Save Big Money on Media

Stop paying for books, CDs and other materials.

Photo: Ken Zirkel / istock

By Brian Clark Howard

Instead of buying small mountains of books, CDs, DVDs and even magazines that you barely use, check materials out of your neighborhood library, or relax inside the quiet halls and browse on site.

Paper is one of the biggest materials by volume in landfills, and its environmental footprint is enormous, from cutting down trees to heavy use of water, toxic chemicals and energy during processing. Paper fibers can only be recycled a few times before they break down, and the process requires energy. CDs and other media are made of nonrenewable petroleum products and are very difficult to recycle.

The fact is, many of us are filling our homes with books and other materials that we never, or rarely, use. We would be well advised to save some money, and cut down on waste, by buying only the materials we will really use frequently and patronizing libraries for more of the rest.

Libraries can also be great sources of social interaction and learning. They are typically close to home, encouraging walking, biking or perhaps even public transit. While you're there picking up a book, you may learn about enrichment classes or computer services. An increasing number of libraries are also moving beyond books to offer electronic media, such as e-books and downloadable podcasts, as well as computer equipment and even power tools that you can check out.

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