For me, the highlight of any day is finding a great bargain. And what better bargain is there than “FREE.”
I especially like combining “free shipping” and “no sales tax.” Even better is no cost at all. Online searches have allowed me to fill my shopping cart with free music, books, apps for my phone and iPad, and more.
Among the many websites for locating good buys, my favorite is dealnews.com. At this website I have found free-after-rebate Internet security products and, most recently, a free-after-rebate, PDF creator program.
For music, my favorite vendor is Amazon. Complimentary songs and albums feature rising artists and introduce new albums. One of my favorite acquisitions—“I’ll Look Around” by jazz singer/bassist Esperanza Spalding — was free for a limited time in order to spotlight the “Tribute to Billie Holiday” album.
Two of Amazon’s most popular free MP3 downloads, the “Relaxation & Meditation Sampler” and “Native American Flute Lullabies,” have provided soul-soothing sounds to help my day run more smoothly.
Other freebies I have turned into gifts for my grandchildren. A delightful CD evolved from a playlist that combined “The Cedarmont Kids Sampler For Moms,” Kelly Hogan’s “Rubber Ducki,” “Wheels on the Bus,” and personalized songs by Elmo and Friends.
While searching for Amazon offers, I keep my eyes open for their free MP3 vouchers. With a voucher I can purchase a couple of songs and, at times, an entire album. Recent offers covered the cost of several Blossom Dearie songs as well as Leonard Bernstein’s rendition “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Although free is best, “almost free” is also good. For less than a dollar each, I have acquired Frank Sinatra’s “Nothing But The Best” (22 songs), the Bee Gees’ “Number Ones” (20 songs), and James Taylor’s “Greatest Hits” (12 songs). For less than three dollars I downloaded “111 Rock ‘n Roll Superhits.” What fun to walk down memory lane alongside Paul Anka, Bobby Vinton, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and Johnnie Ray as they shake, rattle, and roll.
My other favorite freebies include books and apps for my iPhone and iPad. The choices are mind-boggling. The classics and books by newly acclaimed authors line the shelves of my virtual library. And for the youngsters who need some quiet time, the interactive worlds of Alice Lite, Grimm’s Rapunzel, and Disney’s Toy Story await their eager fingertips.
Definitely worth the price are the no-charge gaming apps at iTunes. The fast-paced Hooked on Words and Word Farm HD end up sidelining my hard-copy crossword and Sudoku puzzles. And for convenience, Words With Friends can’t be beat. At any time of the day or night I can strike up a game with my ten-year-old granddaughter.
That same granddaughter could beat me at gin rummy when she was only four years old, so when we moved on to cribbage, I honed my skills by downloading Cribbage Pro. The discard hints and automatic scoring provided by this free app fit the bill. The odds of winning are back in my corner.
A little caveat, however, about no-cost items. Free doesn’t always mean good. That’s what my three young grandchildren and I concluded about Starbuck’s Refreshers samples. Both varieties earned a resounding thumbs-down from our focus group. But maybe our tastes weren’t sophisticated enough. We were quite content with the free Slurpees from 7-Eleven on 7/11.
This week my watchful waiting paid off once again. I “purchased” the delightful “Green Hill Jazz Sampler” MP3 album. While listening to pianist Beegie Adair and friends and sipping my free-this-weekend-only McCafe coffee, I muse: “Free is good. Pretty, pretty good.”
Sally Ann Connolly, a retired school counselor and author of three books, puts a spotlight on health, education, and lifestyle issues. Her website is www.neverbetter.net.