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Mesa woman saves $65K at her local library. How you can, too

A Mesa woman saved $65,550 by borrowing books from a public library instead of purchasing.

MESA, Ariz. — Some people are saving thousands of dollars by using a resource available in every community.

Brianna Eusebio and her son read every night before bed.

"I like to check out a huge amount, and then one to two, depending how long they are, will be read per night," Eusebio said.

With each storybook they read, Eusebio is pocketing dollars never spent.

At the bottom of each receipt, the Mesa Public Library tells cardholders how much money they save by renting instead of buying.

Eusebio has saved $23,349.45 since she got her library card five years ago.

The highest savings the library has seen so far is $65,550.

If you know Karen, you know she reads a LOT of books! So many books that she has saved $65,550.33 since she began using...

Posted by Mesa Public Library on Thursday, September 7, 2023

"Anything that you borrow rather than buy adds up," Mesa Public Library Marketing and Communications Specialist Sara Lipich said.

The library has books, movies and music, but there's other things some people might not know they offer.

Mesa Public Library has a Stuffbrary where they lend random items, such as hiking equipment, sports gear, baking pans, and more.

People can also plant their own garden using seeds from their Seed Library.

Mesa Public Library has its own makerspace where they make expensive equipment available for free. 

"3D printers, Glowforge laser cutters, vinyl cutters, podcasting equipment," Lipich said.

Plus, there's opportunities to cut back on monthly subscriptions.

“We have all sorts of digital products that you can download," Lipich said. "Streaming video, streaming music, eBooks, audio books."

September is National Sign Up for the Library Month.

To celebrate, the Mesa Public Library is partnering with dozens of local businesses for discounts when people show their library card.

Eusebio said regardless if someone's an avid reader, there's something for everyone inside a library. 

“You can find new things, old favorites," Eusebio said. 

Any Maricopa County resident can sign up for a Mesa Public Library card at any location. 

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