Getting Something for Nothing

Living on a stipend, I have to watch every penny. I don't often have extra pennies to spend on things like music, movies, and new clothes. However, I have found several good resources for free stuff. And who doesn't like free?

1) Craigslist free section - This stuff usually goes really fast, especially in my college town. However, I have found some great stuff like a vintage bedframe. If you are unfamiliar with Craigslist, perhaps because you have been living in a cave somewhere, it's a free classified ads website with specific pages for almost every major metropolitan area in the world. Go to Craigslist.org and select your location, then click on "free," and go wild.

2) Freecycle™- Freecycle™ is a "nonprofit group of people," with over 6 million members from around the world. The idea is to give and take free stuff, kind of like a big swap. I have given a bread machine (I'm not even sure why I had that - I don't eat bread!) and clothes and taken things like tomato cages and bookshelves. If you have something you don't use (like a bread machine) laying around the house, post it on Freecycle™ and if anyone is in need of one, they will contact you. If you are in need of something (like tomato cages), post that, and if someone has the thing you are looking for, they will contact you. It takes some work, but it is worth it. 


3) iTunes  - I have a gadget on my Google homepage that lists all of the new free downloads form iTunes. I have gotten some great music, and there are also often tv shows or videos. There is also always a list of free donwloads on the iTunes store front page. There are also a lot of free podcasts out there - my favorite is This American Life.


4) Volunteer - I would never volunteer for something with the expectation to get something out of it other than personal satisfaction and AmeriCorps service hours, but the honest truth is you can often walk away from volunteering with something that has monetary value. Volunteering at the food bank often ends in some free produce - especially stuff that will go bad soon. When I volunteered with Rock the Bulb last week, I got ten free CFL bulbs. If you volunteer to usher at a theater, you will get to see most of the show for free. 


5) Check out your local scene - My town has a free monthly art walk, this summer there was a free concert series, and there are free tai chi classes in one of the parks. Most bars have open mic nights or other shows with no cover. The local bookstore has authors in the store or other free events nearly every night. We have an annual Human Rights Film Festival to which admission is always free. There is usually something free going on in my town, and it's not big. Two cities I have lived in have First Thursdays - admission to all participating museums is free on the first Thursday of each month. Basically you just have to stay informed - most of these free events don't have big publicity budgets. Check out your city webpage, do a Google search for "free (your town)." There's a lot to do, and you might discover some pretty cool things about the place you live.


6) The internet - There are a lot of scams, a lot of "sign up for a loan and we'll give you a free gift card," but there is some legitimate free stuff out there. You can watch movies and TV shows for free on Hulu. There are a lot of websites with lists of stuff you can get for "free." Be careful with these! Often they are looking for a way to get your information and get you to sign up for things. I have, however, found some  great stuff on these sites, such as the iTunes code to download the Austin City Limits Sampler CD for free. Just be smart, and remember what mom always told you: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.


7) Ask - I know, duh, right? But what happens to that banana at the grocery store that is a little too brown? What about the grapes that fell out of those fancy bags? Ask the produce manager, and often you can get those things for free. Those grapes make great raisins, if you have a dehydrator. We need books for our program at school, and will be asking local thrift stores and used book stores to keep us in mind - some thrift stores will give you first dibs, especially if you are representing a non-profit organization and not just yourself (although it never hurts to ask for yourself as well).


Happy Free-Stuff Finding!