While in many ways the cost of certain things has gone up, this isn’t the case for everything. Some services and resources that we use on a daily basis are now free, and there is a good possibility you might still be paying when you don’t have to. So if you want to maximize those paychecks, explore some of these activities, items, and resources that may be accessible to you at no cost.
Learning A New Language
In years past people would spend exorbitant amounts of money on classes, tutors, and programs to learn a new language. Thankfully that isn’t the case anymore, you can take on a new language from the coziness of your couch.
Thanks to the wonderful world of technology, you can access apps like Memrise and Duolingo, and expand your language skills from your phone. Perhaps, once you are fluent you could turn this newly acquired language into a way to make money for yourself by teaching others.
Health and Fitness Classes
On the plus side you no longer need to incur the costly expense of a gym membership or jazzercise classes, in fact you don’t even need to leave the comforts of your home to indulge in a quality workout.
You have all the workout classes you could possibly want right at your fingertips, all you have to do is go on sites like YouTube, type in the style of workout you would like to do, and bam there it is! It’s a huge plus for both your health and your budget.
Tax Time
We all dread the time of year when we have to lug all our documents down to the accountant, sit there for what seems like forever, only to be told we have to pay out the nose for the services.
Fortunately, free tax software like TurboTax afford you the opportunity to organize and file your own taxes and hopefully have you leaving tax season with a little more money in your pocket.
Second Hand Finds
In this day and age there are a plethora of platforms, vintage boutiques, and even apps that help you connect with community members who are looking to pass along their gently used items.
When I was a kid, garage sales were the best option for finding used items at a much lower price than they were originally sold for. Today, if you have the patience, you can find people willing to offload their goods for free, you just have to sit tight till they are ready to send it off to a new home.
Texting
Unlimited texting wasn’t always a thing, in fact it wasn’t that long ago when texting wasn’t automatically included in whatever phone plan you had.
There was a time when a fee was included with each incoming and outgoing text on top of your monthly bill. Today most cell phone companies have unlimited plans that include the usage of text messaging.
The Classifieds
In years past if you wanted to look for employment, advertise your services, or sell something, you would turn to classified ads.
Now, living in the digital era all you have to do is pick up your phone or computer and go on social media or other free apps like Offer Up. Most would argue that it is far easier today to access these things then it was in the days of the Classified ads.
Everyday News
In the past, you had two choices: get up and go get the local newspaper from the nearest convenience store or pay someone to deliver it to your house daily.
I think it goes without saying that access to the news is leaps and bounds from what it used to be. There are an array of free news websites, breaking news podcasts, and social media accounts dedicated to daily news. Today there really are infinite ways to access the daily news, and the majority of them are free.
Music To My Ears
Believe it or not there was a time where you had to buy CD’s or cassettes to enjoy the sound of music. Even when music started to take a more digital approach with MP3’s, users still had to pay a fee with each song.
Today, you have Pandora and Spotify that allow you to enjoy your favorite tunes for free, if you don’t mind the occasional ad.
Educational classes
Not many people know that community colleges and continuing education institutes offer a few free classes to their community members. There are also free platforms like Udacity and Coursera, where you can access and learn just about anything.
Some institutes even provide complimentary training courses, giving residents an opportunity to acquire a new career or advance the ones they already have.
Free Credit Report
Thanks to new federal law, consumers have to be allowed free access to their credit reports at least once a year.
Many probably won’t remember when accessing your credit report typically meant paying for a subscription, even though most of us only need access to these reports once, possibly twice a year. So even though this isn’t the most exhilarating tip on the list, it’s still a helpful one. Afterall every little penny helps, right.
Classes for babies and toddlers
Did you know that your local library is also an informational goldmine for finding free educational classes and even physical activity classes for your little one.
Everything from weekly story times, baby gymboree, dance classes and classes to teach your toddler sign language can be found at your library. How cool is that!
Television Shows
Streaming is the main way to access your favorite TV shows and movies, and typically there is a monthly fee involved with these platforms.
However, if you don’t mind the occasional commercial, then you can binge on your favorite reality tv show for hours on end with streaming apps like Crackle and Tubi.
Global Positioning Systems
Anyone else remember the Thomas Guide? Once upon a time maps were printed on paper and in big books like the Thomas Guide, and well you had to pay to acquire them. They eventually transitioned to digital applications, but even then you still had to pay for a certain GPS, and that typically came with a monthly service fee.
Today, almost all cell phones are equipped with GPS apps that come at no extra cost to the consumer. Long gone are the days of asking for directions, and paying for paper maps that inevitably just got shoved in your glovebox.
Out Of Range Phone Calls
Back-in-the day you used to have to pay for phone calls made out of your area, if you were calling grandma back in Idaho it was gonna cost you a pretty penny. International calls? Forget about it, the charges associated with that would break your bank!
Thanks to the handy dandy internet you can place phone or video calls for free to all four corners of the world if you wanted to. This is a huge perk for those you want to stay in close touch with their friends and family members that live long distances.
Watching Movies
Most people only associate libraries with free books, but did you know you can also rent DVD’s for free from your local library?
Now entertainment doesn’t have to drain your wallet, libraries offer these free resources to their communities and make simple pleasures like watching a movie easily accessible for the masses.
Moral of the story, if you are willing to venture out beyond what is conventional and consider alternatives, then a world of endless resources can become available for you to utilize, all while helping you save money and indulge in life’s simplicities concurrently.
