Free Streaming With Your Library Card: Trim Your Bill Before You Replace It
Before you earn a single dollar to replace a streaming bill, it is worth asking whether you can lower that bill first. One option many people overlook is already in their wallet: a public library card. Many libraries now offer free movies, shows and music through apps, with nothing to subscribe to. It will not replace every service, but it could let you drop one for a few months.
What your library may offer
Two of the most common services are Hoopla and Kanopy. Seattle Public Library’s page, for example, lists both as free with a library card and says they work on computers, phones, tablets and some TV devices. Kanopy at that library offers a set number of “tickets” each month and carries more than 30,000 independent and classic films, documentaries and shows.
A Tom’s Guide article adds some useful details as of its latest posting. Hoopla titles have no wait lists, but each library sets a monthly limit, often 5 to 10 items. Kanopy gave 10 titles a month in the example it described. Unused credits do not carry over to the next month.
Availability differs from library to library, so the best step is to check your own.
How to get started
- Visit your library’s website or ask at the desk whether it offers Hoopla, Kanopy or similar video services.
- If you do not have a card, ask about one. Some libraries issue a digital card online, often within minutes, using your address or phone number.
- Download the service’s app, or open its website, and choose your library from the list.
- Sign in with your library card number. Ask a librarian if you get stuck; most are glad to help.
- Pick something to watch and press play. Remember your monthly limit.
What this could save
Check what you pay now for each streaming plan, and write the amounts down. If you pause one plan for a few months and watch library titles instead, you keep that monthly amount. This works best with our rotating idea: keep one paid service at a time and use the library in between. Library catalogs are smaller than the big paid services, and new releases can be limited, so this is a trim, not a cure-all.
Why it matters for the bigger plan
Every dollar you trim is a dollar you do not have to earn, and the earnings you do make may be taxed or, for some people, affect benefits. Trimming first makes the goal smaller and easier to reach.
More on Replace a Bill
- Rotate Your Streaming Services: Trim the Bill Before You Replace It
- Step 1: List Your Monthly Bills and Pick the First One to Replace
