Limited Time Offers to Help You to Stay at Home
NOTE: The information below was originally posted in the spring of 2020 during the early stages of the pandemic shutdowns. The promotional offers have now expired.
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After a wild ride during the month of March, most people have started to accept the new reality of #StayAtHome orders from local governments. Many businesses have been closed for weeks, and now that parks have also seen record crowds, these outdoor options are being closed and have become off-limits to encourage physical distancing.
Welcome Home Mat
For some people, these #StayHome orders create a lot of extra work in the form of homeschooling kids, pet care, elder care, and taking on other extra chores to keep the household running. For others, these orders create a lot of extra free time as sports and other recreation have almost entirely been canceled. Fortunately, the resources below can help whether you need help with education or want to find economical ways to spend your free time.
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Freebies & Discounts to Help You #StayAtHome
It’s somewhat easy to take a week off from social gatherings, but now that we know we’ll be staying home a bit longer, many of us are looking for additional options to fill the days. Fortunately, there are a lot of companies that are currently offering free trials, deep discounts, or other upgrades. This is a great time to try out a new hobby or pursue an interest that you haven’t had time for in the past.
Enjoy lessons in academics, learn a new language, or try a fun dance! Schedule a video chat and virtual “happy hour” with friends all across the world. There may be more options available than you realize!
Free Entertainment
Selection of Streaming Entertainment on Multiple Devices
There are lots of great places to find extended free trials of premium streaming content. Enjoy these for a limited time and decide later if you want to become a subscriber.
- Amazon Free for All: free family-friendly selection of content for Amazon customers
- Audible Stories: enjoy this collection of a wide variety of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help kids continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids. All stories are free to stream on a desktop, laptop, phone, or tablet. Explore the collection, select a title, and start listening. It’s that easy – no signup required!
- Fender Play: get three free months of online lessons for guitar, bass, and ukulele (valid through 4/20/2020 or the first 500,000 redemptions – whichever comes first)
- Combines perfectly with the free content at musictheory.net
- HBO GO or HBO NOW: free access to select content during April available to everyone (includes Veep, The Wire, McMillion$, Silicon Valley, and more)
- Sirius XM: sign up anytime and get free access to all content through May 15th (includes Howard Stern, Today Show, Kevin Hart, and more)
- Sling FREE: free live channels and movies right now with their new “SLING free experience”
- Free 30-day trial offers from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Showtime, and Sundance Now (on the “Activate Your Free Trial” screen, use code SUNDANCENOW30)
- Met Opera: free streaming opera each night
- Professional Sports Leagues: NBA League Pass (free until April 22nd), NFL Game Pass (free until May 31st), and NHL Live (free until April 30th): sign up for a free trial, and these options will be free until the expiration date
- Museum Exhibit: Virtual tour experience of six popular Infinity Mirror Rooms, by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, known for her repetitive polka dots and peep-show-like chamber rooms that create the illusion of infinite space.
Free Education
Online Learning for All Kinds of Education
The collection below is just a tiny sample of all current education resources that are free right now. If you have a favorite platform (or a new one you’ve wanted to try), I’d recommend checking them out again right now and looking for free / trial offers. There are hundreds more, but some of my favorites include these:
- Audible Stories: enjoy this collection of a wide variety of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help kids continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids. All stories are free to stream on a desktop, laptop, phone, or tablet. Explore the collection, select a title, and start listening. It’s that easy – no signup required!
- Affinity: free 90-day trial or 50% discount for paid subscriptions (valid through April 20th)
- Coursera: Free classes include The Science of Well-Being, one of the most popular online courses taught by Yale University (it’s currently free to enroll for “audit”)
- The Great Courses Plus: free month with code FREEMO
- National Emergency Library: users may borrow books from the National Emergency Library without joining a waitlist, which ensures that students will have access to assigned readings and library materials that the Internet Archive has digitized for the remainder of the US academic calendar and that people who cannot physically access their local libraries because of closure or self-quarantine
- Udacity Nanodegree: free for 30 days
Free News Online
Free Access to Premium Journalism Sources
These news outlets have removed their paywalls for the COVID-19 coverage.
