Skip to main content
Advertiser Disclosure
We do receive compensation from some partners whose offers appear on this page. We have not reviewed all available products or offers. Compensation may impact the order in which offers appear on page, but our editorial opinions and ratings are not influenced by compensation.

Ascent-logo

  • Credit Cards
  • Banking
  • Brokerages
  • Loans
  • Mortgages
  • Knowledge
  • Latest Picks
  • Search Icon Click here to search

Credit Cards

Top Picks
  • Best of March 2021
  • Cash Back
  • Balance Transfer
  • Travel
  • 0% APR
  • Rewards
  • Bad Credit
Knowledge
  • Beginners Guide to Credit Cards
  • How to Rebuild Your Credit
  • Maximize Your Credit Card Rewards
  • Learn More About Credit Cards
Credit Card Tools
  • Compare Cards
Looking for a new credit card?

Explore the best credit cards in every category as of March 2021.

Get started!

Banking

Top Picks
  • Best Savings Accounts
  • Best Bank Accounts
  • Best Money Market Accounts
  • Best CDs
  • Best Checking Account Bonuses
Knowledge
  • Beginners Guide to Banking
  • Everything You Need to Know About Savings
  • Money Market Accounts Made Easy
  • Learn More About Banking
Looking for a place to park your cash?

Check out our top picks of the best online savings accounts for March 2021.

Get Started!

Brokerages

Top Picks
  • Best Brokers of March 2021
  • Best Online Brokers for Beginners
  • Best Options Brokers
  • Best IRA Accounts
  • Best Roth IRA Accounts
  • Best Robo Advisors
Knowledge
  • How to Open a Brokerage Account
  • Beginner's Guide to Brokerages
  • Learn More About Brokerage
Just getting started?

Explore our picks of the best brokerage accounts for beginners for March 2021.

Get Started!

Loans

Top Picks
  • Best Loans of March 2021
  • Best Personal Loans for Bad Credit
  • Best Loans for Debt Consolidation
  • Best Low-Interest Personal Loans
  • Best Personal Loans for Good Credit
  • Best Personal Loans for Fair Credit
Knowledge
  • Personal Loans Made Easy
  • Debt Consolidation Guide
  • How to Pay Off Debt
  • Learn More About Loans
Thinking about taking out a loan?

Before you apply for a personal loan, here's what you need to know.

Get Started!

Mortgages

Top Picks
  • Best Mortgage Lenders of March 2021
  • Best Mortgage Lenders for Poor Credit
  • Best Refinance Lenders
  • Best VA Mortgage Lenders
Knowledge
  • First Time Homebuyers Guide
  • Home Loans Made Easy
  • The Complete Guide to Refinancing
  • How to Get a Mortgage with Bad Credit
  • Learn More About Mortgages
Tools & Calculators
  • Mortgage Calculator
Compare Rates
  • Today's Mortgage Rates
  • Refinance Rates
  • 15-Year Mortgage Rates
  • 20-Year Mortgage Rates
  • 30-Year Mortgage Rates
  • Jumbo Mortgage Rates
  • VA Loan Rates
  • 5/1 ARM Rates
  • 7/1 ARM Rates
  • FHA Mortgage Rates

Knowledge

Knowledge Section
  • All Articles
  • Credit Card Articles
  • Banking Articles
  • Brokerage Articles
  • Personal Loan Articles
  • Mortgage Articles
  • Personal Finance Articles
Recent Articles
  • 3 Times It Pays to Pass Up a Great Credit Card Offer

    Credit Cards

    3 Times It Pays to Pass Up a Great Credit Card Offer
  • 3 Home Purchase Issues That May Seem Like Deal-Breakers -- But Aren't

    Mortgages

    3 Home Purchase Issues That May Seem Like Deal-Breakers -- But Aren't
  • Will I Get a Mortgage If I'm Already in Debt?

    Mortgages

    Will I Get a Mortgage If I'm Already in Debt?
  • Biden Backs Lower Income Thresholds for Stimulus Check Cutoff

    Personal Finance

    Biden Backs Lower Income Thresholds for Stimulus Check Cutoff
  • The Ascent
  • Knowledge
  • Banking

Here's How a Library Card Can Save You Over $500 Per Year

by Lyle Daly | June 25, 2019

The Ascent is reader-supported: we may earn a commission from offers on this page. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation.

