Free Money

Initially, the concept of free money would seem impossible, or at the very least unsustainable. So how could it exist?

The words “free money” probably make skeptics turn away more than any other phrase. I remember one time at school a friend peeked over my shoulder to see the website I was looking at (it was this website, the one you’re currently reading). He didn’t know that I was editing the website and not just reading it. “Actually Free,” he said. “Nothing is free, especially that link that says ‘free money,’ there’s no such thing”. It was kind of funny that he was immediately dismissing the content of a freebie expert of over 10 years, when the expert himself was sitting right in front of him. It was even funnier that he was attending school on a scholarship.

People can reason with the possibility of getting free, used moving boxes on Craigslist, but what’s the catch for getting free money? As a social experiment a young gentleman made himself to look like a beggar on the street with a sign. But instead of asking for money, he was giving it away. Some people took it. Others became agitated as if he was implying that they needed it. Some started giving him money so that he would have more to give to others. It’s possible that the concept of free money would turn society upside down, but it is, indeed possible. A similar experiment was conducted by Brain Games. They found that when there was a person giving the money away, the people who would actually take it would not take much. When there was free money left out with no one present to give it away, people took everything available. When there was a poster with large human eyes on it, nobody touched it. The poster of the human eyes engaged a psychological reflex in people that made them overly cautious.

If you found a quarter in the park, is that free money? Yes. So why is it so hard to imagine that if money can be lost in one place or available in so much excess in another place, that it might be free on some occasions? Money is often leveraged to make more money. So if an individual or organization can make more by giving some away, then they will. There are multiple other reasons as explained below. (In case you were wondering, “metal detecting” is one of the options below, so you can potentially find many quarters and other coins in the park).

If you’re still reading this page, then chances are its for one of two reasons. Either you’re waiting to see what the catch is so that your preconceived beliefs are verified, or you actually want free money.

Is “free money” actually free?

There are some methods of obtaining free money that are actually free, with no monetary costs. Every method described below will have their own caveats, or “catch” as people might call it. Some methods take more time than others. Some are discussed to demonstrate that they are NOT free, even though they may be associated with the phrase “free money”.

This site only provides information on legal activities. Someone could argue that you can get free money by stealing it, but that is illegal.

Where Can I Get Free Money?

Below are some possible ways to get “free money” although not all of them are actually free and others are more like discounts instead of cash. The phrase “free money” can have more than one context.

Coupons, Rebates, Rewards

There are some who say that coupons are free money, albeit small amounts. However, they’re only free if you were intending to buy the product already. The same goes for rebates and rewards. If the promotion persuaded you to spend additional money, then it’s not actually free. Yet, there are ways to get free stuff that is actually free through these promotions. For example, there is extreme couponing where people don’t just one or two items for free, they get a stockpile of it. Read more about Coupons. Read more about Rebates. Read more about Rewards.

Sweepstakes & Contests With Cash Prizes

By definition, a sweepstakes requires no purchase, which is the hallmark of freebies that are actually free. A contest may require some expenses to win. Both contests and sweepstakes have cash prizes. Read more about Sweepstakes, Contests, Drawings & Prizes.

Bank Bonuses

Bank bonuses are free money and they’re actually free. These are when banks give you a bonus for opening a new account. Some require an initial deposit, but the money is still yours. Read more about Bank Bonuses.

Credit Card Freebies

Similar to bank bonuses, you can get free money by signing up for credit cards. This is most common with retailer credit cards and the offer is usually made right at the checkout. Be cautious of signing up for too many credit cards at once, since that can negatively affect your credit score. Read more about Credit Card Freebies

“Get Paid To” Programs

There are multiple small tasks that you can perform online for small compensation. These include get paid to search the internet, get paid to read emails, get paid to click ads, and so on. Usually time can be spent more efficiently, but some of these activities can be fun and getting paid for them makes it more fun. There are also programs that you can just run in the background without spending any extra time. These are actually free. Read more about “Get Paid To” programs.

Exchange Simple Services For Cash

There are multiple possibilities for exchanging simple services for cash. Some might include donating plasma, selling your hair, or recycling. If you can find items to recycle in the garbage and then get paid for those items, it’s like getting free money. Your body is a machine that reproduces plasma after you donate it. It’s an automatic process that doesn’t cost you penny. So the money you get for donating is free. Read more options for exchanging simple services for cash on the Free Stuff page.

Passive Cash Flow Businesses With $0 Startup Fees

This one requires a little background explanation, but it is actually free once you can achieve it. If you own a business that produces income and it does not require any of your time, then the income is passive. Some argue that any passive income is free money. Yet, it’s especially free when the business had $0 startup costs. The wealthy do this all the time. They create wealth with other people’s money, so that the money they make is free. Read more about Passive Cash Flow Businesses With $0 Startup Fees.

Scholarships & Grants

Scholarships are usually funded by private organizations, schools and non-profits. The recipients have to do something to earn the scholarship, but the requirements rarely include out-of-pockets. Therefore scholarship money is free.

Government Aid

Government aid is paid for by tax payers, so many argue that it is not free, and their argument is sound. However, if the aid is available then it may as well go to people who can use it to the best benefit. Actually Free is not intended to be a platform for political debate. And information is provided for anyone that can use it. Read more about Government Freebies.

Charities & Non-Profits

The government isn’t the only entity that provides aid to people in need. Charities and non-profits do that on a regular basis. Some of the better charities do not actually provide cash, but other resources that can help those in need. Read more about Charities & Non-Profits.

Metal Detecting

Quite a few people have discovered some amazing finds by using a metal detector. Of course, you have to buy the metal detector to use it, so arguably the money you find with it is not actually free, until you find enough to cover the initial investment. Then anything beyond that is free.

Collect Money Owed

If there is money out there that is owed to you, then it’s not necessarily free, because it was already yours. But not having something and then having it can be like getting free money for a lot of people. For some it’s like winning the lottery. There is lots of unclaimed money including tax returns, unclaimed life insurance, and other forms of inheritance. Read more about Unclaimed Money.

The Eyes Are Not Looking

If you came to this page out of curiosity, hopefully it has been satisfied. If you were looking for the catch, then there are many of them described above. If you want free money, you can have it by visiting the pages above. One of the social experiments that was previously described noted that people would not take free money when there was a poster with big human eyes. Well, now the eyes aren’t looking (as long as it’s legal).