MoneyMagpie Editor and financial expert Vicky Parry shares secret hacks and tips to make sure you’re getting free stuff and discounts galore
Whether you’ve always got too much month left at the end of your money, or you’re financially stable, we all love a good freebie. There’s never any shame in grabbing stuff for free – it makes good financial sense to do so!
This round-up is full of all the ways you can get free cash and free stuff to live a richer life without breaking the bank.
Free kids meals
A lot of franchises run special deals to help families save on their food spending. Many run Kids Eat Free deals year-round, while others will opt for special offers during school holidays.
For example, kids can get a free meal including a snack and drink at Morrisons cafes, with every adult meal purchased, and a similar deal runs at Dunelm Pausa cafes, too. At Beefeater and Brewers Fayre venues, two kids can eat unlimited breakfast free with the purchase of one adult breakfast.
While these deals require the purchase of adult meals, it is a significant saving compared to paying full price for everyone at the table!
Free sweet treats
If you’re happy to sign up to apps and newsletters, you can claim sweet treats from all kinds of places! Choose a free Minibon at Cinnabon in the Birmingham Bullring, a free doughnut for using the Krispy Kreme app, or a free soft swirl sundae through the Creams Café app.
Or, sign up to the free myWaitrose loyalty scheme to claim a free hot drink every day – including hot chocolate. It’s not just takeaway food, either.
Check out free samples from retailers to test their products – for example, get three sample packs of Cocoa Canopy Hot Chocolate to test each flavour before you buy. Pay just for postage if you only want the samples, or add to your order for free.
Stackable discount codes
Some discount sites and cards require you to pay a monthly fee to access the best deals. While this can still work out cost-effective, they often only provide discounts that can’t be stacked with other promotions.
The Network range of discount websites are completely free loyalty discount schemes for key workers which allow stackable discounts.
Their range of sites include Teachers and Education Staff, Carers (including unpaid carers such as those with dependent family members), Health Workers, and Charity Workers. Unlike some other schemes which require a payment to sign up, these are free – and have a broad eligibility.
Free gym pass
Most gyms offer a free day or even week-long pass to let you try out their facilities before you sign up. If there are several gyms in your area, this means you can claim lots of free workouts! Simply check online for free gym passes near you, and also on your local gym’s website for any offers.
If you prefer to work out at home, there are loads of ways to work out for free lessons. Check YouTube for tutorials in almost any home workout style, or look for free trials on specific fitness apps like Apple Fitness.
Free online learning
For people who want to learn a new skill, there are hundreds of ways to learn for free online.
For example, the Open University runs a number of free online courses to get you started. If you live in England, you can even get fully paid Level 2 courses to change career, in a wide range of subjects, like a Certificate in Business Administration, Counselling Skills, or Coding.
Free swimming lessons for kids
Most local authorities offer free swimming lessons for children, both in term-time and during school holidays. Check your local council’s website to find out about free swimming lessons in your area.
Free kids sports lessons
For more free sports lessons for kids, try the Barclays and Lawn Tennis Association partnership for free tennis days across the UK, all year around.
Or, if your child is more of a footie fan, get them involved in free 5-11 year old footie sessions with McDonald’s Fun Football scheme, running until July 27.
Free cash for surveys
Participating in surveys can earn you free cash and vouchers. It’s not guaranteed income, and the amount you can earn is fairly small per survey usually. However, they usually only take a few minutes each time and can add up over the course of a few months.
Try websites like Toluna and Swagbucks to find a reputable survey company that pays free cash.
Free birthday treats
Make the most of your birthday month with free birthday treats! From free cocktails at Revolution to free birthday cake at Costa, there are loads of ways to make your birthday pay for itself with freebies.
The best way to get offers is to include your date of birth when registering for apps, as they’ll often automatically send you birthday freebies and discounts when it’s time for you to claim.
Free audiobooks
The audiobook industry is booming – but subscriptions to Audible and other services can be expensive. Make the most of free trials before you think about paying!
You can get 75 days/40 hours’ free listening with BookBeat, for example, or check out Librivox for free volunteer-voiced public domain books. Remember, too, that your local library will have audiobooks as well!
Free books and eBooks
While we’re talking about the library, it’s one of the first stops you should go on for free books and free ebooks. Even if they don’t have the book you’re after, you can request it for free for them to order in. The great thing about libraries is that authors get a (very small) royalty every time you borrow their audiobook, ebook, or physical book – so even though it doesn’t cost you anything, you’re still supporting the writers to keep writing.
There are plenty of places to find free ebooks online, but make sure they’re legitimate as pirated ebooks can be at best, illegal, and at worst corrupt your devices or open the door for hackers and fraudsters.
Free cinema tickets
If you’re an avid cinema-goer, check out the membership options at your local venue. For example, a Picturehouse Membership can include up to 10 tickets as well as free tickets to special events.
For the more occasional cinema trip, look for deals with other providers. For example, Sky customers can claim a pair of free Odeon tickets every month with their app. Look online for cinema ticket deals to get free and discounted offers any day of the week.
Six months’ free Amazon Prime
Students who don’t yet have Amazon Prime can claim a whopping six months’ free – that includes Prime Music, Prime TV and Prime Reading as well as Prime Delivery.
Simply select Student when you sign up – you’ll need an email address ending .ac.uk or proof of your enrolment to qualify.
Free furniture
If you need to furnish you home on the cheap, make sure you check out local marketplaces for free furniture. You will be amazed at what you can pick up! Try websites like Freecycle and Facebook Marketplace to find deals in your area.
Free restaurant and supermarket food
Food waste is a huge problem, which is why apps like Too Good to Go and Olio were invented.
Find reduced items going for free at supermarkets and restaurants with Too Good To Go, as they’re about to be or are out of date. Olio is a great app for swapping or sharing food in your community – you’ll often find people giving away the ‘free’ part of a ‘buy one get one free’ deal, for example.
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