The internet has made the world one gigantic community. People from different walks of life can interact instantly, share information, trade, and do basically most things you’d be doing with your next-door neighbor.
You also probably know about the mounds of freebies that can be found on the internet, including free email from Yahoo and Gmail and free videos from YouTube. But there are tons of additional services that can help you save some real cash on the internet. Here is a sample of the best of them.
1. Free Cloud Storage
The Cloud is one of the biggest gifts of the internet. Cloud storage has traditionally been used by your email provider and ISP to store and manage your data. In recent years, however, many independent cloud storage providers have sprung up, with many providing free storage up to a specified limit. Dropbox is notably one of the most popular, offering 2GB of free storage for new accounts.
Google Drive is usually the winner when it comes to free storage, offering up to 15GB in free storage space for new users. Check out this PCMag review of some of the cloud storage providers offering free storage space for new accounts.
2. Free Music
There is nothing better than streaming your favorite track from your phone without having to sacrifice your precious storage space. There are still a couple of sites that will allow you to listen to music for free, including Soundcloud and Spotify. Spotify still rocks a large music library, though you will have to persevere through occasional ads.
If you are a fan of DJ mixes, then you will fall in love with Mixcloud. This site gives you access to a wide collection of user-uploaded mix tapes that users can listen to for free.
3. Free Movies
The rise of OTT content providers like Netflix and Hulu has made it easier to access movies and TV series over the internet. Netflix offers a free monthly subscription for first-time subscribers, which is a good deal especially considering the many movies and series that are coming up on this platform.
If you’d rather not pay for movies and TV series online, you can visit Crackle for a wide selection of programming across different devices, including smart TVs and smartphones. You can also visit Archive.org for a selection of movies, mostly classics.
YouTube is also becoming a popular avenue where users can watch free movies. You can also watch a wide variety of documentaries on Documentary Heaven.
4. Calling and Texting
Free calls and texts over the internet have been around for quite some time. Skype was among the earliest services to offer free calls, albeit between two or more Skype applications. A number of similar apps like WhatsApp and Viber will also let you make phone calls and send texts for free, provided you have an active internet connection.
A potentially revolutionary app, Rebtel allows you to make free calls even without cellular data or Wi-Fi. Others enable free texting online (even anonymously), including Text’em and a couple of other free sites mentioned in this review by Techreviewpro.
5. Coupons and Promos
Promos, discount codes and coupons can help shave off a significant amount of cash from your next online purchase. Many of the good ones are usually hidden within blogs, Facebook pages and the comments section on Twitter and other social media portals, so be sure to check these out before checking out.
Sites such as RetailMeNot, Groupon, and Coupon Sherpa can be useful resources for finding discounts, free shipping, and other deals to help save cash.
6. Tutorials
If you ever need to fix your leaking pipes, construct a tree house for your kids, or even fix the engine on your car, the internet offers lots of free tutorials to turn you into a competent handyman or handywoman. YouTube and the Khan Academy are examples of sites offering platforms for such resources, all available for free.
7. Academic Courses
If tutorials aren’t enough to quench your thirst for information, there are tons of college-level resources freely available online that you can use. MIT OpenCourseWare is one of the many sites offering free college-level resources, including exams and tests, coursework, video lessons, and other educational materials.
Yale and Harvard also offer these resources, so be sure to check them out too.
The best things in life are free. So the next time you pay for something on the internet, be sure it’s completely necessary. After all, who doesn’t love freebies!
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Image Credits:
Laptop with different applications installed Via Freepik, Headphones smartphone technology Via Pixabay, Cinema strip movie film Charlie Via Pixabay, Apple via Stocksnap, Coupon greeting gift voucher map Via Pixabay, Freelancer apple imac iphone Via Pixabay, Graduation grads cap diploma Via Pixabay
Featured photo credit: kstudio / Freepik via freepik.com
