Free At Last!
ou've probably heard the saying, "There's no free lunch." Well, that might have been true in the past, but now that we have the Internet, not only can you get a free lunch, you can have your free lunch in free lodging while listening to a free audio book. All you have to do is know where to look.
One of the best places to look for terrific free stuff is The Freecycle Network at freecycle.org. The network was begun in Tucson in 2003, and since then has grown into nearly 5,000 Freecycle groups based in communities in more than 85 countries. Their stated mission is "to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources and eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community." And the group does just that every single day - preventing more than 500 tons of used items from ending up in the garbage each year. That amount of trash would amount to the height of Mount Everest five times over!
Freecycle has local groups all around the country. Members list lots of things that they hope to give away, and also things that they'd like to receive. Members can post anything - clothing, plants, baby items, bicycles, cars, computers, or anything else they have to give away. The only rule about it is that the items are only to be "gifted" - not traded or sold. So if you have something to give away, go offer it. If you're looking for something, all you have to do is go ask, and you may receive.
Many websites have free software to offer, such as Tucows.com and Download.com. Developers supply shareware that you can try for free and then buy if you like it, but there are also plenty of freeware programs - nice utilities, games, and even full-fledged applications that you can download and use for free. If you don't feel like paying Bill Gates for his word processing program, try OpenOffice.org. Their open source word processing program gives Microsoft Office a run for its money, and it doesn't cost you a penny.
For not-too-discerning travelers who like a little adventure in their vacations, check out CouchSurfing.org. It's a nonprofit network consisting of more than half a million people all around the world who will offer to let you sleep on their couch while you're traveling through their locale. Sometimes they even offer a spare bedroom. Couch surfing may not be your cup of tea, but more and more older travelers are discovering that it's a great way to meet local people and experience the world on a shoestring of a budget.
The Internet is chock full of sites that offer free product samples, free coupons, and lots of other free things. As long as you read and investigate each offer, beware of scams and rip-offs, and read the fine print, you can get some pretty nifty things for free. Some of the best sites are Freechannel.net, TheFreeSite.com, Volition.com, Freenology.com, and StartSampling.com. You can even get free meals for your kids at MyKidsEatFree.com, a nationwide directory of restaurants where kids can get a free meal when they are accompanied by an adult.
Last but certainly not least, you may even have free money available that was actually yours in the first place. The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) has a website called Unclaimed.org where you can search for any money that you or your family might have coming to you. This nonprofit organization helps people find forgotten bank accounts, utility bill or deposit refunds, inheritances, security deposit refunds, and other "missing money" such as that. NAUPA claims that about one in eight Americans has unclaimed assets they aren't aware of, with claims averaging around $1,000 each. Searching for funds and recovering them from NAUPA is absolutely free, so beware of any other companies or sites that try to charge you for finding unclaimed money. To search for unclaimed federal savings bonds, take a look at TreasuryHunt.gov.
As you can see, the Internet is a wealth of undiscovered freedom for anyone who takes the time to look. Whoever it was that coined the term "there's no free lunch" obviously needs to revisit that idea!