Free Food
While most dining rooms are no longer open for customers, many restaurants are staying open to provide convenient meals to-go to those who cannot cook. These particular restaurants also have some fantastic deals at the moment too!
Burger King Free Kids Meals Offer
- Krispy Kreme: Friends and Neighbors – on SATURDAYS, Krispy Kreme will add a free dozen Original Glazed doughnuts to every pick-up, drive-thru, and delivery order that includes a full price dozen Original Glazed Doughnuts or more. Each free dozen will consist of a special smiley-face doughnut; called the “Be Sweet Dozen.” The thousands of free dozens on Saturdays will be securely sealed and bagged individually, along with instructions for contactless drop-off (including social distancing and safety guidelines.)
- Burger King: Sign up for an account/app to access a coupon for
2 FREE kids meals with purchase available once per day through April 6th, 2020(offer has expired). Delivery available through Postmates, GrubHub, or UberEats (special offer $0 delivery fee on orders $10+ through 4/19/20 at participating BK US restaurants) - Dunkin’ Donuts: Free donut on FRIDAYS in April for DD Perks Members with purchase of a beverage
- Sheetz: Free Kidz Meal Bagz (turkey sandwich, chips, drink) available all day (while supplies last). Simply ask an employee at the register for a meal (one bag per child) at participating locations.
- Steak ‘n Shake: free order of fries at the drive-through window as part of the “We’re All Essential” campaign
Free Workouts & Exercise
Yoga Mat Being Rolled Up
There is no shortage of great options for working out at home right now. Choose your favorite type of workout and take advantage of one of the free / trial options.
- Alvin Ailey Extension “Keep Dancing” with Ailey: special Extension online classes and all Extension instructors’ and guest instructors’ online class resources to keep our communities dancing
- Centr:
join by April 5th, 2020 and all subscriptions will offerFREE, unrestricted access to Centr for your first 6 weeks(credit card details required to activate the offer) – original offer has expired, but there is an ongoing free 7-day trial available - CompTrain Home Gym: free workout of the day using minimal equipment and/or primarily bodyweight for “the extended near future”
- CorePower Yoga: free access to a new collection of online yoga classes every week to keep your practice moving wherever you are
- Cyberobics: over 100 free workouts available on demand
- Daily Burn: 60 days of free access to more than 800 yoga, cardio, and strength-training workouts to help users get fit at home (featured on GMA and TODAY)
- Free Down Dog Apps until May 1st, including Down Dog, Yoga for Beginners, HIIT, Barre, and 7 Minute Workout
- Also offering free access until July 1st for all students and teachers (register here) and healthcare professionals (register here)
- Gold’s Gym: Gold’s AMP free through May 31st, 2020 (must activate by 4/30/2020) with code FIT60 plus additional on-demand content available anytime
- Grokker: free unlimited access through April 30th to maintain your well-being and manage stress
- Peloton: app free trial for 90 days
- Planet Fitness: free daily work-ins (online workouts with guest instructors) and YouTube channel with the whole collection of workouts!
- Yoga with Adriene: free yoga workouts on YouTube for all different types of needs
Free Apps & Software
App Drawer on Samsung Android Smartphone
Find new ways to be productive at work and home with these free apps and online tools.
- Adobe Connect: free 90-day access (through July 1st, 2020) to a web conferencing platform that allows people to connect from virtually anywhere. Read more and start the free trial here.
- AppSumo: free selection apps, books, and courses to optimize your online web business
- TechSmith get free versions of two of their most popular apps: SnagIt (personal favorite!) and Video Review. Submit the online form to get the free versions (these versions will work through the end of June 2020, when you will need to purchase a license if you wish to continue using the software)
- WebEx: free online video meetings for up to 50 participants
- Zoom Communications: Free videoconferencing
- Students and teachers who fill out an online form with school email addresses can use the platform beyond the usual 40-minute trial during school closures
Free Subscriptions
Huge Collection of Kindle eBooks
Have some fun with limited-time free access to these premium subscription services.
- Amazon Kindle Unlimited: 2 free months
- Bluprint: free unlimited access through April 16th, 2020, to online crafting classes, projects, and more!
- CreativeBug: free two month trial to online art and craft classes for new subscribers
Free Custom Websites
Spend your free time testing out a blog idea without investing any money (no credit card required). Share your expertise with the world with easy-to-build WordPress websites.
