





See our Free Money page for the best ways to get free money now (sign up bonuses, missing money, and more).

Everybody loves to get something valuable without paying anything for it.

There are a lot of different ways to get free stuff, and many of them are things that you may not be aware of.

I’ve spent a lot of time scouring the web for the best free offers, and this page is a collection of 50 things you can get for free. I may add more to the list, so feel free to leave a comment with a suggestion if you know of others that would be a good fit for this list.

Things You Can Get for Free

1. Education

Getting an education can obviously be very expensive, but fortunately, there are some available resources that can help. Class Central makes it easy for you to find the best free online courses from top universities.

Saylor Academy also has more than 30 online courses that are available for free, and they have relationships with a handful of colleges and universities to guarantee that your credits will be valid when you transfer.

2. Language Lessons

Want to learn a new language? There are some free resources online that can help you to learn several different languages. Open Culture offers free lessons for 48 different languages. BBC also offers lessons for about 40 languages.

3. Coding Classes

Coding is a great skill to learn. There are a lot of jobs for developers and they usually pay well. If you’re not currently a developer or coder you probably have no idea where to start. Well, FreeCodeCamp will teach you things like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and more. It is a non-profit organization that offers thousands of free videos and articles.

4. Business Training

If you’re interested in starting your own business, or if you already have a business and you’re in need of some help, there are a few great resources to consider.

Score is a non-profit organization that offers some really valuable services and information. Their website has a bunch of articles and templates that can help you with all aspects of business. They also offer workshops, webinars, and online courses for a wide variety of topics. And you can even request a mentor that will give you personalized help.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers help with creating a business plan, launching a business, and managing a business. They also offer counseling and mentorship through several partner organizations (Score is one of them).

5. Business Cards

You can get 200 free business cards with free shipping from 4over4.com. The free cards have their logo on the back. If you want to get rid of their logo you can get 40% off the price of custom cards.

6. Credit Report

You may have seen a number of websites that offer you a free credit report. AnnualFreeCreditReport.com is the safest place to go. They are the only source authorized by federal law. The law entitles you to a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

Your free credit report won’t include your credit score, but you can get your score for free from Credit Karma.

7. Money

There are a number of different ways that you can get free money, and you can see our Free Money page for a list of amazing offers. I just want to highlight a few of the best options here.

MissingMoney.com and Unclaimed.org can help you find money that is owed to you. It only takes a minute to check, and it might just find something. Just recently I got a check for about $160 thanks to MissingMoney.com and 5 minutes of my time.

8. Gift Cards

Getting free money is great, and getting free gift cards is almost as good. And the best news is, there are a number of different ways you can get free gift cards. Here are a few of the easiest options.

Swagbucks allows you to earn rewards for things like taking surveys, watching videos, downloading apps, and playing games. They also offer a $5 sign-up bonus for new accounts, and you can redeem that for a gift card of your choice.

MyPoints is very similar to Swagbucks, and they also offer a $10 gift card as a sign-up bonus.

Inbox Dollars is also similar to Swagbucks, and they are offering a $5 sign-up bonus.

For more ways to get free gift cards, please see:

9. Income Tax Filing

There are a number of websites and software options that will help you to prepare your taxes for free, but most of them make money by charging you to e-file your taxes. The IRS offers Free File where you can prepare and file your taxes at cost. To be eligible, your income must be below $66,000. If your income is over $66,000 you can use the forms to file, but there is basically no assistance with the calculations.

10. Food at Restaurants

There are a few different ways you can get free food at restaurants. Many restaurants will give you a freebie on your birthday (see this list). There are also several special days throughout the year when certain restaurants will offer freebies, like National Bagel Day, National Donut Day, and Cow Appreciation Day at Chick Fil A.

Check your receipt from fast food restaurants and there may be a free offer that you can get in exchange for completing a short survey. When you get home you can go online, spend a few minutes on the survey, and you’ll get a redemption code for something free. In a lot of cases, you’ll need to buy a drink or some other item in order to get the freebie, but it can still be a good deal.

