It goes something like this: You get an idea for a cool new hobby, go out and buy all the equipment, then get bored and throw everything to the back of a closet, never to be touched again.
If this sounds like something you've experienced, don't worry. One Redditor has the solution for you — and surprisingly, it's the library.
Most people think that libraries are just for books, but there are actually tons of unexpected things that you can check out from the library — including instruments, outdoor equipment, and even cookware.
"A lot of them are good for exploring a new hobby without investing in the equipment," one commenter explained.
On Reddit, the original poster shared that they were checking a "3D cake pan" from the library as part of their Valentine's Day plans. The user was organizing a loved-up date for making and decorating a cake with their partner, without having to spend money on buying the cake pan for the occasion.
This Redditor said they also used their local library on Halloween, when it hosted "a fun after-hours library ghost tour."
Borrowing more unique items instead of purchasing them — such as the cake pan in the post, which you likely don't need to use regularly — is much better for the environment and reduces the number of products that end up in a landfill.
Reusing items and sharing them with other library users will help reduce the amount of dirty energy needed to create new materials and cut down on the polluting gases released when used products are burnt in a landfill. This dirty energy is what contributes to the warming of the planet and the pollution of the air and environment around us.
Other Redditors flocked to the comments to share their own experiences.
"My cousin lives in a town where the public library has a lending library of various things: telescope, microscope, sewing machine, cornhole game, a learn-to-play-the-ukulele kit, birdwatching kit with guidebook and binoculars, mobile hot spot, turntable, and many more things that I don't remember," shared one.
Another gave kudos to their local library for other free features.
"When I'm out traveling and need a bathroom or a haven to sit and kill some time, I'll seek out a library in the way a lot of people seek out a Starbucks," they wrote. "It's definitely cheaper not to have to buy an overpriced coffee in order to sit down for a while and plug into free wifi."
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