You can scour the Internet for free things, such as the nearest free food bank or homeless shelter. But even if you're not in dire need, it just feel good sometimes to get something for free, and I don't mean those "free gifts you get when you spend a ton of money either.
So with a lot of help, especially from the folks at Forbes magazine, here are some things you can get for free that you may not have thought possible. Each in its own way is designed to make life a little easier, healthier, better or just more fun.
You already know that you can find free stuff on the Internet. Facebook is a terrific site to find freebies according to Julia Scott, who runs a blog appropriately named BargainBabe.com. She says so many brands are trying to attract fans and establish themselves they're giving stuff away.
Scott warns that when trolling online for freebies you have to be careful because there are probably "more scams out there than there are legit offers." She says that when you see a deal that looks too good to be true, always look for customer service e-mail, a telephone number and a promised delivery date. Also look for eligibility requirements (by age or residence) or other exclusions. If they are absent, watch out.
So, here then are ten free products and services that nearly all of us can benefit from.
Free tax preparation. Every year the Internal Revenue Service gathers an army of volunteers to dispense free tax advice and preparation services to the elderly, military personnel and their families, and households making below $49,000 a year. The AARP does something similar and there is no income limit. Another option is to send an email to Turbo Tax before the January 31, 2011, and one of its tax experts will call you back with an answer -- free. You only get one question, so make it a good one!
Credit monitoring. The first step to improving your finances is figuring out where you stand. Get free credit reports once a year from AnnualCreditReport.com. For more consistent checkups, keep daily tabs on your status with Credit Karma.
Health care. There is still no cure for the common cold, but for bacterial afflictions, like ear infections, strep throat and severe acne, there are some economically painless remedies. Many pharmacies around the country, including Stop & Shop, Publix and ShopRite, offer free generic antibiotics to anyone with a prescription. Be careful to follow your doctor's directions. Using antibiotics for viral infections, or not taking the whole dose, promotes the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
Free college courses. If you don't care about getting credit for your efforts, some of the best universities -- like M.I.T., Carnegie Mellon, Stanford and UC Berkeley -- will let you download lectures for free. Go to academicearth.org for a great collection. You won't get a degree, but you will get a lot smarter.
Travel lodging. People around the world are willing to let you stay in their homes for free. CouchSurfing.org connects travelers with open couches. Just decide where you want to go, find some hosts, read their profiles and reviews from people who've stayed with them before, and get in touch. The site forbids any formal commercial transactions, but cooking dinner for your host or cleaning the living room is generally polite and appreciated.
Ringtones. Myxer offers a wide range of cellphone ringtone downloads -- many free -- from top artists like Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne and The Temptations. It also has non-music from comedians like Katt Williams, NFL team chants and bird calls. Not happy with prepackaged selections? You can use the software to upload your own songs as well as digital wallpaper.
Wi-fi access. Keeping up (and killing time) requires more than a good smartphone these days. That's why a growing number of retailers, including Starbucks and Borders, now offer free wireless access over wi-fi networks. For a map of wi-fi hot spots in your neighborhood, check out Wi-Fi-FreeSpot.
Free music without going to jail. Streaming radio stations like Pandora, Grooveshark and Jango let you tailor stations to suit your taste, while MySpace has an impressive collection of full-length albums you can listen to for free.
Television and movies. There are rumors that Hulu is going to start charging for access to its vast library of shows and movies, but right now it's still free and will probably stay free for non-premium content. Crackle provides a large selection of Sony movies you can watch for free. Also most networks let you to watch many shows on their sites.
Groupon -- OK, it's not free but it's close -- is a group-discount site that offers steep discounts. It has grown so fast there are businesses springing up just to feed off it. Yipit.com collects deals from Groupon and its competitors and makes recommendations based on preferences you set. Miss a deal the first time around? CoupRecoup.com provides a second-chance marketplace. Scoutmob.com offers deals via daily e-mails or texts. Unlike Groupon, Scoutmob offers half-off coupons. It's not free but it can still save you a lot of money.
