Everyone likes the idea of getting something for free. Alas, in this day and age, it seems as if the concept of ‘free’ is always two or three steps ahead of us. With prices on the rise, most of us are paying more than ever before — in other words, we’re living in a world that pushes us to the very opposite of free.
But with the right websites in your favorites list, you’ll find that it is very much possible to get a whole host of stuff for free. You’ll have to pay for an internet connection, sure, but once you’ve got that and a device, the wonderful world of free stuff will be at your doorstep. In this blog, we’ll look at ten things you can get online for free.
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Free Video Content
Think you need Netflix or HBO to watch quality video content? Think again. Those streaming services might have some top-notch content, but they’ll also set you back a pretty penny. But there’s a case to be made that you don’t really need those streaming services, or any other ones, either. If you’re just a casual video consumer, then YouTube and Vimeo will do the trick.
YouTube has a host of outstandingly talented creators, while Vimeo hosts award-winning, artistic videos from independent producers.
Free Music
In the old days, if you wanted to listen to music, you’d have to buy a CD (and own a CD player). Or you could listen to the radio — but who wants to only listen to someone else’s selections? Today, there’s a host of streaming services that will allow you to listen to whatever song you want, whenever you want it. And you don’t necessarily have to pay for it.
Spotify has a free version, so as long as you can settle for a few advertisements between songs, you’re good. You can also get a free month's trial of Apple Music, too.
Free Games
Games can be extremely expensive, but that’s only if you want to get the latest games on the best consoles. The vast majority of games are cheap, and many of them are free. Take a look on Steam or your phone’s app store, and you’ll find a whole host of free titles — and many of them are very good. Pokémon Go, anyone? In addition to regular video games, you can also enjoy another type of game — sports — in new and free ways, too.
There are free betting offers available at OddsChecker, which will allow you to back a winner without hurting your bank balance, for instance, while you can also catch up on sports highlights on select YouTube channels. Who says that staying entertained and up to date had to cost the earth?
Free Language Lessons
You probably had free language lessons in school, but who ever pays attention in school? If you’re looking to brush up on your Spanish, French, or Japanese, then you no longer have to spend large sums of money to take a course. You can learn for free, thanks to a whole host of free applications and websites, which will take you from beginner to fluent in no time (well, maybe some time).
The most popular free language learning app is Duolingo, but there are plenty of others too — it’s best to play around with a few until you find the one that’s right for you.
Free Knowledge
And if you really want to give your brain a boost, you can always look at taking one of the many free courses available online. Did you know that you can take entire Harvard courses for free online?
You won’t get that all-important undergraduate qualification at the end of it, but the learning doesn’t always need to lead to a tangible outcome. You can learn just for the fun of learning — it sure beats spending all your time scrolling through Facebook or Instagram.
Free Mental Health Help
No one’s happy all the time. We all need a little help from time to time. The problem is, while therapy is highly effective and recommended, it’s often expensive. As such, many people can go longer than they should without getting the help that they need. Thankfully, there’s the internet there to help us. There are many outstanding websites designed specifically to help people boost their mental health.
One such example is the website 7 Cups of Tea, which offers free conversations with trained listeners. If you need someone to talk to and no one’s around, then give it a try — it’s an incredible service.
Free Creative Prompts
There are probably things worse than sitting down at a laptop to write and having no ideas, but if you’re a writer, you’re probably struggling to think of what those things could be. If you’re looking for a little inspiration to get rid of your writer's block, then the web has you covered.
There are websites, forums, and Reddit pages that will give you a simple creative exercise that can get you started. Once the floodgates are open, you never know what it might lead to.
Free Stuff
So far, we’ve talked mostly about free content that you can get from the internet. But you can also get real, tangible stuff for free too. Depending on where you live, you might find that people are giving away some truly valuable stuff without asking for a penny.
Two good places to look are Craigslist and your local Facebook groups. The vast majority of it might just be old wood that you can use for your fireplace, but every now and again you’ll come across a diamond in the rough.
Free Entertainment
Finally, there’s podcasts. There are so many outstanding podcasts available on streaming sites, and the vast majority of them don’t charge a penny. Whatever you’re interested in, you’ll find that there’s something available.
The next time that you’re bored but don’t want to get out your credit card, simply load up an award-winning podcast and you’ll have free entertainment for hours on end.