Arby’s is offering a free sandwich if you join their email list. You’ll need to buy a drink in order to get the free sandwich.

Chuck E. Cheese offers a free personal pizza if you sign up for their rewards program.

Dunkin Donuts will give you a free beverage if you sign up for their perks program. You’ll also get another free drink on your birthday.

11. Bowling (for Kids)

Through Kids Bowl Free your kids can get 2 free games of bowling each day of the summer at participating bowling alleys. When I checked on the participating locations I didn’t expect to find many, but there are several in my area listed. If you’re looking for some free activities for your kids, this is a great option.

12. Concert Tickets

Concerts can be a lot of fun, but they’re also expensive. Believe it or not, there are some legit ways to get free tickets. One option is to use SeatStir and become a seat filler. For more ideas, see our list of ways to get free concert tickets.

13. TV and Movies

Many television networks have some sort of free programming available on their website. It may include episodes of shows that have aired recently. The selection is limited, but it does provide a free way to watch TV.

Sony Crackle is one of the best options for watching free movies. With a free account, you’ll be able to set up parental controls, create a watchlist, and connect multiple devices. The selection isn’t huge compared to one of the premium streaming services, but there are a lot of well-known movies and plenty to choose from.

Some movie theaters have free movies at certain times on weekdays in the summer. Another great free option for keeping your kids entertained.

If you join the Redbox Text Club you’ll get coupon codes that you can use at the box or when you reserve movies online. Sometimes the code will be for a free rental for one night.

These can be great options for cheap dates. For more ideas, see our list of stay-at-home date ideas.

14. Books, Ebooks, and Audiobooks

There are plenty of ways to get free books, ebooks, and audiobooks.

If you’re an Amazon Prime member you have access to Prime Reading, which features a nice selection of ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines.

Gutenberg is a great source of free ebooks, and Loyal Books has a good selection too.

Digitalbook.io offers more than 100,000 different ebooks and audiobooks.

If you’re looking for actual books, of course, your local library is a great resource. But you can also swap books using sites like PaperBack Swap and BookMooch. With these sites, when another user wants one of your books you’ll get points that you can use for someone else’s book.

LibriVox is a great source for free public domain audiobooks.

→ Related reading: Scribd vs. Audible

15. Magazines

As mentioned in the previous point, if you’re a Prime member you can read magazines for free with Prime Reading.

There are also some ways you can get physical magazines for free. ValueMags offers some titles for free, and so does Mercury Magazines.

16. Music

Popular music streaming services Pandora, Spotify, and iHeart Radio all have options to listen to music for free. Of course, the selection and options are less than what you would get with a paid account, but the possibility for free music is definitely there.

17. A Listener

Blah Therapy and 7 Cups are websites that offer online access to therapists. As a free alternative, you can chat with a stranger for free. When you just need someone to listen, this can be a great option. Of course, the listener is not a professional therapist like you would get if you are paying for the service.

18. Wireless Service

Depending on income, you may be able to qualify for a free mobile phone plan (along with a phone) from Assurance Wireless or Q Link Wireless. Eligibility criteria can vary, but on their websites you can enter your information to see if you qualify.

If you don’t qualify at those sites, check out FreedomPop, where you can get free mobile phone service and high-speed internet.

19. Calls

Skype and Vonage both offer free calling plans. With Skype you can use any device. Vonage offers a mobile app and free texting.

20. Text Messages

Depending on what cell phone plan you have, you may be interested in being able to send and receive text messages for free. WhatsApp uses your phone’s internet connection to allow you to send messages and make calls. Textfree Web allows you to send text messages from your phone or from a desktop. You can also make calls.

21. Light Bulbs

Some utility companies will provide you with a package of free, energy-efficient light bulbs. You can call your provider to see if they offer any free light bulbs.

