50 great things you can get free
(Updated for 2009)
"The best things in life are free", sang the Beatles.
Bitter experience tells us that is rarely the case. The Fab Four admitted as much when they revealed that money was what they really wanted.
But there's no need to be too cynical. There are a surprising range of free things out there, if you know where to look.
Here are 50 fab freebies which were available at the time of writing - enough to make John, Paul, George and Ringo change their tune.
Art & Entertainment
1. Cinema Paradiso
Get to see the latest must-see movie first and without paying a penny. See Film First, Freecinematickets and Momentum Pictures offer regular preview cinema screenings nationwide. Or check out one of the free films being shown later this summer in the Scoop, an open-air amphitheatre outside of London’s City Hall. Edinburgh has a free Film Festival Under the Stars and Manchester is running the Family Friendly Film Festival .
2. Televisual Treat
Many top TV and radio shows offer free tickets to people who want to be part of their studio audience. It’s a fun and free way to fill an afternoon or evening and there’s something for everyone’s taste: from Mastermind on the BBC to ITV’s The X Factor
3. High Culture
You can enjoy top class ballet and opera screened live from the Royal Opera House at outdoor venues across the country as part of the BP Summer Screens season.
4. West End Pizzazz
Once a year cast members from some of the top West End shows perform free in London’s Leicester Square. This year’s event takes place on June 20 and 21. To find out more go to West End Live.
5. A Night at the Theatre
You can have a free night out at the theatre with A Night Less Ordinary.The catch? You have to be under 26.
6. Edinburgh's Free Festival
The Edinburgh Festival and Fringe attracts tens of thousands of culture vultures every year, and most end up shelling out lots of money on tickets. If you want to share in the fun but don't want the expense check out the Free Fringe Festival instead, which runs from August 6 to August 30.
7. Movie Collection
Free DVDs are often used as an incentive by market research firms to encourage consumers to fill in questionnaires. At the Free DVD Club you can choose from over 50 titles.
Health & Beauty
8. Sparkling
The Silver Jewelry Club offers silver rings, earrings, pendants and bracelets free and ships to the UK. All you pay is a shipping charge of $8.99 (about £4.50). It seems to think it’s a good marketing technique. Other businesses take note.
9. Made Up
If you want to freshen up your look go to one of your local department stores where many of the beauty counters provide free makeovers. Don’t be presssured into buying products, but be polite or you could end up looking more like Coco the Clown than Coco Chanel.
10. Beauty Tips
Ayton Online Research recruits volunteers to trial new ranges before they hit the shops. The products have already been declared safe, so you won’t end up with third degree burns, and are not tested on animals; the companies just want consumer feedback before launch. A host of other websites offer free samples. Check out the links on Mysavings and Smartfreestuff or Free Samples.
11. Dental Work
There are opportunities for free treatment by dental students at all UK dental schools. The British Dental Health Foundation has contact details.
12. Cut and Blow Dry
Salons and colleges up and down the country need models for hairdressing students to practise on. If you’re prepared to put your hair on the line it’s a great way to save money. Just make sure you have a paper bag handy in case they are overzealous with the clippers or hair dye.
Sport & Leisure
13. It is Cricket
If you’re a cricket fan and want to enjoy the Ashes, without having to fork out for a ticket, you can enjoy the excitement at Cricket in the Park in Southampton, Liverpool, Cambridge, Derby and London.
14. Chuck the Gym Subscription
Get fit jogging or walking and enjoy the great outdoors: it’s that simple.
15. Fitness Freak
If you’re a gym junky at least take advantage of a free trial at your local gym. Fitness First and LA Fitness offer a free day at selected gyms.
16. Boot camp
British Military Fitness offers one free trial class at parks all over the country. Feel the pain.
17. Play the Game
"Don't work play games". This noble sentiment is the motto of Freeloader where you can download hundreds of online games. Hours of fun, just don’t tell the boss.
