Times are tough and everyone is looking for ways to spend less and save more.
Even better than cheap is free.
Free TV
Many of us are paying for expensive streaming services and cable TV packages. But you cut the cable and paid streaming and still have more than enough content to watch.
Surveys show that most users who subscribe to cable or satellite TV watch just a few of the channels included in their package and most providers do not allow you to customize a package that includes only the channels you want. They are almost always bundled packages, so you end up paying for content you never use.
This is how you can watch TV for free after an initial investment in some equipment which will pay for itself very quickly.
Purchase an indoor or outdoor OTA TV antenna. There are many different models available. The one I purchased was less than $50.00. It is an outdoor antenna and I pick up over 50 local channels.
antennaweb.org is a website that is helpful in determining what OTA channels you will receive in your area and what type of antenna would work best for you.
You can purchase an Amazon Firestick or Roku to watch free streaming services.
Here are some free services to choose from
YouTube: YouTube offers a lot of free content. Movies, TV shows, music, documentaries, how to videos, comedies and more.
Hoopla and Kanopy: Both offer free movies, documentaries, TV shows, eBooks and Audio books, magazines and newspapers and more. All you need is a library card to log in and borrow content.
Linkedin Learning: Formerly known as Lynda.com, LinkedIn Learning provides how-to and educational videos from professionals on nearly every topic imaginable. You also use your library card for Linkedin Learning.
The Roku Channel: One of the best free services out there. It offers a wide range of content from old and new TV shows, movies, documentaries and more and you don’t need a Roku device to watch. The app is also available on Amazon Fire TV.
Crackle: Crackle is owned by Sony and Chicken Soup for the Soul productions, so it has access to movies associated with those companies. Crackle features films and TV shows, some of them on an exclusive basis, mainly from Sony Pictures and its subsidiaries, including Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Classics, and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions. Crackle also features “Crackle Original” series such as On the Ropes, Going from Broke, Hidden Heroes, The Oath, and Snatch. Crackle’s content changes each month as titles are added and taken down.
Peacock: A lot of great content from TV shows to movies. Their free service is more than enough but they do offer paid options as well.
Tubi: Tubi offers thousands of TV shows and movies. They are arranged into categories which includes a “Not on Netflix” collection to help you better appreciate what you’re not paying for.
Amazon Freevee: Also offers free movies, TV shows, comedies, documentaries and more.
Plex: Choose from movies, shows, sports, music, documentaries, AMC series, Live TV and more.
Pluto TV: Offers a lot of recognizable content from brands such as MTV and Comedy Central, plus local news stations programmed by CBS affiliates. Also offers dozens of categories from DIY, Anime, Classic TV and movies and more.
STIRR: Offers TV shows, comedy, news, talk shows, game shows and other content.
Xumo: Very similar to Pluto TV has over 200 channels. Xumo says they have over 10,000 movies to choose from.
DistroTV: Offers a lot of unique content from news to documentaries, movies and more. Lots of foreign movies to choose from.
CW Seed: Watch full seasons of dramas and comedies that are not currently in production. You get access to 56 long-running series and limited series. The network is home to television series from a wide range of genres, from thrillers to action series to dramas.
PBS Video: The free service provides access to thousands of hours’ worth of on-demand programming from flagship PBS series, such as PBS NewsHour and Frontline, tons of documentaries and more.
Popcorn Flix: Offers tons of free movies and TV shows.
Sling: Sling is a paid service, but they also offer over 5,000 movies and TV shows totally free of charge.
NewsOn & Haystack News: Tons of news content.
Shout Factory TV: Watch classic films, TV series, live streaming and Shout Factory original content. You can watch on Samsung Smart TV’s, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Firestick and more.
Scream Factory: Watch cult classic horror, sci-fi films, new movies and original content.
Comet: Watch science fiction TV shows and movies including horror, thrillers and science fiction classics.
Court TV: Watch live coverage of court trials, a library of iconic trials from the past, true crime documentary series, legal analysis talk shows and more.
Documentary+: Numerous categories of documentaries including documentary series.
Globi: Offers numerous foreign films from over 20 countries. Not all are in English but most that are not include English subtitles.
These are just a few of the many free streaming apps available. With all of this available for free why pay for TV?
Free Movies Audio & eBooks
Why pay for movies, audiobooks and eBooks when you can borrow them from the library for free? Many sites offer eBooks and audiobooks but almost all charge a monthly fee. Use apps like Hoopla, Kanopy, Libby and Flipster to borrow content. All you need is a library card and you can easily apply for one online at most libraries.
