FREE WI-FI

Rejoice! About 6,800 Starbucks and 11,500 McDonald's nationwide recently began offering free Wi-Fi.


You can also go to WiFiFreeSpot.com to find places to surf free when you're away from home. The database includes airports, restaurants, hotels and more.

FREE AUDIO BOOKS

Love to read but don't have the time? Download free audio books from Librophile.com and BooksShouldBeFree.com. You can listen on your computer or MP3 player while you sit in traffic, fold laundry, exercise or simply relax.
The sites offer up classic books whose copyrights have expired, including works from Jane Austen, Edgar Allen Poe, H.G. Wells, Mark Twain, Charlotte Brontë and more. And for bedtime-story help, they also have decent children's collections. (To get newer titles free, check your public library.)

FREE WORKOUTS

Forget the costly gym membership. It doesn't cost a penny to put on a pair of sneakers and go for a walk or jog in your neighborhood. Or check out a workout DVD from your local library.

You may also find free instructional workouts in your area. For instance, Lululemon Athletica stores offer free yoga classes weekly. We also searched the Web and found free tai chi sessions from a variety of organizations in several cities, including San Francisco, Omaha and New York.

FREE PASSPORT PHOTOS

You'll pay about $15 at the post office to get your picture taken for your passport. Instead, take your photo with your own digital camera then upload it to ePassportPhoto.com, which will help you size it properly before printing it on your home printer.
The best part: You can redo your picture as many times as you like to get it right. After all, who wants to get stuck with a bad photo for the next ten years?

FREE EDUCATION

Many colleges and universities, such as Johns Hopkins, University of Notre Dame and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, post course material and lectures on their Web sites. You won't get credit toward a degree, but you can pursue an interest, sharpen your skills or even learn a language.
You can also go to Apple's iTunes U to access more than 250,000 free lectures, videos and other materials from 600 universities, including Oxford, Stanford and Yale.

FREE DIAMOND-RING INSPECTION

One loose prong can weaken the setting on your diamond ring, risking the loss of your sparkler -- and thousands of dollars with it. Most jewelers will inspect your ring free of charge, especially if you purchased your jewelry from their shop. Many will even throw in a free cleaning.


It's a good idea to take advantage of this freebie at least once a year.

FREE TECH SUPPORT

If you're a member of Sam's Club or Costco, you can get free tech support -- even if you didn't buy the device at their store.

Or, for PC problems, anyone can head to TechGuy.org or 5starsupport.com for free help. You can search the forums for your computer's particular ailment or post a question to receive a timely response from the sites' groups of geek volunteers. And don't forget to try the manufacturer's Web site. Many post user manuals and FAQs to help you solve your dilemma.

FREE CAR-REPAIR HELP
It won't fix your car free (darn), but RepairPal.com will help you find out whether your mechanic is quoting a fair price.
Enter your car's make, model and year, plus your zip code. Then choose among dozens of fixes to get a price range for the job at dealerships and independent shops in your area.