"The best things in life are free", sangthe Beatles.
Bitter experience tells us that is rarely the case. TheFab Four admitted as much when they revealed that money was what they really wanted.
But there's no need to be too cynical. There are asurprising range of free things out there, if you know where to look.
Here are 50 fab freebies which were available at thetime of writing - enough to make John, Paul, George and Ringo change their tune.
Art &Entertainment
1. CinemaParadiso
Get to see the latestmust-see movie first and without paying a penny. See Film First, Freecinematickets and Momentum Pictures offer regular preview cinema screenings nationwide. Or check out one of the freefilms being shown later this summer in the Scoop,an open-air amphitheatre outside of London’s City Hall. Edinburgh has afree Film Festival Under the Stars and Manchester is running the Family Friendly Film Festival .
2. TelevisualTreat
Many top TV and radioshows offer free tickets to people who want to be part of their studio audience.It’s a fun and free way to fill an afternoon or evening and there’ssomething for everyone’s taste: from Mastermind on the BBC to ITV’s The X Factor
3. HighCulture
You can enjoy topclass ballet and opera screened live from the Royal Opera House at outdoor venuesacross the country as part of the BP Summer Screens season.
4. West EndPizzazz
Once a year castmembers from some of the top West End shows perform free in London’sLeicester Square. This year’s event takes place on June 20 and21. To find out more go to WestEnd Live.
5. A Night atthe Theatre
You can have a freenight out at the theatre with ANight Less Ordinary.The catch? You have to be under 26.
6.Edinburgh's Free Festival
The EdinburghFestival and Fringe attracts tens of thousands of culture vultures every year,and most end up shelling out lots of money on tickets. If you want to share inthe fun but don't want the expense check out the Free Fringe Festival instead, which runs from August 6 to August 30.
7. MovieCollection
Free DVDs are oftenused as an incentive by market research firms to encourage consumers to fill inquestionnaires. At the Free DVD Club you can choose from over 50 titles.
Health& Beauty
8. Sparkling
The Silver Jewelry Club offers silver rings, earrings, pendants and bracelets free and ships to the UK.All you pay is a shipping charge of $8.99 (about £4.50). It seems to think it’sa good marketing technique. Other businesses take note.
9. Made Up
If you want tofreshen up your look go to one of your local department stores where many of thebeauty counters provide free makeovers. Don’t be presssured into buyingproducts, but be polite or you could end up looking more like Coco the Clownthan Coco Chanel.
10. BeautyTips
Ayton Online Research recruits volunteers to trial new ranges before they hit the shops. The productshave already been declared safe, so you won’t end up with third degreeburns, and are not tested on animals; the companies just want consumer feedbackbefore launch. A host of other websites offer free samples. Check out the linkson Mysavings and Smartfreestuff or Free Samples.
11. DentalWork
There areopportunities for free treatment by dental students at all UK dental schools.The British Dental Health Foundation has contact details.
12. Cut andBlow Dry
Salons and collegesup and down the country need models for hairdressing students to practise on. Ifyou’re prepared to put your hair on the line it’s a great way tosave money. Just make sure you have a paper bag handy in case they areoverzealous with the clippers or hair dye.
Sport& Leisure
13. It isCricket
If you’re acricket fan and want to enjoy the Ashes, without having to fork out for aticket, you can enjoy the excitement at Cricket in the Park in Southampton, Liverpool, Cambridge, Derby and London.
14. Chuck theGym Subscription
Get fit jogging orwalking and enjoy the great outdoors: it’s that simple.
15. FitnessFreak
If you’re agym junky at least take advantage of a free trial at your local gym. Fitness First and LA Fitness offer a free day at selected gyms.
16. Boot camp
British Military Fitness offers one free trial class at parks all over the country. Feelthe pain.
17. Play theGame
"Don't work playgames". This noble sentiment is the motto of Freeloader where you can download hundreds of online games. Hours of fun, just don’ttell the boss.
18. Read allabout it
Many magazines andnewspapers, including of course the Times and Sunday Times, now have an onlinepresence, which you can often access for free.
19. FootballCrazy
If the reams ofnewspaper pages and hours of TV dedicated to the beautiful game are not enoughfor you don’t despair. There are several free online football mags tofeed your longing. Catflap is published once a week.
20. Picturethis
Photo Box is offering 40 free photo prints when you register with its site.
Music
21.Downloading
Online musicdownloads have become hugely popular, thanks to the surge in use of MP3 playerssuch as iPods. You have to be careful about using sites which offer very cheapor free downloads as many are illegal. However, Last FM has the seal of approval. It offers 200 free downloads every week.
22. Band Aid
Freeloaders will doall sorts of unspeakable things to get into gigs and concerts. But you don'tneed to degrade yourself to get to see great bands, as those aiming for the bigtime often play in front of non-paying audiences. More mainstream artists appearregularly in HMV stores. Or check out what Puregroove and Rough Trade have planned in trendy Shoreditch. Here are details of what else is going on in London.
23. Cool,cool jazz
Jazz festivals takeplace up and down the country in the summer, and many have at least one freeevent. The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, for example, has Jazz on a Summer's Day, which will take place at the Ross Bandstand, PrincesStreet Gardens in Edinburgh on August 2.
24. Liszt forLunch
Concert halls andchurches up and down the country hold free recitals, usually during week daylunchtimes. The Royal Albert Hall,for example, has a programme called Ignite every Friday lunchtime where you canhear “talented young ensembles in performances from gypsy jazz to Parisianfolk”. Whatever floats your boat.