Libby lets you to borrow eBooks, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers.
Hoopla offers video streaming, audiobooks, comics, eBooks, newspapers, music and more.
Kanopy has an extensive collection of movies, documentaries, foreign films, classic films and other content.
Flipster provides access to digital magazines including National Geographic, Conde Nast, Meredith, Bloomberg and others.
All of the apps are free. You can use them on your smartphone, tablet, computer and streaming devices.
Free Books for Kids
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Each month, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails a high quality, age-appropriate book to all registered children, addressed to them, at no cost to the child’s family.
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Free Software
Office applications like Microsoft Office and photo editors like Adobe Photoshop are extremely expensive but there are excellent, free alternatives.
LibreOffice: LibreOffice is a full featured office suite much like Microsoft Office. It is open source and frequently updated. It is compatible with Microsoft office and you can even change the default file format so that it saves files in the Microsoft Office native format. OpenOffice they have an extensive documentation library and help section.
Gimp: An excellent alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Gimp is available for Windows, macOS, Linux and more. It is used by photographers, illustrators and others. It is highly customizable and there are many 3rd party plugins that further enhance the program. Their online documentation library is quite extensive with many easy to follow tutorials.
Foxit Reader: While Foxit Reader does not include all of the features that Adobe Acrobat does, for the average user who needs to view, edit, markup, annotate, fill out, or securely sign PDF documents it is an excellent option.
Gmail: If you are looking for a program similar to Microsoft Outlook which is essentially a personal information manager that includes email, calendar and a contact list try Gmail. It is completely free and web based.
eM Client: If you are looking for a local email client as opposed to online check out eM Client. Similar to Microsoft Outlook it offers email, calendar, tasks and contacts. The website offers support documentation and a support forum where you can post your questions.
VLC Media Player: If you are looking for a feature rich media player, try VLC. It is a free open source, cross-platform multimedia player that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols.
Presence Video Surveillance
Do you have an old smartphone or tablet laying around? If so, you can use it as a home surveillance camera.
Download Presence on your primary smartphone and your old smartphone or tablet. Position the old device in the direction you want to monitor. You can see what’s happening on your primary smartphone remotely. It is available for Apple and Android.
Archive.org: Internet Archive is a non-profit library for free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more. This is a huge, online database full of useful information. For example, the live music archive offers thousands of free albums. The American Libraries section allows you to browse hundreds of libraries across the United States and view their content. The movies section offers tons of free movies including classics that you just can’t find anywhere else.
Free Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Call your local fire department to inquire about free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Each state and community is different but many partner with the Red Cross and other organizations to provide both free of charge.
You can also contact the American Red Cross to ask about their program.
Free Credit Freeze, Credit Score & Credit Report
One of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself from fraud and identity theft is to freeze your credit with the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Transunion and Experian.
It takes just a few minutes to visit each website and place a security freeze on your report.
You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report at the three major credit bureaus. Go to Annual Credit Report to request your report.
You can also sign up at Credit Karma and Credit Sesame to view your credit score for free.
Free National Park Admission
Several days throughout the year National Parks offer free admission. Visit their website to learn more.
Free Museum Admission
Many museums offer free admission.
Blue Star Museums
Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families. They offer free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve.
Smithsonian Museums
Smithsonian Museums and the zoo offer free admission, except the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.
Bank of America Museums on Us
Museums on Us is available to Bank of America, Merrill or Bank of America Private Bank (U.S. Trust) credit or debit cardholders during the first full weekend of every month.
Museum Free Days
Check with any museum you would like to visit. Many have free entry on certain days. Also check with your local library as many offer discounts, coupons and free passes to museums and zoos.
Free Computer Classes
Check with your local library, many host free computer classes. Some offerings may include Internet and email basics, word processing and spreadsheet programs, digital photography and family tree research.
Free Retirement Planning Tools
Fidelity offers free planning tools & investment guidance. You don’t have to be a Fidelity customer to use the tools. You can use the tools as a guest.
Free Cash Back
Sign up for a credit card with no annual free that offers free cash back or other rewards for every purchase. Then use the card to pay bills, shop online, buy groceries and gas. Just be sure to pay the balance in full each month to avoid late fees and interest charges. A credit card should be used as a tool to establish and maintain good credit and to earn money while using it, not as a path to debt. Never charge anything you cannot pay in full.
Free Checking & Savings Accounts
Never pay for a checking or savings account. Shop around and find a bank or credit union that offer both for free.
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