Have you ever tried to live for free? In this cost of living crisis where even the basics are going up every month, that sounds impossible. But there are actually a lot of freebies around if you know where to look – including how to get free money.
I’ll admit you can’t live entirely for free. However, with some savvy tricks and forward planning, you can significantly reduce your annual outgoings and get loads of surprising things for free.
Jasmine Birtles is the founder of MoneyMagpie.com. Get their free investing newsletter here.
Be Realistic About Your Plans
Planning ahead can work wonders, so spend some time reading this and planning how you can work freebies into your everyday activities to save money every week. It really can be done.
Entertainment Freebies
The library is the first place to look. They’re not full of dusty books like you might think: in fact, libraries are important community hubs now.
Jasmine Birtles answers questions from GB News members in the exclusive pensions and retirement Q&A | JASMINE BIRTLES | GETTY You can borrow things like computer games, DVDs, music, board games, and children’s toys for free, and some even have tools libraries to help you with your DIY. Even if you can’t get to your nearest library in person, you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks for free.
Check out cinema deals for free tickets, such as Sky’s offering of two free tickets each month for their customers. You can often bag extra free tickets when you sign up for a membership, or look for screenings of yet-to-be-released films.
Housing Freebies
Yes, you can live without paying rent in some cases, and that’s not by sofa-surfing at a friend’s house either
Professional house sitters can often travel the world by moving between house-sitting jobs, which can be anything from a few days to a few months long. You’re required to live in the house while the owner is away, and might also need to take care of pets, too.
You could find work that includes housing, such as teaching English abroad, or certain agricultural or hospitality contracts, such as in a pub.
Nannies and au pairs are often required to live-in, and receive their accommodation as part of the job. Or, if you want a more nomadic lifestyle, consider working on yachts or cruise ships.
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How can you live for free? Britons are being reminded
| PASnag Free Trials
With a little research, you could be entertained and fed on a limited budget every year with rotating free trials. Sign up to Bookbeat and Audible for at least 60 days’ worth of free entertainment, by signing up to one then the other.
The same goes for subscriptions like Readly and Kindle Unlimited, for which you can often find extended free trials online for several months.
You don’t need to have lots of streamer subscriptions each month either: rotate free trials and month-to-month sign-ups to ensure you don’t waste money on unwatched shows.
If you’ve ever eyed up a grocery or fresh food delivery box, look online for discounts and deals. Many will offer the first box free or heavily discounted, and there are so many services around these days that you can easily claim many free items by rotating your subscriptions.
Remember to hit ‘cancel’ on trials, too. Not just to make sure you’re not accidentally charged when the trial is over, but because you will often be given an option for extra free time or a discounted rate, giving you even more savings.
Get Free Samples
Health and beauty samples are easy to come across when you sign up to specialist websites and Whatsapp chat communities like MagicFreebies and LatestFreeStuff, which send alerts for daily updates on freebies to claim.
Make sure you set up a separate email address to handle these freebies, by the way, as otherwise you could be inundated with marketing emails.
Oh and of course, remember the MoneyMagpie newsletter regularly includes free items and free experiences on offer that week so sign up for free for that too. It’s my newsletter so you know it’s good!
Claim Free Haircuts and Beauty Treatments
If you live anywhere near a college, you’re likely to be able to claim free haircuts, massages, beauty treatments and even sports therapies. Students have to learn somewhere, and when they become more advanced they’ll also need to practice on real humans.
In return for your patience, and often attending at specific appointment times, you can claim free treatments. You’ll be supervised by a qualified person, and can stop a treatment any time you think it might be at risk of going awry.
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Britons are trying to save money amid the cost of living crisis
| GETTYFind Free Furniture, Clothes, and More
Very often, people want to get rid of their stuff without the hassle of going to a car boot or finding a way to send big items to online buyers. De-clutterers are a freebie-finder’s best friend, as you’ll be amazed at what people will get rid of for nothing.
Check out sites like Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree Free Stuff, and Freecycle.org to pick up everything from kitchen gadgets to sofas, wardrobes to bags of clothes, for free or next-to-nothing. You’ll often need to have transport to take them away, so if you’re collecting a large item you may need to rent a van for an hour or two. Or, rent for a day and collect a bunch of stuff in one go to be as economical as possible with your van rental expenses.
Even if you pick something up that you decide isn’t quite for you, there’s a side hustle possibility in upcycling furniture and clothes to flip them for a profit online or at local pop-up markets or car boot sales.
Free Food
You can claim free food with the Olio app, or shop in Tesco at the end of the day when yellow-ticket items are reduced to £0 just before closing. The TooGoodToGo app is also a great option to find significantly reduced bargains from local cafes, restaurants, and supermarkets for food that is still fine to eat.
If you’re in significant need, the local food bank can help you and your family out. You can also often find hot meals and good company at local churches and religious organisations, without needing to be a believer to access the support. Check out Community Fridges too where locals leave food they don’t need for anyone to pick up.