Budget Entertainment Options in a Down Economy

Free or Low-cost Entertainment Options to Stretch Your Budget

Jun 29, 2009 Katriena Knights

It's possible to eliminate the cable bill, the cost of DVD rental, and trips to the bookstore, and still keep your entertainment options rich and varied.

In tough economic times, entertainment is often the first thing slashed from the budget. But without the diversions of movies, television, books, and other options, there’s less diversion from the difficulty of reduced circumstances.

Today, though, there are many types of free entertainment. Most of these require an Internet connection, but maintaining an Internet account is much less expensive than regular movies, a cable bill, and trips to the bookstore.

The Local Library

The library is a traditional source of free reading. These days, it’s also a great resource for music, movies, audiobooks, and even social outlets like book clubs and educational presentations.

Some modern libraries even offer electronic versions of books that can be read at any time from a computer, and music and/or audiobook downloads. Depending on library policies and the checkout queue, these might be immediately available, or will be available after a short wait.

Internet Options

With the options available on the Internet today, it’s possible to keep up with most of the major network shows without subscribing to cable. Most TV networks have a website with streaming versions of new shows. They usually show up online a few days after the network broadcast, but are still quite handy. Other outlets such as Hulu also show first-run network shows as well as classic shows and even movies.

There are plenty of sites for free reading material, as well. Project Gutenberg (Gutenberg.net) has a massive library of public domain classics, in downloadable text, html, and even some audiobook formats. Wowio.com also offers a large library of new as well as classic books free to read online. Tor and Baen, major publishers, both have large free libraries available to readers. Other publishers, as well as online bookstores, offer free downloads of various books and even music tracks. Sometimes free reads are available at author sites, as well. It just takes a bit of diligent searching.

Regular Freebies

For a regular source of music freebies, iTunes provides a free track every week for download. They also often offer free downloads of TV shows, as well as numerous free podcasts and other entertainment or education options. Amazon.com also has free downloads available. It’s possible to keep a music library growing regularly—and legally—just by keeping track of these giveaways. Again, check the artists’ websites, as well—more and more musicians are offering free downloads of tracks and even whole albums.

With careful searching and an awareness of what’s available, it’s possible to not only cut back on extraneous entertainment spending, but eliminate it altogether. Just keep alert, and take advantage of those free options when they come by.

The copyright of the article Budget Entertainment Options in a Down Economy in Film/TV Industry is owned by Katriena Knights. Permission to republish Budget Entertainment Options in a Down Economy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Don't forget the library