25. SheetMusic
Musical scores, fromABBA to Wagner, can be downloaded from a host of sites including Free Sheet Music and Free Scores.The Free Sheet Music Guide is a good place to start.
Children& Animals
26. Give yourDog … a Health Check
Tired of expensivevet's bills? Keep your dog in tip top condition by attending a free health checkorganised by PDSA,an animal charity. Their trained veterinary nurses even provide slimming tips ifyour dog is a little on the porky side. Unfortunately for cat or guinea piglovers only dogs qualify, for safety reasons apparently.
27. AnimalMagic
There’s massesof free stuff out there for your furry friends from collars and leads to vitaminsupplements. Try Free Pet Stuff.
28. Baby Talk
Register with Pampers and you get vouchers to spend on Pampers' products like nappies and wipes. Huggies has a similar offer. There are loads of other freebies for parents, from baby food to nappy rash cream.
Holidays& Travel
29. DriveTime
Sick of sky-high railfares? Try Liftshare,a nationwide database of more than 200,000 members. Just register your journeyand the website will hook you up with drivers who are taking the same route andwill allow you to jump on board.
30. CouchSurf
The cost of hotelrooms can be extortionate. A cheaper way to travel is to join an internationalhospitality exchange website such as Couchsurfing.These enable members to offer a few nights accomodation on a spare bed or sofa.The sites are free and members are not allowed to charge.
31. Swap yourHome
If staying with astranger does not appeal and you are a homeowner, a home swap is an alternative.Members pay about £30 to £120 a year to list their property at websitessuch as Homebase-Hols and HomeLink (so I guess its not completely free but bear with me). Listings give adescription and photographs of each home, plus the owner's availability fortravel and preferred destinations. Then you make a rent-free exchange (the freebit) with members whose requirements mirror your own.
Money
32. Don'tFret over Debt
As the credit crunchhas worsened companies have sprung up offering debt advice for a fee. But don'twaste your hard-earned cash. National Debtline, Debt Free Direct and Citizens Advice will help you out without making a charge. You can check your credit report forfree at Credit Expert.
33. Free Cash
When new customerssign up to First Direct’s 1st account they get a £100 bonus provided they start paying an income of at least £1,500into the account within three months. There is another £100 on offer if youdecide to switch away from First Direct within six months of opening theaccount. The downside: the account doesn’t pay any interest.
34. Borrowing
By switching to a 0per cent credit card you can save yourself interest and effectively borrow forfree. Times Online lists the latest offers.
Food& Drink
35. Forage inthe Hedgerows
There’s awhole countryside of free food out there. Some of it’s appetising –mushrooms (provided you don’t pick ones that are deadly poisonous)blackberries, wild garlic – others not so tasty- hawthorn shoots (believeme, they are not worth the effort). The ReallyWILD Food Guide provides more ideas.
36. MoreNourishment
There are loads offree and discounted food offers on Food Freebies.
37. Cook’sDelight
Don’t botherwith expensive cookbooks. Tens of thousands of recipes are available online atsites like Free Recipes.More than enough for a lifetime of meals.
38. In theDrink
Retail Eyes sends tens of thousands of members on up to 16,000 “mysteryshopper” assignments a month - all expenses paid. You could be asked to goto the pub or stay a night in a hotel. Hard life.
Good forthe mind
39. FrenchLesson
The BBC offers excellent courses online in languages including French, Spanish, German,Mandarin, Polish and Urdu.
40. LocalLibrary
Borrow books forfree, saving yourself money and shelf space.
41. CultureVulture
Bored? Why not take atrip to your local museum or art gallery – most permanent exhibitions,including the great ones at the British Museum and the National Gallery, arefree.
42. EducateYourself
Some universitiesoffer study materials, incluiding video lectures, notes and exams, on theinternet. You won’t earn a degree but it’s a good way to improveyour learning. In the UK material is available from the Open University while in the US the world-famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology is equally generous.
43. Books onthe move
Save money and reduceclutter by downloading books onto an iPhone or palm top device from Gutenberg or Feedbooks.
Technology
44. InternetAccess
Browse the world wideweb free of charge by logging in at one of the plethora of wi-fi hotspots. My Hotspots can help you find locations in your local area.
45. Debugyour Computer
Protecting your homecomputer is vital, especially if you bank online. Virus protection from thelikes of Norton, McAfee and Symantec typically costs about £40. But there arefree alternatives. Microsoft offers Windows Vista users a free firewall. Freeupdates are available here.Another option is Grisoft's AVG.
Shopping
46. RetailTherapy
Even better thandoing something you love for free is getting paid for it. Retail Eyes sends members to use a shop and report on the quality of service. Mostearn £6 to £10 a task, plus expenses, and are reimbursed for, and cankeep, any purchases. Easy money.
And therest
47. Freecycle
Like eBay, withoutthe money. Freecycle encourages members to give away unwanted junk instead of throwing it away. Justas importantly they can replace it with new stuff for free.
48. Dressing Up
What’sMine is Yours and Big Wardrobe are similar to Freecycle but for users who want to swap dresses, shoes, bags orfurniture.
49. TheBusiness
Create your ownbusiness cards at Templates 4 Cards
50. Romanceisn't dead
A century after itpublished its first bodice rippers the magic of Mills & Boon's romance novelcontinues to woo women in their millions. If you've been seduced you can get two free books and a mystery gift. Swoontastic. Once you've read them you canswap your old books for someone elses at Read It Swap It or BookMooch.
By David Budworth