18. Read all about it
Many magazines and newspapers, including of course the Times and Sunday Times, now have an online presence, which you can often access for free.
19. Football Crazy
If the reams of newspaper pages and hours of TV dedicated to the beautiful game are not enough for you don’t despair. There are several free online football mags to feed your longing. Catflap is published once a week.
20. Picture this
Photo Box is offering 40 free photo prints when you register with its site.
Music
21. Downloading
Online music downloads have become hugely popular, thanks to the surge in use of MP3 players such as iPods. You have to be careful about using sites which offer very cheap or free downloads as many are illegal. However, Last FM has the seal of approval. It offers 200 free downloads every week.
22. Band Aid
Freeloaders will do all sorts of unspeakable things to get into gigs and concerts. But you don't need to degrade yourself to get to see great bands, as those aiming for the big time often play in front of non-paying audiences. More mainstream artists appear regularly in HMV stores. Or check out what Puregroove and Rough Trade have planned in trendy Shoreditch. Here are details of what else is going on in London.
23. Cool, cool jazz
Jazz festivals take place up and down the country in the summer, and many have at least one free event. The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, for example, has Jazz on a Summer's Day, which will take place at the Ross Bandstand, Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh on August 2.
24. Liszt for Lunch
Concert halls and churches up and down the country hold free recitals, usually during week day lunchtimes. The Royal Albert Hall, for example, has a programme called Ignite every Friday lunchtime where you can hear “talented young ensembles in performances from gypsy jazz to Parisian folk”. Whatever floats your boat.
25. Sheet Music
Musical scores, from ABBA to Wagner, can be downloaded from a host of sites including Free Sheet Music and Free Scores. The Free Sheet Music Guide is a good place to start.
Children & Animals
26. Give your Dog … a Health Check
Tired of expensive vet's bills? Keep your dog in tip top condition by attending a free health check organised by PDSA, an animal charity. Their trained veterinary nurses even provide slimming tips if your dog is a little on the porky side. Unfortunately for cat or guinea pig lovers only dogs qualify, for safety reasons apparently.
27. Animal Magic
There’s masses of free stuff out there for your furry friends from collars and leads to vitamin supplements. Try Free Pet Stuff.
28. Baby Talk
Register with Pampers and you get vouchers to spend on Pampers' products like nappies and wipes. Huggies has a similar offer. There are loads of other freebies for parents, from baby food to nappy rash cream.
Holidays & Travel
29. Drive Time
Sick of sky-high rail fares? Try Liftshare, a nationwide database of more than 200,000 members. Just register your journey and the website will hook you up with drivers who are taking the same route and will allow you to jump on board.
30. Couch Surf
The cost of hotel rooms can be extortionate. A cheaper way to travel is to join an international hospitality exchange website such as Couchsurfing. These enable members to offer a few nights accomodation on a spare bed or sofa. The sites are free and members are not allowed to charge.
31. Swap your Home
If staying with a stranger does not appeal and you are a homeowner, a home swap is an alternative. Members pay about £30 to £120 a year to list their property at websites such as Homebase-Hols and HomeLink (so I guess its not completely free but bear with me). Listings give a description and photographs of each home, plus the owner's availability for travel and preferred destinations. Then you make a rent-free exchange (the free bit) with members whose requirements mirror your own.
Money
32. Don't Fret over Debt
As the credit crunch has worsened companies have sprung up offering debt advice for a fee. But don't waste your hard-earned cash. National Debtline, Debt Free Direct and Citizens Advice will help you out without making a charge. You can check your credit report for free at Credit Expert.
33. Free Cash
When new customers sign up to First Direct’s 1st account they get a £100 bonus provided they start paying an income of at least £1,500 into the account within three months. There is another £100 on offer if you decide to switch away from First Direct within six months of opening the account. The downside: the account doesn’t pay any interest.
34. Borrowing
By switching to a 0 per cent credit card you can save yourself interest and effectively borrow for free. Times Online lists the latest offers.
