Rebates equal Library Money

One line item in our budget that we all agree we would like to have more money in and just do not because we are trying to SAVE money, and keep me home indefinitely is the library fund.

While it may seem odd to have an actual Library Fund, let me explain to you why it is so important!

1. We are a family of voracious readers, and reread favorites all the time, including Miss Pear's picture books, so books are a good investment around here!
   
2. We live in California, so the libraries carry almost no books that honor God or illuminate the Bible. But are filled with trash I do not want our daughter exposed too! (Same can be said for garage sales and thrift stores! not that we have those here in any abundance)
   
3. Our library fund covers our home schooling expenses. Currently that means quality read alouds, counting and alphabet books.
4. We are a family that actually uses commentaries, Biblical Dictionaries, and Greek and Hebrew books on a regular basis and are trying to slowly build a decent reference library both for the us and for the purpose of home schooling.

So we are creative in our methods.

One thing I do is that when I am shopping I do not calculate the rebate check from certain items into my shopping expenses. For example, I just filled out a form to get $5 from Tylenol for purchasing 3 tylenol products in their Fall Medicine Cabinet stock up. I just waited for a good deal to get them. When the check arrives, I will deposit it and the money will be allocated into the library fund.

The only time I do not do this is with Walgreens where I get my rebate as a gift card to get the 10% bonus and keep rolling it, or any time the rebate is issued as store credit (unless of course it is a book store!)

While it is not a huge amount, every little bit helps, and it motivates me to deposit those little checks into the bank in a timely manner! (Fortunately there is a branch of our bank in a supermarket I frequently shop at!)

How do you creatively boost your library funds?

Of course, I then try to make my library money go as far as possible by watching for best prices, coupons, and sales!