The first time exposed my weakness for coupons. The second time exposed my soft spot for hard-working waitresses. The third time it was the library that did me in.
My library card expired and to get it out of hock I had to pay my $3.50 fine that I incurred last time I checked out a book. Theoretically libraries are free. In practice, they never are.
But I really wanted to check out The Wait by Frank Turner Hollon because the first graph hooked me.
My father almost never got drunk. When he did, it was usually a happy, goofy drunk. But one night when I was nine years old, after a Christmas party, for reasons still unknown, he told me the story of my conception. This is how I remember it.
While standing in line I realized, sadly, that the book was not going to be as good as the first paragraph. But I was already in line. So I paid the fine and endured the indignity of settling my $3.50 debt with a credit card. Charging less than $10 always makes me feel poor. I’m convinced the cashier, or in this case, wannabe librarian, is thinking to herself, “This girl doesn’t have three dollars and fifty cents on her? She probably eats cat food.”
Oh, the injustice of not carrying cash. Perhaps this was the price for breaking my moratorium.
Related:
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
If you are going to break your moratorium, it might as well be for one of the best bargains in America – the public library system.
Recently, I did a little bit of math and realized that I had saved at least a QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS by using the public library system. And that is a conservative number.
So, really, you will be saving way more money than you just spent if you take advantage of this wonderful resource that we have at our fingertips (literally)… http://www.lapl.org (website for Los Angeles Public Library)
Public libraries saved you $250,000? That’s amazing! How do you figure?
Libraries are free, you just have to do your part and return the book on time.
I wouldn’t say you “spent” any money – I would say you’re paying a debt or a bill that was owed.
I figured that I have taken out an average of 20 books a week at an average cost of $15 a book for 17 years. That comes out to $265,200.00.
Holy cow – 20 books a week! You have a voracious appetite for books. I’m lucky if I read 5 a year. Wish I could make more time for books.
there bot free think of the time u spend looking and the gas to get there not free and they now take ur ss number so they can ding ur credit if u loose something or are late all the time and i dident ever hear of a card expiring i still have mine from the 90s
Hi BB- I just told my 16 yr old daughter about your moratorium and she asked “but, HOW is she doing? Is she going nuts?”
I thought that would be good for you to write about! How are you handling all of this?
Your daughter is very perceptive. I don’t think I’m going nuts, but maybe I am and just don’t know it. 🙂 I’m definitely looking forward to August when I can spend again. I’ll try to address this question in greater detail in an upcoming post.