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Public libraries
They are a literal treasure trove of information and resources if you know how to use them.
It's why I'm gonna donate to them once I can find or make a tech job/company
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Ours gives us access to a number of online databases. I use the Chilton database for automotive repair procedures, specs, and wiring diagrams.
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Best part about them is that various ones might have more than just books. Someone already mentions databases, but I've seen DVDs at one in my town and I know I've heard of them lending tools and certain appliance as well.
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Too funny - we were writing the same thing as the first comment. Libraries: two out of two Internet commenters agree!
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Honestly, the library. They've been mostly forgotten in our digital present, but borrowing books for free is practically utopian in today's enshittified, monetized world. You often can do it digitally if you like your devices.
Even if you never go to your library again after joining, a library card will usually get you free access to a streaming service like Kanopy or Hoopla that often has a not at all terrible selection.
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👏Li👏brar👏ies👏
They are one of the last places you can go without the underlining expectation that you need to buy something. They have become a neutral community space that is open to everyone no matter your sexuality, political views, and culture, offering access to a variety of material and resources for you to harness and grow.
Depending on your library, you can check out things ranging from books, digital books, movies, video games, board games, carpet cleaners, cake pans, instruments, fishing poles, cellular hotspots, power tools, sewing machines, karaoke equipment, etc. On top of all of that, libraries usually offer a plethora of programs. You can learn to knit, paint, macrame, eat healthy, manage finances, hatch eggs, grow plants, prepare for disasters, write a resume, or interview for a job. You can meet authors, get family portraits, learn about local history and so much more. Libraries are amazing, and cost very little in taxes compared to all they provide.
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My library: Tech Mentors! People bring in their laptops, cell phones, whatever, and we show them how to install programs, create accounts, surf, write resumes, fill out government forms, you name it.
If you can Lemmy, you can volunteer at the library to help people from being lost online.
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I know in my country (which is experiencing a very bad homelessness epidemic), post offices provide services to register a permanent address and collect mail from them. This isn't very well known sadly, and if it was more widely advertised we could have seen better voter turnout in our most recent election for example. Not without mentioning access to education and jobs that require permanent addresses, which would help homeless people out of the poverty cycle.
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I'll pause now
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My county offers compost from yard waste for $7 per loader scoop. You have to haul it yourself on the handful of weekends it's open, but it's a way better deal than buying from any of the landscape suppliers. Similar programs aren't quite ubiquitous but they're more common than most would realize. If your city has leaf collection, you should see if they offer compost.
I built some large raised beds that would have been a fortune to fill with bagged soil or from a landscape supplier. So I was really happy to find out about my local program.
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Most counties offer this. It’s a truly unknown and underused service. Even if you don’t have a truck, you can rent a U-Haul truck and it would still be way cheaper than bags of compost/soil.
I found out about it when studying for the Master Gardner program. For anyone interested in the US, call your local Extensions office and they’ll point you in the right direction.
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I think from a free advice perspective, it's worth talking to your local pharmacist? While not a substitute for doctor visits, my experience is that their advice on minor maladies is way more on-point than what I get from relatives, co-workers, etc. And they are super well-versed on the pitfalls of off-the-shelf remedies. Yet a lot people only approach them to pick up a prescription.
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Community.
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USGS
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Your ability to be a pedestrian. People forget half the places they drive to don't really require a car.
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Democratic representation in government. A bunch of yahoos basically just voted to give it away to billionaires.