- Wealthy Affiliate: this is the hosting/web provider that I’ve been using for years. It’s always FREE to create a free custom website (with a custom name of your choice!). Use your spare time to see if blogging or selling things online is a good fit for you!
Discounted Services
Girl Smiling at Smartphone
Other large companies provide customer assistance on essential services like internet access, phone plans, and auto loans. These programs are available for a limited time to qualifying customers only. Click the links for more information.
- Comcast Xfinity Internet Essentials: Essentials service free for 60 days for new qualifying customers. Made for lower-income families, the plan—which normally costs $9.95/month—will also increase its speed from 15/2 MBPS to 25/3 for all customers. Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country will also be available for free to anyone who needs them. Comcast is pausing data plans for 60 days (giving all customers unlimited data for no additional charge).
- GM: 0% interest loans, deferred payments, free access to OnStar, and more
- Hyundai: 0% interest loans, deferred payments, car payment relief should you lose your job
- T-Mobile: new lower-cost plans available and free upgrades to existing customers through May 13th
Free for Medical Personnel
Medical staff is being asked to work under conditions that include overcrowded hospitals and shortages of supplies. The companies below offer medical staffers deals on their products during these times when they are working even harder than usual to protect us all. #EverydayHeroes
Doctors treating a patient with protective masks and caps
- AAA Roadside Assistance: free Roadside Assistance at the Classic level of benefits, including flat tire changes, battery jump starts, and towing up to 7 miles from the point of breakdown. Medical personnel and first responders who need service can call 1-800-400-4222 and have their occupational photo ID ready.
- Bojangles’: free Legendary Iced Tea of any size for healthcare workers, first responders, and law enforcement with credentials (no purchase necessary – valid through National Iced Tea Day on June 10th, 2020)
- Checkers and Rally’s: free small combo meal for medical personnel who are dressed in uniform (combo includes choice of main sandwich plus small Famous Seasoned Fries and a small drink)
- Circle K: Free coffee, Polar Pop Fountain Drinks, and Teas for those first responders and health care workers until April 30th. Redemption is easy – visit any participating Circle K and show a valid ID.
- Crocs: the company is giving away 10,000 pairs of shoes each day to healthcare workers (request online here each weekday at noon EDT — they are given out on a first-come, first-serve basis)
- Cumberland Farms: Free Coffee (any size hot or iced) for all healthcare workers, first responders, and military personnel
- DoorDash DashPass: free access to the DoorDash Corporate DashPass for at least 60 days (for all doctors, nurses, and hospital employees from partnering hospitals)
- Free Down Dog Apps until May 1st, including Down Dog, Yoga for Beginners, HIIT, Barre, and 7 Minute Workout
- Offering free access until July 1st for healthcare professionals (register here)
- Free Liquid IV: free Liquid I.V. for those on the front lines of our global health crisis (this is 100% free with no shipping costs or fees)
- Headspace: free Headspace Plus through 2020 (sign up online with National Provider Identifier and your email address). Out of the 2,000+ meditation apps out there, Headspace is one of the few committed to advancing the field of mindfulness meditation through clinically validated research. See the website for information about free resources for students, teachers, and office workers.
- Krispy Kreme: free dozen donuts for anyone who works in the medical sector (and has a badge) on Mondays through May 11th
- McDonalds: free Thank You meals to frontline heroes from 4/22 – 5/5 at the drive-thru and front counter only. with valid ID (limit one per person per day, not available with Mobile Order and Pay or McDelivery®)
- Breakfast meal includes: Egg McMuffin®, Chicken McGriddles®, or Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, plus Hash Browns and any size soft drink, tea or hot brewed coffee
- Lunch/dinner meal includes: Double Cheeseburger, 6 Piece McNuggets®, or Filet-O-Fish®, plus small fries and any size soft drink, tea, or hot brewed coffee.
- Nando’s Peri Peri: free meals to guests who visit Nando’s in uniform and/or present a valid hospital ID. The free meal is defined as ¼ chicken with chips (our signature dish). Offer must be redeemed by phone order and is not valid for delivery or online ordering. Limited to one meal per day while supplies last and valid through May 3rd, 2020.
