cheap thrills: things to do for under $10 (item three)
this one, like item three, is super-easy to keep under $10.
read a book
for me, this often starts with a trip to the local public library. you can check out items including books, magazines, DVDs and CDs for free. if the library doesn't have an item you want, you can ask them to get it from another library (this is an inter-library loan, known in library parlance as an ill). what's that? you say you don't have library card? you can get one for free! it's quick, easy, and the staff at the circulation desk love issuing them!
the library sort of reminds me of a bookstore, because i can pick up titles i've been wanting to read or i can browse hundreds of titles i never knew existed. every public library i've ever visited also supplies patrons with printed recommendations grouped by topic, genre, best-seller status, and more. but unlike a bookstore, it's free!
i considered calling item three "using the library," but there are still other ways i obtain books for under $10.
my next-favorite way to pick up something to read--borrowing from friends. it helps if you hang out with people who collect books, of course. it turns out that people who like to read usually like to tell you about what they're reading, and on top of that, they like to encourage you to read what they're reading. the hardest part for me is convincing someone that i really do want to read it, but i don't want to borrow it just yet... i'd rather wait until there's an empty spot on my reading list.
sometimes i like to mix it up with a trip to a good bookstore, but mainly this is exactly as i said--to mix it up. basically i end up in bookstores because i've noticed that whether i live in a large, medium or small town, bookshop owners everywhere seems to know that providing coffee and couches is a selling point. i say i'm going for the books, but, well, it's more for the combination on coffee and books. be aware, of course, that bookstores are an easy way to take reading from free to expensive very quickly! still, most independent bookstores (as opposed to chains like barnes & noble or borders) have at least a small used section, and most used books are under $10.