In a recent survey, members of the BuzzFeed Community shared their top suggestions for free or cheap services, subscriptions, and products to help save money. One suggestion was to use the Flashfood app to get discounted food from local grocery stores close to expiration. Another option was Too Good To Go, which offers surprise bags of food from bakeries and restaurants at a discounted price. Utilizing your local library’s resources, such as ebooks and maker space, was also recommended.
For those looking to save on personal training or gym memberships, free workout programs on YouTube were suggested as a cost-effective alternative. Additionally, free exercise meetups like those offered through noexcusemom.com can provide a social and affordable way to stay fit. Cutting down on expensive streaming services and exploring free ad-supported streamers like Roku TV or Freevee was also recommended as a way to save on entertainment costs.
Accessing mental healthcare can be costly, but the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers free or cheap services in the US. By utilizing loyalty and perk programs or credit card rewards, individuals can save money on everyday purchases. Joining the AARP can also provide access to discounts on a variety of products and services.
Community centers can offer free play areas for young children, reducing the need to pay for expensive activities like trampoline parks. Online resources like YouTube tutorials can provide free music lessons, while code.org offers free coding resources for educators and parents to help children learn valuable skills. For those in need of a Photoshop alternative, Krita, Photopea, and Gimp were suggested as free options.
Properly fitted shoes can save money in the long run compared to cheap, uncomfortable shoes that wear out quickly. College students can save on textbooks by utilizing websites like Archive.org and Scribd, which offer free or low-cost academic books. Joining a local “buy nothing” group or checking out freecycle.org can also help individuals find free items they need. Lastly, instead of buying shipping materials from a store, individuals can get free boxes from the Postal Service or UPS.