- The Parking Spot: free parking at any facility for all essential healthcare workers through May 12th (must be member of the free the Spot Club loyalty program)
- Racetrac: free coffee of fountain drink through 4/30
- Samsung: free repair for Samsung phones for local heroes, including doctors, nurses, hospital workers, EMTs, police officers, and firefighters (with valid ID through June 30th, 2020)
- Snickers Candy Bars: send essential workers a coupon for a free Snickers bar at Walmart (Plus, for every bar sent, SNICKERS® will also make a donation to support first responders through Operation Gratitude)
- Starbucks: free tall hot or iced coffee through May 31st for medical workers / first responders (doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other hospital / medical staffers)
- Wawa: starting on March 26th, all Wawa stores will provide all health care workers and first responders with free coffee to fuel their shifts during this crisis
- White Castle: from 4/7 – 4/30, healthcare workers and EMTs can go through the drive-thru of any White Castle restaurant each day to receive one free Combo Meal (1-6) or Breakfast Combo by simply showing their work ID
Student Discounts & Services
Student taking notes at computer desk
There are a few places that are offering special deals to help students who are affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
- Adobe Creative Cloud: free for students through May 31st, 2020
- Babbel: free language lessons for three months for students in the USA
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car: reduced the minimum renter age and is waiving young renter fees through May 31st, 2020
- Uhaul: free 30 days of self-storage for affected college students in the US and Canada
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What other deals have you found to be helpful during these days where we’re all staying home to help #FlattenTheCurve?
Nice post, thanks for sharing.
The company I work at is certainly experiencing the negative effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. I personally struggle with remote work and focus, so list like yours are definitely a ray of positive light, thank you!
Last week, I was recommended two resources that I put to good use. It didn’t felt right keeping them to myself, so I wanted to share
https://exceltemplate.net/financial-calculator/coronavirus-stimulus/ – stimulus check calculator
https://www.claritywave.com/coronavirus-deals/ – 189 corona deals
Cheers!
Thanks for sharing your additional COVID-19 resources!
What a fabulous list of freebies! And it does my heart good to see so many businesses being less greedy and more sharing. In my freelance business. lately I have given clients discounts and freebies, just to keep myself working. I know it will pay off in the future.
And the list of businesses that are offering freebies to healthcare workers is pretty dang cool. That is one job that would be the ultimate in stressful, and showing a little love has got to make them feel how much their sacrifice means to us.
Great site, and a well written article. I’m off to check out what other goodies you have in store for me!
CheersTracy
Thanks Tracy, I’m also very happy to see so many businesses showing love to our healthcare heroes! I know some personally and they are sacrificing a lot right now to keep us all as healthy as possible. I’m so very thankful for all their hard work!!
A great website, very relevant to today and I am sure will still be valuable when the crisis is over. There are many websites I would be interested in but as I don’t live in USA they are of no use to me.
Pity, but that’s life.
Well done for a great website, and including WA.
Thanks Ronald!
What a fabulous list of freebies! And it does my heart good to see so many businesses being less greedy and more sharing. In my freelance business. lately I have given clients discounts and freebies, just to keep myself working. I know it will pay off in the future.
And the list of businesses that are offering freebies to healthcare workers is pretty dang cool. That is one job that would be the ultimate in stressful, and showing a little love has got to make them feel how much their sacrifice means to us.
Great site, and a well written article. I’m off to check out what other goodies you have in store for me!
Cheers
Tracy
I have a little granddaughter who has been getting bored at home. Before Covid19 she had a schedule, now she doesn’t know what to do with her time. We have Disney plus, Netflix, and Amazon video. She’s gone through most of it for kids, thank you for the extensive list as I will be able to find more things to do for her.
I especially like the free education part. Might as well some of my own learning online. Plus I have a 16-year-old daughter who needs to keep her mind engaged. So will definitely share these links with her.
The other thing that caught my eye was the free workouts. My whole family has become top-notch bakers, so we’re all eating with the other person bakes. Most of us are gaining weight, so the free workouts will definitely come in handy.
Haha, I can definitely relate to having to find something to balance all the additional cooking (and eating) that is going on at our house. We are lucky to be having nice weather and a dog who likes to take a lot of walks!
