fidelity. Like you are just crushing it and this is awesome. And if anyone is listening and they also want to open up a high yield savings account, we love the one@cit from your friends podcast.com cit it is the one that I use. Well done Melissa. Thanks for sharing this with us. We are sharing in your joy. If anyone else wants to share a bill of the week about becoming debt free or opening a high yield savings account or beginning to make investments towards retirement or your name is Bill, we want to hear about it. Anything bill related frugalfriendspodcast.com bill we cannot wait for it.

[Jen]

Hi Tora Couture here.

[Jill]

I'm the host of Tell Me what

[Jen]

Happened, a podcast that shares true stories

[Jill]

of people helping people. We have a ton of amazing new episodes, including one of my favorite stories we've ever done.

[Jen]

Listen to season six of Tell Me what Happened.

[Jill]

What does leadership really look like?

[Jen]

On the Power of Advice, a new podcast series from Capital Group. You'll hear from athletes, entrepreneurs and executives who've led on the field, in the

[Jill]

boardroom and in their communities.

[Jen]

It's not about titles, it's about impact. Discover what drives them and the advice they carry forward. Subscribe and start listening today. Published by Capital Client Group Inc.

[Jill]

And now it's time for Politing Round

[Jen]

what's the most unexpected thing you've ever borrowed from a library? Do you know yours?

[Jill]

It was, it wasn't really me, but it was when I was with my niece and nephews and we got a robot that draws things. So it was kind of like a combination of science, technology and art. And that was really cool to like leave the library with this like plastic bin of like a cool toy to go play with.

[Jen]

Yeah, mine was similar. We got a tree identifying kit. So like the adventure kit, edgy kit that we were talking about, it had a bunch of stuff like a tree identifying guide and a trail guide for local trails. And yeah, just a bunch of stuff to like help in identifying like actual local trees that are in our local parks. So that was really cool. I also was just looking up on Libby because I wanted to see if it was anything other than books. And Libby itself is pretty much just books. But through Libby, I found out our library also can get a canopy, can access Canopy with a K. And that is all like classic and indie movies. So if you're into indie movies and classic movies, Canopy with a kid, see if you can get it through Libby from Your library. We love that. Yeah. Thanks for listening to this episode. I cannot tell you how much I love the library and you should support your local library even if you can't afford this stuff because you are helping by supporting, you are helping people have access to these public libraries who truly, truly need them. And so it just really helps everyone, for everyone to be participating in the local library ecosystem.

[Jill]

And for those of you who just love library because of books and for those of you who love books so much that you read our book and left a review like this one from Brenna, we're so grateful. Five stars. I am heading into a more difficult period financially and very happy to have read this book in the lead up. I now feel like I have a much better handle on where I am at with my finances now and know how to make a realistic plan for the next few which will include space to give myself grace and for a bit of fun aligned with my values. Thanks so much for writing this book and providing a supportive community to help manage your finances, taking your own situation and context into account. Beautiful.

[Jen]

Thank you, Brenna. Yeah, it's beautiful. So thank you for listening. Let us know your library stories, what your library offers, and what you're getting at the library because of this episode in the comment section. If you have buy what you love without going broke, whether you bought it or got it from the library, please leave us a review on Amazon. It's where most people go to check reviews before they get a book from the library. And we will see you next time.

[Jill]

Bye.

[Jen]

Frugal Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni.

[Jill]

Okay, I'm also remembering when I first moved to St. Pete from Pennsylvania. We I went in person to get my library card and the closest library to me at the time was, I believe, the smallest library in the entire area. And they were just so excited to see me. They were the sweetest. It was the most pure, wholesome experience of my life. And it included them giving me

[Jen]

an

[Jill]

art kit that they had just created and they were just giving out that week. And it was making flowers out of tissue paper. So it was like a Ziploc bag with tissue paper and instructions and all the things that you needed to be able to make this. This little decoration. And you know what, Jen? I took it home and I did the craft. I did do it.

[Jen]

Good for you to keep it.

[Jill]

But it was library on that day, made my day.

[Jen]

I want a shirt that says I love library.

[Jill]

You know what you could make it like?

[Jen]

I love lamp, but I love library.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

I could make it.

[Jill]

But you do have a library shirt.

[Jen]

I do have a shirt that says support your local library.

[Jill]

But you need another shirt. All about it.

[Jen]

I need my entire wardrobe, essentially, to be library themed.

[Jill]

All right, well, let's get started.

[Jen]

And then I need to hit up this Forgotten Women who Served in the American Revolution meetup. Gotta get that.

[Jill]

Let's go.

[Jen]

Are you really buying a car online on Autotrader right now?

[Jill]

Really?

[Jen]

At a playground? Yeah, really. Look at these listings from dealers. Wow. Your search can really get that specific.

[Jill]

Really?

[Jen]

And you just put in your info and boom, car's in your budget.

[Jill]

Mom needs a second.

[Jen]

Honey, you can really have it delivered.

[Jill]

Really? Or I can pick it up at the dealership. One sec, sweetie. Mommy's buying a car. Mommy.

[Jen]

I think kid is walking up the slide, Kyle. Again?

[Jill]

Really? Autotrader. Buy your car online. Really?

[Jen]

Some of the best lessons don't come from a classroom. They come from experience.

[Jill]

On the Power of Advice, a new podcast series from Capital Group.

[Jen]

You'll hear from CEOs, investors and founders

[Jill]

about how they built careers, took risks, and reinvented themselves. If you're starting your own journey, this is the kind of advice you. You won't want to miss. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jen]

Published by Capital Client Group, Inc.