→ Related reading: 33 Realistic Ways to Save Money on Electricity

22. Shares of Stock

There are a few different investing apps that give away free shares of stocks. Typically, you’ll get a free share of stock for creating a new account, and you may also be able to earn additional stocks by referring your friends. Most of these apps give you a randomly-selected stock, so it could be worth a few dollars or significantly more if you’re lucky.

Robinhood will give you a stock worth $2.50 – $200 for signing up

Webull will give you a stock when you sign up and deposit at least $100

Get a Free Stock from Robinhood! Robinhood is a free investing app that allows you to trade stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrency with no-commission trades and no minimums. Right now you can get a free stock just for creating an account through this link. Get a Free Stock Learn More

23. Housing

Housing is, of course, one of the biggest expenses in most people’s budgets. However, there are a few ways that you may be able to live rent and mortgage-free.

One of the options for free housing is to find a job that provides housing for you. Most self-storage businesses offer an apartment or house for the manager to live on-site. Another option would be to manage an apartment complex or work as a superintendent.

House hacking is also a popular choice for many people who want to reduce their mortgage, or cover it completely. To do this, you would need to buy a home and rent out a room, a unit, or multiple units. If you want to completely cover the cost of your mortgage and essentially get free housing, a multi-unit property is the best option.

Another option for free housing is to work as a house sitter. This is popular with people who travel, but you could also house site for people in your local area if you don’t want to travel. Websites like TrustedHousesitters.com and HouseCarers.com can help you to find these opportunities.

The last option I’ll mention would be to live with someone who provides you with free housing in exchange for some service. This is common with elderly or disabled people who have someone live with them for free in exchange for some help around the house. The National Shared Housing Resource Center has a page on their website where you can find information about programs in your area.

24. Hotel Stays

Loyalty programs are a great way to get free nights at hotels. Most hotel chains have their own loyalty programs, but my favorite one if through Hotels.com. I love their program because you earn credits for each night you book through their site, regardless of what hotel you choose. After 10 nights you get 1 for free. That means you don’t need to stay at the same chain all the time, you can choose one based on price or location and still get rewards.

25. Place to Stay

Another way to get a free place to stay while you are traveling is to look for locals who are open to having guests. Couchsurfing is a popular website that connects locals and travelers, and you can find a free place to stay just about anywhere you will be traveling. Servas.org is another website where travelers and locals in 100 different countries can connect.

26. Passport Photos

Don’t want to pay to have your passport photo taken? ePassportPhoto.com will allow you to upload your own photo and help you to get a photo that can be used for your passport.

27. Road Trips

Auto Driveway offers a service that relocates vehicles across the country. They hire people to drive the cars for them. If you’re interested in a road trip you can apply to become a driver. The trips will be one-way, so you’ll still need to get back.

28. Auto Services

Advance Auto Parts offers several free services, including:

Scanning your check engine light

Battery testing and installation

Starter and alternator testing

Wiper blade installation

Oil and battery recycling

29. Tools

If you need a tool for some DIY car repairs, you may be able to borrow it through free loaner tool programs at Advance Auto Parts or AutoZone. At LocalTools.org you can look for a tool lending library in your area to borrow tools of all kinds.

30. Home Improvement Classes

Most Home Depot locations offer free classes and workshops that will teach you different aspects of home improvement. You can check their website for a schedule of upcoming classes in your area.

31. Smoke Alarms

The American Red Cross offers free smoke alarms for people who are low income or physically unable to install the smoke alarm themselves.

32. Termite Inspection

Terminix offers a free termite inspection. Of course, this is part of their sales process, so if they do find anything you can expect a sales pitch.

33. Water Testing

Culligan offers water quality testing. They’ll test the water in your home and give you the results in about 10 minutes. They’ll also provide solutions (i.e. a sales pitch) to help you address any issues with your water quality.

34. Free Samples

Websites like FreeSamples.org and ILFT.com are great for finding free samples. The variety and selection changes frequently, but there are always some available offers.