Food & Drink
35. Forage in the Hedgerows
There’s a whole countryside of free food out there. Some of it’s appetising – mushrooms (provided you don’t pick ones that are deadly poisonous) blackberries, wild garlic – others not so tasty- hawthorn shoots (believe me, they are not worth the effort). The Really WILD Food Guide provides more ideas.
36. More Nourishment
There are loads of free and discounted food offers on Food Freebies.
37. Cook’s Delight
Don’t bother with expensive cookbooks. Tens of thousands of recipes are available online at sites like Free Recipes. More than enough for a lifetime of meals.
38. In the Drink
Retail Eyes sends tens of thousands of members on up to 16,000 “mystery shopper” assignments a month - all expenses paid. You could be asked to go to the pub or stay a night in a hotel. Hard life.
Good for the mind
39. French Lesson
The BBC offers excellent courses online in languages including French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Polish and Urdu.
40. Local Library
Borrow books for free, saving yourself money and shelf space.
41. Culture Vulture
Bored? Why not take a trip to your local museum or art gallery – most permanent exhibitions, including the great ones at the British Museum and the National Gallery, are free.
42. Educate Yourself
Some universities offer study materials, incluiding video lectures, notes and exams, on the internet. You won’t earn a degree but it’s a good way to improve your learning. In the UK material is available from the Open University while in the US the world-famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology is equally generous.
43. Books on the move
Save money and reduce clutter by downloading books onto an iPhone or palm top device from Gutenberg or Feedbooks.
Technology
44. Internet Access
Browse the world wide web free of charge by logging in at one of the plethora of wi-fi hotspots. My Hotspots can help you find locations in your local area.
45. Debug your Computer
Protecting your home computer is vital, especially if you bank online. Virus protection from the likes of Norton, McAfee and Symantec typically costs about £40. But there are free alternatives. Microsoft offers Windows Vista users a free firewall. Free updates are available here. Another option is Grisoft's AVG.
Shopping
46. Retail Therapy
Even better than doing something you love for free is getting paid for it. Retail Eyes sends members to use a shop and report on the quality of service. Most earn £6 to £10 a task, plus expenses, and are reimbursed for, and can keep, any purchases. Easy money.
And the rest
47. Freecycle
Like eBay, without the money. Freecycle encourages members to give away unwanted junk instead of throwing it away. Just as importantly they can replace it with new stuff for free.
48. Dressing Up 
What’s Mine is Yours and Big Wardrobe are similar to Freecycle but for users who want to swap dresses, shoes, bags or furniture.
49. The Business
Create your own business cards at Templates 4 Cards
50. Romance isn't dead
A century after it published its first bodice rippers the magic of Mills & Boon's romance novel continues to woo women in their millions. If you've been seduced you can get two free books and a mystery gift. Swoontastic. Once you've read them you can swap your old books for someone elses at Read It Swap It or BookMooch.
By David Budworth
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Ten tips to survive a property downturn
The UK's 10 best bargain retailers
Ten easy ways to drive down petrol costs
Ten tips to beat the 40% energy price hike
The 10 craziest parking tickets ever
The 10 most extravagant weddings ever
50 reasons not to buy an iPhone
The 10 most infamous heists ever
Are house prices heading for a 1990s style crash?
The 10 most ridiculous fines of all time
The 50 wierdest terms of financial jargon - and what they actually mean
Number 51: Love.
Posted by: A Hippy | 30 Jun 2008 14:25:14
Number 52: newspaper websites!
Posted by: Pity the Fool | 30 Jun 2008 14:27:12
Money (That's What I Want) was a 1959 hit for Barrett Strong on the Tamla label. I am disappointed that the author chooses to reference the poor Beatles cover version, neglecting the original. Not the standard I expect of The Times.
Posted by: Mr Motown | 1 Jul 2008 23:08:52
Best article ever. Thank you!