You won't believe all you can access with a library card.

Smiling Young Woman Using Tablet In Library

Image source: Getty Images

If you haven't paid a visit to your local library since grade school, then you probably don't realize just how valuable a library card is.

Until recently, I figured I wouldn't get much use out of a library card. I didn't want to trek to the library every time I wanted to borrow a book, and I definitely didn't want to worry about returning anything on time.

Oh, how wrong I was. I've since learned that libraries offer all kinds of free media, including an impressive amount of digital content. For anyone looking to cut down on their entertainment spending, a library card could be exactly what you need.

What kind of content and services libraries offer

Library cards are free to anyone who lives in the area, and through your library, you can borrow:

  • Books
  • Audiobooks
  • Magazines
  • Movies
  • TV shows

The best part is that you don't even need to visit the library to borrow anything. Libraries now offer content digitally, allowing you to borrow whatever's available without leaving home. You can then access the content through your browser or, in the case of e-books, through an e-reader.

Not only is it convenient to access digital content, but it also gets returned automatically on the due date, so you'll never end up with a late fee.

Besides the content you can access with a library card, many libraries also offer other useful services periodically in the way of classes and events. Your local library could have classes that teach helpful skills, author visits, and story time for kids. And if you're ever without internet access, you can go to the library and use a computer there.

How much money can you save with a library card?

Depending on how much you typically spend on entertainment and how much of that you can replace with content from the library, you could easily save $40 to $50 per month or more. Over a year, that could be just what you need to help boost the balances in your bank accounts or bolster your emergency fund.

The two types of people who will save the most from a library card are avid readers and those who want to have entertainment at their fingertips for free. I fall into the first category, as I usually read for hours every day. After adding up the Kindle prices of all the books I've borrowed, I found that I've saved $145.70 on 14 books from the beginning of January to the end of March. Over a full year, that would average out to $582.80.

Even if you don't read that much, you could also save money by replacing your cable and/or streaming services with video content from the library. The selection won't be as vast, but there's still plenty to watch.

How to get a library card

To get a library card, visit your local library's website and fill out an online application. After completing the application, you can visit any branch of that library to pick up your card.

When you pick up your card, remember to bring a photo ID. If your ID doesn't have your current address on it, then you should also bring a bill addressed to you to prove that you meet the library's residency requirements.

Residency requirements vary by library. You'll usually need to be a resident of the city to get a card with its library, but this isn't always the case, as some libraries have more relaxed requirements.

Accessing digital library content

There are two services you should know about to access digital library content: Overdrive and Kanopy. Although these services aren't universal to all libraries, most popular libraries have chosen to offer digital content this way.

Overdrive

Overdrive is where you'll find your library's e-books, audiobooks, magazines, and videos. You can find your library's specific Overdrive page by going to the Overdrive homepage and clicking "Find a library," or by simply searching for the name of the library plus the word "Overdrive."

You'll find a fantastic selection of e-book and audiobook content on Overdrive. Popular titles tend to get snatched up quickly, so you'll sometimes need to place holds on the books you want and wait until they're available.

The TV and movie selection on Overdrive isn't exactly going to give Netflix a run for its money, but there are some good options available. And when you want more, you can head over to the next free service your library offers.

Kanopy

Kanopy is a video streaming service offering movies and television series. From the Kanopy homepage, click "Watch Now" and then select your library using the search function. This will bring you to your library's Kanopy page, where you can register for an account with your library card number and PIN.

