17 things you can get for free!
Find out how you can get cinema tickets, photos, coffee, pasties, clothes, Neal's Yard toiletries or even go swimming - all for absolutely nothing.
If you're credit-crunched out, you'll want all the money-saving tips you can get - and what could be better than things that are free?
Free tickets
If you blubbed your way through Holly's performance on "Britain's Got Talent" at the weekend you may be interested to know you could have seen it live. BBC, HatTrick, ApplauseStore, ClappersTickets and TVRecordings distribute tickets for members of the public to attend the recordings of TV shows. Simply sign up, register your preferences and you could be there - and best of all, it's free.
Free swimming
Almost 300 councils in the UK are offering anyone aged 60 or over the chance to swim for free. What's more, nearly 200 councils are also offering free swimming to under-16s; simply find out if your local authority participates.
Free music
This is one of my favourite sites - if you spend a lot of time on your computer, sign up to Spotify and you'll have access to thousands of songs from your favourite bands, for free! And you can get free music downloads from last.fm.
Free films
If you're a film buff, sign up to SeeFilmFirst. It works with major film companies and the media to supply tickets for film previews, and gives them away to its members, for free. So you could be at that preview screening of the next big blockbuster for absolutely nothing!
Alternatively, if you fancy a pizza with a pal before/after a film, print out this voucher from Orange and head over to Pizza Express on a Wednesday. Not only will you get two cinema tickets for the price of one, you'll also get two main courses for the price of one - plus two free portions of dough balls/ garlic bread!
Free concert tickets
Grab a bunch of friends to form a "herd" and enter this competition for win free tickets to Ben & Jerry's Sundae on the Common.
Free photos
Snap up 40 free prints from Photobox and Jessops (you just pay the postage).
Free coffee
Collect a Starbucks card and register it with £5 credit, online, and you'll be entitled to a free drink, the first time you use your card. Plus, you can add a number of extras (such as an extra espresso shot, whipped cream or syrup) for absolutely nothing upon subsequent beverage purchases. And you'll get another free drink if you buy a bag of 'whole bean coffee' with the card.
Free books
If you can't get to the library but fancy a new book to read, why not swap something you've already read? Sign up to readitswapit or bookhopper, list the books you're willing to swap and choose one that you fancy. Then, simply swap away - all it costs is the second class postage.
Free smellies
Host a Neal's Yard shopping party and not only will you receive a free, Geranium and Orange hand wash and lotion (worth £19.50), and experience a mini-facial, but you could be entitled to some free shopping too.
And host a Body Shop at Home party and you'll get £25 of free products, plus discounted shopping.
Free cashback
If you must spend money, use one of these cashback websites and you'll earn a percentage of what you spend back, as cold hard cash. And of course, if you are organized with your finances, by using a cashback credit card you'll earn even more.
Free clothes
If you've nothing to wear and no money to spend (alas, poor Cinders!) why not host a 'swishing' party? Invite your friends over and ask them to bring at least one, good quality item of clothing (or accessory) that they don't wear and would be proud to pass on.
It'll cost you the price of a bottle of wine and some nibbles, but you'll have fun rifling through the goodies with your pals, and could end up with a fab new outfit.
You can download free invites here and don't forget to read the all-important rules!
Free translations
If you've ever struggled trying to translate something using your rusty GCSE French, check out Babelfish - simply plug in the relevant paragraph, select the language you'd like it translated to and, hey presto, you're bilingual.
And if you fancy being armed on the move, check out Coolgorilla.com, for translations to your mobile phone.
Free National Trust Days
If you love visiting National Trust (NT) properties but can't afford to become a member, check out its Fun for free page. It lists the NT sites that are free to visit, plus dates when you can visit some of the other properties for free, too.
Free software
Find out how you can kit out a pc with free software, hardware and virus protection, and all for nothing.
Free Pasties
Head over to Greggs with this voucher and if you buy one Fajita Chicken Lattice pasty, you'll receive another, absolutely free (until 14 June).
Free sightseeing
If you fancy seeing the sights of London, check out London for free for great tips to save money - and don't forget to try the great walking tour to see the sights for free.
Free stuff!
And finally, sign up to your local snaffleup, freecycle and gumtree to pick all manner of items people wish to recycle, for free.
So there you have it, 17 ways to get something for free.
Happy snaffling!
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