No matter who we are, we can all feel the pinch sometimes. Whether it’s because we lose some of our income, receive an unexpected bill or two, or we’re paying off debt, everyone can find themselves with more month left at the end of their money. 
Thankfully, this doesn’t mean we need to stop enjoying the things we love. There are plenty of free alternatives to the paid-for things we buy normally.
Video Streaming Services
If you enjoy watching movies and TV shows on your television, smartphone, tablet, or computer then you’ll likely be paying for a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video already.
Although a subscription to one of these services costs significantly less than a traditional cable or satellite TV package, it’s still money that you may not have or want to spend.
If that is the case, then why not use a free streaming service like YouTube. Professional content creators upload thousands of hours of original content every single day, from professional documentaries to exclusive and in-depth interviews with celebrities, public figures, and other interesting people.
If that isn’t enough for you, then you could take advantage of the free trials offered by streaming services like Disney+, Amazon Prime, Curiosity Stream, and more. Taking these out, one after the other could net you several months of free video streaming.
RELATED: 30+ Free Movie Streaming Sites
Gaming
Gaming can be an expensive hobby, especially if you regularly buy AAA titles as soon as they’re released. Thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives that are still just as fun but can be enjoyed for free.
For many genres, you can even find free games that are very similar to paid-for versions. For example, Call of Duty: Warzone is a free-to-play battle royale game that runs on the same engine as Call of Duty Modern Warfare, with similar graphics, physics, and features.
RELATED: The Most Anticipated Video Game Movies and TV Shows
Another example is PokerStars, the company has a free online poker game that uses the same software as its real-money games. This means you can enjoy the same thrill of playing in ring games and tournaments without spending a penny.
If you prefer to play casual games like puzzles, strategy, and platformers, you’ll find a plethora of options available to you, including popular titles like Candy Crush, Flappy Bird, Pokemon GO, Clash of Clans, and Angry Birds.
Although most of these games regularly nudge you to pay for microtransactions, you can still enjoy them for free.
If you already have a library of console or PC games that you’ve bought, you can always continue playing those too and it won’t cost you a thing.
Music
Music is an important part of life. We use it to set and reflect our mood, cheering us up when we’re sad, giving us extra motivation in the gym, and helping us concentrate when we need to keep our focus on work.
Streaming services like Spotify and YouTube Music have made it much easier to consume our favorite tracks and discover new songs all for one small monthly fee.
Like with video streaming services, these services still cost money which you may not want to spend. Thankfully, there are some free alternatives you can use.
The first is to just use the free ad-supported versions of the streaming service you already use today. Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, and many others all offer a free trial which can last as long as three months. These give you access to the same premium features as a paid-for subscription, but without the cost.
If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, you can access some of its music libraries for free, though you have to pay extra to get access to everything.
If you spend most of your day at a computer, you could also find music that’s been uploaded to YouTube. Many artists and labels upload music videos of their most recent songs as well as their back catalogs. This means you can enjoy just about any song you want, legally, without spending a penny.
