Fabulous Freebies: 2008

Featuring

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It's been said that the best things in life are free -- and we couldn't agree more. So Kiplinger has beefed up its annual list of favorite freebies to bring you even more this year.

Kiplinger looked for primo goods and services, no useless junk allowed. In the next slides you'll find financial management and planning helps to entertainment and vacation freebies. Go ahead. Embrace your inner tightwad.

First Up: Free Kids Meals

Free Kids Meals

Kids eat free at Denny's and Lone Star Steakhouse every Tuesday night (and some Saturdays) with a paying adult. IHOP, Golden Corral, Hooters, Red Robin and Roadhouse Grill restaurants offer kids-eat-free deals at select locations. You can search for eateries in your area at KidsMealDeals.com.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Directory Assistance

Free Directory Assistance

Save a buck or two and dial 1-800-FREE-411 next time you need directory assistance. It offers free guidance for residential and business listings.

After navigating the voice prompts, you may have to listen to a short advertisement (about 12 seconds long) and then you have the option to connect to the original business you requested, or to the sponsor.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free TV and Movies

Free TV and Movies

At Hulu.com, you can watch full episodes of more than 300 shows from NBC Universal and Fox stations, including The Simpsons, The Office, 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, Psych and House. You can even catch classics such as The A-Team, Bewitched, Dragnet and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Hulu also offers more than 165 free full-length movies. There's something for everyone, and it's 100% legal.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free College Savings

Free College Savings

Turn your everyday spending into money for Junior's college education through Upromise.com. Sign up online, and start earning cash rewards for eligible purchases including groceries, gas, dining out, travel and online shopping. The money is automatically transferred to your child's 529 account.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Shipping

Free Shipping

Here's one that'll make you smile. Some retailers still offer free shipping on every order, including Alyssagiftbaskets.com (special-occasion gifts), Bellacor.com (lighting and home furnishings), Bluenile.com (jewelry), Shopbop.com (clothes) and Zappos.com (shoes). Also, many merchants offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount. A couple of our favorites include Amazon.com for orders over $25 and Sephora.com on orders over $50.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Junk Mail Control

Free Junk Mail Control

Put an end to those pre-approved offers from credit-card companies through the free service at www.optoutprescreen.com or by calling 888-567-8688. Then, sign up free at www.catalogchoice.org, and the site will do the grunt work to get you off mailing lists for catalogs you don't want.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Investment Tracking

Free Investment Tracking

Among your 401(k)s, IRAs and other investment accounts, it can be difficult to see the big picture. Stay atop of your investment performance with Kiplinger's Portfolio Tracker. It'll follow all your stocks and mutual funds, as well as help you manage your cost basis for tax purposes.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Books, Music & Movies

Free Books, Music and Movies

The public library is still one of our all-time favorite places for a free diversion. If you haven't been lately, dust off your card. It's your ticket to mounds of free books, magazines, CDs and movies. Many libraries also offer free lectures, book readings, children story hours and community clubs to residents.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Sporting Events

Free Sporting Events

You needn't pay a small fortune to see world-class athletes in action. For example, some professional baseball and football teams allow the public to watch them train pre-season for free, including the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Diamondbacks. You can also watch Olympic athletes train for free in Lake Placid, N.Y., and Park City, Utah.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Credit Report

Free Credit Report

You're entitled to one by law once a year from each of the three main credit bureaus. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com to see what lenders can see about your credit history.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free ATMs

Free ATMs

A buck or two here and there may not seem like a big deal, but if you're frequenting ATMs outside your bank's network, the surcharges can add up quickly. Get money from an ATM that belongs to a surcharge-free network. Allpoint has about 200 participating institutions and 32,000 ATMs. Money Pass has 600 members and 8,000 ATMs.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Language Lessons

Free Language Lessons

Broaden your horizons and take the BBC's free online language courses at www.bbc.co.uk/languages. Choose from among complete beginner courses in French, German, Italian and Spanish. You can also dabble in Chinese, Japanese, Greek and others.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Furniture

Free Furniture

You'll find all sorts of stuff for free on your local Craigslist and Freecycle sites, including couches, chairs, entertainment centers and tables. Many are in heavily used condition and will work fine to furnish a dorm or first apartment. (One caveat: While free or cheap mattresses abound in classified listings, you should probably steer clear for sanitary reasons.)

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Wireless Internet Access

Free Wireless Internet Access

Surf for free when you're away from home at so-called free wireless hot spots. Search for restaurants, parks, hotels or other hangouts in your neighborhood at WiFiFreeSpot.com.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Online Bill Paying

Free Online Bill Paying

Stop paying your bills '- by check, that is. Consolidate and pay all your recurring bills through your bank, and you won't have to mess with deposit slips, stamps and envelopes any more. Plus, you'll never miss a payment. At some banks, including Bank of America, BB&T, SunTrust and Wachovia, bill paying comes free with every online checking account.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Place to Stay

Free Place to Stay

Traveling? Consider trading spaces. Hospitality exchange Web sites are growing in popularity. You can network to trade homes with someone who wants to visit your town, or even take turns hosting each other. Some popular sites that specialize in connecting members with free places to stay include CouchSurfing.com, HomeExchange.com, IntervacUS.com and HospitalityClub.com.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Office Software

Free Office Software

You'll spend more than $100 to get Microsoft's office suite of software for your home computer. But you can get the capability for word processing, making spreadsheets, creating presentations and more with a free software package at OpenOffice.org instead. CNET.com awards it five out of five stars, and users testify it's practically as good as Microsoft's suite -- and you can't beat the price.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Diet & Fitness Help

Free Diet and Fitness Help

Keeping your diet or exercise regimen on track is easy -- and free -- online. For instance, at FatSecret.com, you can create a personalized program and share it with the online community for moral support and feedback. Plus, you can track your progress, keep a fitness journal and research different diets and fitness techniques.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free Checking with Interest

Free Checking with Interest

Many banks offer free checking accounts these days, but they work a lot like mattresses: You can stash your cash there, but it won't help your money grow. Enter ING Direct's Electric Orange checking account, where a penny saved is really a penny earned. It pays you between 1.7% and 3.4% interest on your money (your rate depends on your account balance) and there's no minimum balance required. You get a debit card, and you can send electronic checks for free.

More Info at Kiplinger

Next: Free E-Books and Sheet Music

Free E-Books and Sheet Music

When copyrights expire on books and music, the masterpieces become "public domain." That means you can get your hands on classic texts and sheet music for free -- and it's completely legal. For instance, at Gutenberg.org, you can download more than 25,000 e-books, including works by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and James Joyce. And at mutopiaproject.org, musicians can print sheet music by more than 250 composers, including Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky and Joplin.
More Info at Kiplinger
More Freebies at Kiplinger
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