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clodia_risaA lot of the advice I've seen about saving money is sound. Spend less by eating out less, buying fewer movies, use Netflix, think about things before you buy them. The one piece of advice that drives me absolutely batty is this: Stop buying books, check them out of the library instead.
Now, I love libraries. I have no problem with my continual late fees because I feel like I'm contributing when I pay them. There have been several points in my life where I have gone to the library every single week for months at a time, checking out 1-8 books at a time, and returning them the next week. The library is one of my comfort places, okay, I love libraries.
Unfortunately, they're not perfect for me. I prefer sci-fi, fantasy, horror, manga, and off-beat books in general to the typical "fiction". And while I'm not picky I can't read anything and everything.
So this advice is near worthless to me. 1) I've read almost everything that I'm going to read in the library. Sure, I need to expand my horizons a little, but it is difficult to do when you are surveying the same books that you've surveyed for the past who-knows-how-long. 2) Many of the books I want to read are not in the library. I have been quite fortunate now and then - my library here had Maus which I was not expecting at all, but many of the books I am interested in aren't there because they're just...they're not bestsellers. I searched today for Dan Savage - and my library didn't even register his name.
Now, I'm not trying to criticize libraries - see three paragraphs up. I know that if I tried harder, that I would be able to find more things to read. It's just that the things that I know that I want to read are at the bookstore. And while I have been known to read a book or two in the store I feel guilty about that after a while, even if I do buy a drink to "compensate". I found it easier to do so when I was younger, and was allowed to be a little obnoxious, but now that I'm a grown-up it seems irresponsible most of the time. Sometimes, I decide not to care.
So I'd just like to say that no - just going to the library is not the cure-all that some people seem to think it is. And what I love about Netflix - the fact that their library is so extensive that I feel like I can find movies that no one else has heard of but me - is not really there in libraries yet. Yes - you can order books from them, but only if they show up in their system. Only if someone in their system can send it out.
So the answer is - go to libraries for what they have, but don't tell people that all their reading needs can be solved by going to the library - because they can't. Especially for incurable book-whores like me.
I did find out one useful tidbit because of writing this - my library has a copy of On Bullshit. I've been wanting to read that for a few years. I need to go check it out.
Now, I love libraries. I have no problem with my continual late fees because I feel like I'm contributing when I pay them. There have been several points in my life where I have gone to the library every single week for months at a time, checking out 1-8 books at a time, and returning them the next week. The library is one of my comfort places, okay, I love libraries.
Unfortunately, they're not perfect for me. I prefer sci-fi, fantasy, horror, manga, and off-beat books in general to the typical "fiction". And while I'm not picky I can't read anything and everything.
So this advice is near worthless to me. 1) I've read almost everything that I'm going to read in the library. Sure, I need to expand my horizons a little, but it is difficult to do when you are surveying the same books that you've surveyed for the past who-knows-how-long. 2) Many of the books I want to read are not in the library. I have been quite fortunate now and then - my library here had Maus which I was not expecting at all, but many of the books I am interested in aren't there because they're just...they're not bestsellers. I searched today for Dan Savage - and my library didn't even register his name.
Now, I'm not trying to criticize libraries - see three paragraphs up. I know that if I tried harder, that I would be able to find more things to read. It's just that the things that I know that I want to read are at the bookstore. And while I have been known to read a book or two in the store I feel guilty about that after a while, even if I do buy a drink to "compensate". I found it easier to do so when I was younger, and was allowed to be a little obnoxious, but now that I'm a grown-up it seems irresponsible most of the time. Sometimes, I decide not to care.
So I'd just like to say that no - just going to the library is not the cure-all that some people seem to think it is. And what I love about Netflix - the fact that their library is so extensive that I feel like I can find movies that no one else has heard of but me - is not really there in libraries yet. Yes - you can order books from them, but only if they show up in their system. Only if someone in their system can send it out.
So the answer is - go to libraries for what they have, but don't tell people that all their reading needs can be solved by going to the library - because they can't. Especially for incurable book-whores like me.
I did find out one useful tidbit because of writing this - my library has a copy of On Bullshit. I've been wanting to read that for a few years. I need to go check it out.