The library helps your personal bottom line

Times are tough all over, and it's a good time for you to know all the different free services that are available at the public library. Here are some of our ideas for saving your pennies and getting the most out of Stratford's biggest bargain: your public library.

Budget buster: Pay Netflix $9.99 a month for their best deal on DVDs. Budget smart: Borrow as many movies as you want from the library for free -- on DVD or download from home. Savings: $9.99 a month.

Budget buster: Buy ten songs a week from iTunes. Budget smart: Borrow as many CDs as you want from the newest hits to old school -- or download songs from our library website. Savings: $9.99 per CD

Budget buster: Sign up for Internet access along with your phone so all your services are conveniently together - and your monthly bill is large, too. Budget smart: Use the library’s PCs with free Internet. Have a laptop? Our wifi is free too. Savings: $30 per month.

Budget buster: Spend $50 on a romantic dinner out in a restaurant for your sweetie. Budget smart: Use the library’s cookbooks to plan a meal, then shop for ingredients ($15.00) and make a romantic dinner at home. Savings: $35 on dinner for two.

Budget buster: Pick up Cosmo or Sports Illustrated when you see them at the grocery store. Budget smart: Read the latest magazines at the library for free. Savings: $5.00 per magazine.

Budget buster: You found a great airfare to Puerto Rico for spring break, so you buy a Spanish language CD at the airport bookstore to brush up on your Espanol on the plane. Budget smart: Borrow your travel guides and language CDs at the library for free. We have downloadable language tutorials too. Savings: $9.95 - $29.95 for travel guides and language CDs.

Budget buster: You always like to have the newest cell phone, the coolest car, and the biggest TV as soon as they come out. Budget smart: See what Consumer Reports has to say about the best cell phone plans, flat screen TVs, and credit cards before spending your hard-earned cash. The Library's subscription to Consumer Reports is available from home online as well as in the familiar magazine at the library. Savings: Tens or hundreds of dollars by choosing the best products for you and your budget.

If you'd like to learn about these or any other services offered by the Stratford Library, come pay us a visit, or call us at 203-385-4164. We'd love to tell you about Stratford's biggest bargain: your public library.