Posted by: Emm | 2 Jul 2008 16:23:49
Some of the sites you recommend for actual freebies (like free samples) could have been researched much better. Sites like freebielist.com offer more genuine freebies, unlike some of these poor quality sites that you're recommending.
Posted by: Andy | 2 Jul 2008 23:23:41
Tip 37 & 45 are the same!!!
Posted by: Blondie | 7 Jul 2008 20:40:55
You can swap homes for free for holidays. See www.geenee.com, we havz swapped homes and cars for holidays in Montpellier and San Francisco, and had a great time !
Steve
Posted by: Steve Richards | 31 Jul 2008 10:40:30
"Money (That's What I Want) was a 1959 hit for Barrett Strong on....."
To be fair, there song is terrible in retrospect to who covered it. It shows lack of talent and really is only used for the relevance of money, not to be making accurate artist names.
"Not the standard I expect of The Times." What the hell are you chatting about!!! Don't grizzle about insignificant things!
Posted by: Richard | 2 Sep 2008 12:18:15
Tip 43 - you appear to have confused a firewall with anti-virus software. If you are using any version of Windows you will need both. Vista firewall works but needs to be supplemented by anti-virus software such as the free version of AVG which you mention.
Alternatively, switch from Windows to Linux - it has a firewall and doesn't need antivirus. Linux is free, faster and better than any version of Windows - especially the over priced bloatware of Vista.
Posted by: Junk Male | 20 Sep 2008 09:46:50
Anybody with protection on their credit cards and loans is probably wasting their money. Put the premium money away and use it if necessary. Mobile phone insurance - its expensive; just take care of your phone. Extended warranties are a big money-spinner for retailers. You can buy such warranties from specialist firms if you really want one and a fraction of the cost.
Posted by: Peter | 21 Sep 2008 07:45:34
I recently applied for some of the "freebies" suggested above, but none of them seem to offer anything of value - surprise surprise! In addition, I now get a spam email from Panama, which I assume is directly connected to one of the sites I applied to! Caveat emptor as they say, even if it appears to cost you nothing!
Posted by: David Eadie | 8 Oct 2008 09:45:06
I registered for the £250 FREE oyster credit and was charged through my mobile phone for something I did not want (downloading ringtones), I was not told I was going to be charged nor that I was requesting this and no one asked for my credit card details. This is ridiculous!
Posted by: Bill Pandis | 18 Oct 2008 10:34:39
Free credit check? I've tried Credit Expert (Experian) but for "security reasons" they need my credit card number which will only be used after the free trial (unless they do not recieve notification). Well tough, I don't have one. Gareth, Hua Hin Thailand
Posted by: Gareth Griffiths | 29 Oct 2008 05:54:28
Great new way to get free money promote company's products on-line through affiliate links.
Im very disappointed in the times. Some your free stuff links have affiliate links. That's very low.
Posted by: stewart | 7 Nov 2008 11:00:46
No. 13 is ridiculous. That's like saying "live a long and healthy life by trying breathing - it's free!"
Posted by: ian hull | 3 Dec 2008 09:10:16
Regarding televisual treats: I have tried to get into a TV studio with tickets on 3 occasions, but no joy. Free tickets are overdistributed, which is understandable because the broadcasters want to ensure the studio is filled. However, a ticket is no guarantee you will get in. In fact, the only way to get in is to stand in queue ridiculously early. You have to question if it's worth the wait.
Posted by: Paul Armitage | 10 Dec 2008 15:46:35
There is another Method to earn, and thats with Videos! check http://moneytube.freehostia.com/ for more
Posted by: Cris Sabn | 12 Jan 2009 12:29:42
Try downloading a free book. There are many websites such as Project Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org) or Feedbooks (www.feedbooks.com). Put it on your iPhone or PDA and you can have a free read wherever you go!
Posted by: Rory | 13 Jan 2009 10:16:03