I’m glad to hear that these resources can help keep you all occupied while you’re staying home.
What a fantastic resource you have published here. I know that many will be going stir crazy with the lockdown and in particular those who find themselves confined with young families. Often it is hard enough that you have to manage the home schooling, meal preparation act as United Nations arbiter over the sibling squabbles and probably find sometime in there to do what your employer requires of you if you are fortunate enough to have retained work from home.
This will help immeasurably to take some of the stress and stain away from busy house managers!
Great Post thanks so much
Hamish
It’s been an interesting time and we’ve all had to make drastic adjustments in record time, but knowing that our efforts have saved lives makes it all quite easy to do.
One of the best thing to do with one’s time during this period that there’s a work from home order is to find a source of passive income. While that is still ongoing, this post has been quite helpful by providing information on the various types of services that can help relieve some troubles in this period.
Absolutely! There has never been a better time for pursuing another source of income!!
I love FREE! You have a wonderful plethora of attractive free deals to satisfy ones cravings for all kinds of goodies in addition to food! Most people can find something of interest in this huge list.
You were brilliant in posting the free Wealthy Affiliate starter banner right in the middle. In my opinion, that is the most valuable freebie anyone looking for a great deal during these times of self isolation can get.
We have more time on our hands. Hence the free entertainment offerings have the chance of being winners. Also, the free educational offers are also very beneficial. Our cable provider is Spectrum. They are offering Showtime for free during the next few weeks.
Thanks for providing such a helpful resource for all of us stuck at home!
Cheers.
Edwin Bernard
Hi Edwin, Showtime has some really great commercial-free shows, that is nice of your cable provider to offer that for free right now!
WOW!! I am blown away by this site – definitely what we need more of, especially in these weird times. I find I have to get out and take a ride just to look at the water, and come back home – your site has filled in all the other details while we are stuck art home with an awesome resource. As my sisters birthdays get closer, I will definitely be looking at your free birthday gift ideas and suggest your site to them for my birthday.
Thank you for this awesome and handy tool of best reward programs with the limited time offers to help while we are stuck at home.
Hi there, you are most welcome for the list. I hope it inspires some fun activities around your house! Many thanks for sharing the list with your family for their birthdays!!
With this whole stay at home isolation going on, I have been looking for offers of things to do to keep me busy and entertained – I didn’t realize how many options there were! I have been dying to learn the guitar since I bought one and never picked it up, and your recommendation of Fender Play is definitely starting for me. I didn’t even know about the National Emergency Library until now, but that is freaking amazing and I am going on their site now while in this lock-down. Thank you so much!
Awesome, I think the free guitar lessons are an awesome thing to do during this moment in time. If you already have access to a guitar, you’d be surprised how easy it is to learn a few chords and play some full songs!!
Alyce, what a great idea for your blog. I honestly would have never thought about making a post like this… Even though I am essential as a firefighter and have to go to work every 3rd day for 24 hours. I will be referencing your page for ideas on how to pass the time around the runs here on duty. Great article and I’m sure you will get a lot of traffic from people looking to pass the time in quarantine.
Thank you so much for your service — we are so grateful for your dedication to keeping all of us safe from harm!
Hi, thanks you for sharing this view. I must confess staying at home is very boring but you have succeeded in making it interesting. These offers are amazing and they have the ability to keep some one at home . I will love to try some of this out. Thanks for sharing this once .
I do miss going out and seeing my friends, but I must say that I haven’t felt bored yet. For me it seems that there is always more to do and see and learn than there are hours in the day…. even when most every waking hour is spent at home. I hope you find some interesting things to help you keep that boredom at bay!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful informative article about LIMITED TIME OFFERS TO HELP YOU TO # STAY AT HOME. I think this is the second article of yours that l have read this far and this has a lot of helpful information and you have included all the list of freebies. Love reading your article you have provided and discussed in details everything about offers to help a person stay at home. I think everyone will benefit a lot from this article and we should take advantages so that we do not go out side for our safety and our families as well.I have bookmarked your article and will share it with my friends. Impressive post.
Wishing you all the success and stay safe!
Hi Fiona, Thank you for sharing and I hope it proves to be useful!