Hello, book nerds!

‘Tis the season for change in my household this month. We’ve had good new and bad news. The good news: we became debt-free this month! This was a huge feat and years in the making. We’re thrilled. The bad news: my spouse was let go a week later. C’est la vie.

But we’re feeling good. If we can’t be happy in a paid-off house with at least one full income (and no dependents), then we have other problems. We’re taking this as the opportunity it is — a chance to reevaluate, and for him to find a job more fulfilling.

So anyway, to pivot to the library.

Y’all already know I’m a bookworm (duh, this is a book blog), but I’ve been forcing myself to be more well-rounded. And by that I mean I’ve been watching more movies and playing games, so that, you know, I have more than just one hobby. And more things to talk with people about.

However, it seems like everything I want to watch exists outside the realm of streaming, or lives on an obscure platform I’d never be willing to pay for. I’ve been renting digital movies for a few months now, and having that expense on top of streaming services that I’m not even really watching has started to feel unsustainable.

Then I realized: the library has DVDs I can borrow. Of course!

A few things happened in quick succession after that. First, my parents gifted me one of their Blu-Ray players. (Thanks, mom!)

Second, I went to the library the very next weekend to browse for a movie (I also learned they have whole TV shows on disc too, so that’s great). I had a full Blockbuster throwback. I selected a couple movies and picked up some Chinese takeout on the way home for the full Friday-movie-night experience.

One trade off is that Dune wasn’t available on Blu-ray, so I’m watching it on DVD, which has a lower resolution. It is what it is, and honestly, it feels a little nostalgic this way.

I’ve also started paying attention to the DVD section of thrift shops, and learned I can buy used movies for $1 or so from places like Goodwill, and $5-$7 from places like Half Price Books. Now I’m on the hunt for favorites that I’d love to own on Blu-ray. Physical media, baby. I already collect books, and my spouse collects records, why not add some movies to this mix?

All in all, we’re right where we need to be. I’m soaking up this new cheap way to consume media.

Support your local library!