The year 2015 presented a diverse array of opportunities for U.S. consumers to acquire goods and services without financial expenditure. According to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, a reputable source for financial and consumer advice, numerous high-quality items and services were available at no cost. These offerings spanned critical financial tools, educational resources, digital services, and everyday consumer goods. The following analysis details these freebies, categorizing them by sector and explaining the mechanisms for access based on the provided documentation.
Financial and Educational Opportunities
One of the most significant categories of freebies in 2015 involved substantial educational and financial benefits. For students seeking higher education, specific institutions offered tuition coverage through unique programs.
- Berea College (Kentucky): This institution covered the entire annual cost of attendance, valued at $20,900. The funding was a combination of grants, scholarships, and a mandatory work-study program.
- Cooper Union (New York City): The college granted a full-tuition scholarship to every student, valued at $150,000 over a four-year period.
- College of the Ozarks (Missouri): This college required students to participate in a work-study program in lieu of paying tuition.
Beyond education, Kiplinger highlighted essential financial tools that were available at no cost.
- Credit Reporting: Consumers could access their credit reports without charge via AnnualCreditReport.com. This official site provided one free copy of the credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) once per year, with no strings attached. Additionally, sites such as Credit.com, Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, and Quizzle offered free credit reports, credit scores, and monitoring services.
- Investment Trading: Fee-free online trading platforms allowed users to buy and sell stocks without paying commission fees. Loyal3 and Robinhood were cited as specific examples of these platforms. Traditional brokers like Fidelity or Charles Schwab were also known to occasionally offer promotional free trades.
- Income Investing Resources: For investors focused on income generation, Kiplinger recommended specific free online resources for hard-to-find financial data and reasoned discussion. These included Closed-End Fund, InvestinginBonds.com, EMMA (Electronic Municipal Market Access), and TCW.
- Tax-Free Growth: Investing in a Roth IRA allowed investments to grow 100% tax-free, effectively providing "free capital gains" regarding tax implications.
- Financial Advice: Free financial advice was available directly through Kiplinger.com and their social media platforms. Furthermore, Fidelity.com offered a free retirement planning tool accessible to everyone, not just customers.
Digital Services and Technology
Managing digital assets and computer security costs money, but in 2015, several free solutions were available to protect data and expand storage capabilities.
- Computer Security: Consumers could save approximately $70 annually by utilizing free security software. Avast Antivirus and Microsoft Security Essentials (for Windows) were highlighted for providing good reviews and basic defenses, including malware protection.
- Digital Storage: Online backup storage allowed users to share files and protect them against computer crashes, theft, and natural disasters. Specific free storage quotas included:
- Windows Live SkyDrive: 7 gigabytes of free storage.
- Amazon Cloud Drive: 5 gigabytes of free storage.
- Dropbox: 2 gigabytes of free storage.
- Technical Support: Users experiencing computer problems could access free help through websites such as Techguy.org and 5starsupport.com.
- Mobile Applications: Free financial apps were available for mobile phones, such as Mint.com for budgeting and Yowza for on-the-go coupons.
- Connectivity: Major retailers provided free Wi-Fi access. In 2015, approximately 6,800 Starbucks and 11,500 McDonald's locations nationwide offered this service.
Consumer Goods and Samples
The category of physical goods and samples remained robust, with manufacturers and retailers offering trial-sized and full-sized products to consumers.
- General Free Samples: Consumers could obtain small tubes of toothpaste, shampoo, mouthwash, and deodorant, as well as books, magazines, food, and clothing. Kiplinger recommended monitoring blogs such as "Hey, It’s Free!" and "Mr. Free Stuff" to aggregate these offers. Manufacturers including Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, and Procter & Gamble regularly offered limited supplies of samples.
- Baby Care: The baby sector offered specific sample programs:
- Similac: Provided free infant formula samples.
- Gerber: Offered free baby nutrition kits.
- Sam’s Club: Provided free samples of diapers and wipes (though noted as potentially on hold at the time of the report).
- Pampers: Diaper manufacturers like Pampers allowed users to sign up for free samples.
- Registries: Creating a baby-gift registry at Target or Amazon resulted in free samples and coupons.
Food and Dining
Free food opportunities ranged from annual promotional events to standard dining perks.
- Annual Freebie Days: Specific days dedicated to free food included Ben and Jerry’s free cone day in April and 7-11’s free Slurpee day on July 11th.
- Holiday Freebies: Some restaurants offered freebies on specific holidays, including Mother's Day and Veterans Day, as well as Tax Day.
- Kids' Meals: Websites like KidsMealDeals.com allowed parents to search by location to find local restaurants where children could eat for free.
- Library Resources: Public libraries were cited as the best place to find free books, music, and movies.
Services and Employment
Kiplinger also identified free services designed to assist with employment and professional development.
- Resume Help: The U.S. Department of Labor provided American Job Centers, which offered resume assistance and workshops. Local libraries, community centers, and colleges were also sources for workshops.
- Travel Freebies: While specific details were limited in the provided text, Kiplinger referenced a "Fabulous Travel Freebies" section on their website (kiplinger.com/links/travelfree). One specific travel freebie noted was Southwest Airlines' policy of allowing passengers to check two bags for free.
Conclusion
The "Fabulous Freebies" list from Kiplinger in 2015 demonstrated that high-quality goods and services were accessible without cost across multiple sectors. From substantial educational scholarships and essential financial monitoring tools to digital storage and consumer product samples, the opportunities required consumers to utilize specific sign-up portals (such as AnnualCreditReport.com), monitor manufacturer websites, or take advantage of specific institutional programs. While some offers, such as free trading platforms or credit monitoring, were available year-round, others were tied to specific dates or holidays. Consumers were advised to verify the status of specific offers, particularly regarding shipping costs for samples or the current availability of retailer-specific freebies.