There's plenty of content on Kanopy, and its movies are where it really shines. You can find everything from Criterion Collection classics to modern movies, and the service is well-known for its documentaries. It is lacking when it comes to series, though. For TV shows, your best option is reserving DVD box sets at the library.

With Kanopy, you receive monthly play credits through your library, and each credit lets you play one title for up to 72 hours. The standard amount is 10 play credits per month.

An easy way to cut your spending

There are all kinds of ways to save money out there, but getting a library card is without a doubt one of the easiest options, and it doesn't require you to make any crazy lifestyle changes.

If you want to, you could eliminate your entertainment spending entirely and elect to get all your movies and shows courtesy of your library card. Or you could just borrow books instead of buying them and still potentially save a couple hundred bucks per year.

These savings accounts are FDIC insured and can earn you 12x your bank

Many people are missing out on guaranteed returns as their money languishes in a big bank savings account earning next to no interest. Our picks of the best online savings accounts can earn you more than 12x the national average savings account rate. Click here to uncover the best-in-class picks that landed a spot on our shortlist of the best savings accounts for 2021.

Two top online savings account picks

Rates as of Feb. 15, 2021 Ratings Methodology
Logo for CIT Bank Savings Builder
Logo for American Express® High Yield Savings Account
CIT Bank Savings Builder American Express® High Yield Savings Account
Member, FDIC Member, FDIC
Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
5.0 stars
ToolTip Icon for Star Rating. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
5.0 stars
ToolTip Icon for Star Rating. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Open Account

On CIT's Secure Website.

Open Account

On American Express' Secure Website.

Read Review Read Review

APY: Up to 0.40%

APY: 0.50%

Best For: No monthly maintenance fee

Best For: High APY

Min. to earn APY: $25k or $100 monthly deposit for highest tier

Min. to earn APY: $0

About the Author

Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly icon-button-linkedin-2x icon-button-twitter-2x

Lyle is a writer specializing in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. His work has also appeared on MSN Money, USA Today, and Yahoo! Finance.

Share This Page
Facebook Icon This icon shares the page you are on via Facebook
Blue Twitter Icon Share this website with Twitter
LinkedIn Icon This image links to share the page over LinkedIn.
Email Icon Share this website with email

We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.

The Motley Fool has a Disclosure Policy. The Author and/or The Motley Fool may have an interest in companies mentioned.

The Ascent is reader-supported: we may earn a commission from offers on this page. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation.

Featured Offer

Amex_Savings_BlueBox_Double_Line_226x142.png

High APY and low fees

Open Account

Related Articles

Piggy bank surround by cash stacks image for Best Online Savings Accounts for 2021

Best Online Savings Accounts for 2021

Interest spelled out on a calculator image for Best CD Rates

Best CD Rates

Man holding credit card and looking at computer screen laughing with woman image for What is APY and What Does it Mean for Your Savings Account?

What is APY and What Does it Mean for Your Savings Account?

Couple looking at a paper bill together at a table worried image for Is it Time to Switch Banks?

Is it Time to Switch Banks?

Featured Articles

Best Online Savings Accounts for 2021

Best CD Rates

What is APY and What Does it Mean for Your Savings Account?

Is it Time to Switch Banks?


The Ascent Logo

The Ascent is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters.

btn_facebook-yellow btn_twitter-yellow btn_instagram-yellow

Copyright © 2018 - 2021 The Ascent. All rights reserved.

About The Ascent
About Us Contact Us Newsroom How We Make Money Editorial Integrity Ratings Methodology
Legal
Terms of Use Privacy Policy Accessibility Policy Terms and Conditions Copyright, Trademark and Patent Information
Learn
Credit Cards Banking Brokerage Loans Recent Articles

By submitting your email address, you consent to us sending you money tips along with products and services that we think might interest you. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please read our Privacy Statement and Terms & Conditions.

Back to The Motley Fool