35. Dog Stuff

At BringFido you can sign up to get free samples of pet food, dog treats, and other things from their sponsors.

The ASPCA offers a free Pet Safety Pack that includes a window decal to alert rescue personnel about the pets that are in your home. You’ll also get a magnet with the phone number for animal poison control.

36. Diapers

The National Diaper Bank Network helps to connect people who have financial needs with diaper banks in their local area. The United Way also provides similar assistance.

37. Sewing and Knitting Patterns

At FreeNeedle.com you can find a huge selection of free sewing patterns. They do not publish the patterns directly on their site, but they link out to many patterns on other blogs and websites. LoveKnitting has a huge collection for free knitting patterns that you can download.

38. Medication

The pharmacy at Publix offers free medication, including select medication for high blood pressure, diabetes, allergies, and antibiotics. Of course, you’ll need a prescription from your doctor. The free medication is available for 90 days for maintenance meds and 14 days for antibiotics. Some other pharmacies also offer similar programs.

39. Health Screening

CVS offers free biometric health screenings that check things like body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, cholesterol, and more.

40. Round of Golf

Do you golf? GreensKeeper.org has a huge list of golf courses (in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington) that offer a free round of golf on your birthday.

41. Yoga Classes

Lululemon stores offer free weekly yoga classes. There are classes for different levels, and even some specialized classes (like for couples).

42. Entrance to National Parks

Every year there are a few days when you can get free entrance to national parks. The NPS website lists the free days so you can plan an outing. With more than 400 parks under NPS’s management, chances are, there is one near you. Some of the parks are free all of the time.

43. Fishing

TakeMeFishing.org has a page on its website that lists free fishing days in each state. Normally, you would need to pay for a license in order to fish legally, but on these free days, the requirement for a license is waived.

44. Museum Visits

Some museums, like those in the Smithsonian network, offer free admission on a regular basis. Some others have certain days throughout the years with free entrance. If you are a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch customer you can take advantage of their Museums on Us program that provides free admission to many museums.

45. Stock Photos

If you have a website or blog, you probably need quality photos to use on your site. The cost of buying stock photos can add up, but fortunately, there are some great resources that make it possible to get quality photos that you can use for free. There are a lot of sites that offer free photos, and new ones are popping up all of the time. My favorites are:

46. Graphics

Website owners and bloggers may also have a need for other types of graphics, like icons, vectors, and Photoshop files. Here are a few of my favorite sites for finding these types of free graphics:

Iconfinder (they also sell premium graphics, but you can search and filter to find the free ones)

Freepik

Creative Market (they have a few freebies each week)

47. Fonts

There are a number of websites that offer free fonts for you to download and use. They only free font website I use is FontSquirrel. I love it because the selection is great, and more importantly, they only list fonts that are free for commercial use. Many other websites offer fonts that are licensed as free for personal use, and if you’re not careful you can download a font and violate the terms of the license.

48. Shipping

More and more websites are offering free shipping, and many customers now expect it with most of their online purchases. FreeShipping.org helps you to find websites that offer free shipping, and they also have a collection of coupon codes.

Of course, Amazon offers free shipping to Prime members (2-day) or non-Prime members on orders over a certain amount (currently $25). Walmart offers free 2-day shipping on orders over $35.

49. Senior Freebies and Discounts

SeniorDiscounts.com allows you to search a database of thousands of freebies and discounts available to senior citizens.

50. Anything!

This list has covered a lot of specific freebie offers, but there is really no limit to what you can find for free. Freecycle.org is a great website that allows you to find free items in your local area, or you can list things that you are willing to give away. The current listings in my local area include things like silverware, a couch, and Christmas decorations.

Craigslist also has a section for free stuff, and you might be surprised at what you can find here. Move quickly because the free stuff usually doesn’t stick around for very long.

Listia is another site worth checking out. You can list your own items and get points when others claim them. Then you can use those points to get stuff listed by other users.

READ NEXT: 101 Practical and Realistic Ways to Save Money