By Rachael Henderson
In my opinion, college is all about learning how to finesse. This can manifest in multiple different ways, but the biggest way is money. Don’t have enough money for dinner? Find a campus event with free food. Can’t afford a car? Hop on the campus shuttle. Now of course, there’s not a fix for everything, but the biggest way I’ve learned to finesse in college is by becoming a free trial fanatic.
Let’s face it. If you don’t have enough money for gas, there’s no way you have enough money for Amazon Prime. But that’s okay. I’ve come to find that free trials have gotten me some of the very things I have both wanted and needed during college without ever having to spend a dime on subscription fees.
Now that’s not to say that I haven’t been burned by subscription services before. In fact, according to USA Today, IBM reports that the global subscription billing services market is set to more than double in size between 2020 and 2026 from $5.1 billion to $12.5 billion.
So that means if it seems like everything requires a subscription now, that problem is likely going to only worsen in the future. That’s why I wanted to present you all with a few sites that offer free trials that have really helped me as a college student, as well as insight on what to do to avoid getting scammed.
Amazon Prime: This is probably the best site to be on as a broke college student. Their free trials range anywhere from 30 to 90 days, meaning that you could potentially have up to three months to get fast shipping, watch free shows and movies, enjoy a music streaming platform, and fulfill the desire to receive packages on a regular basis. Plus, this was a free trial that made me realize the site was worth it. That’s why when the trial ended, I decided to renew my subscription because having Prime was extremely beneficial for my fast-paced life demands, especially knowing there was an additional 6-month free trial for students.
Canva Pro: I never anticipated how many graphics and flyers I’d have to make over the course of my time in college, but after holding multiple leadership positions that required me to get creative, I knew I needed Canva Pro. This was yet another subscription gone right when I realized how much I loved having all this editing software and templates at my disposal. This was another 30-day free trial that ended up being three months for me since I joined during a discounted time, so keep an eye out for deals like that too.
Newspapers: I won’t name any names, but let’s just say that as a journalism student, I have constantly been required to access articles on sites that clearly require a subscription. That’s why I resorted to free trials on digital newspapers like these because while I like to stay up to date on the news, I’d rather do it on sites that won’t cost me anything. I will add that I have gotten burned the worst with newspaper sites. For some reason, I forgot to cancel my subscription for a few of these which resulted in hefty charges to my account when the free trials ended. So, that leads me to a couple of free trial/subscription dos and don’ts.
Do: Mark in your calendar and Reminders app the day you get the subscription and the day your free trial ends. That way, you can know far in advance when you need to cancel your subscription. In fact, I like to cancel a few days in advance just so I’m not caught off guard.
Don’t: Enter your card information unless you can guarantee there will be money in your account when the trial ends. Also, refrain from making accounts and not keeping track of your username, password, and purchases.
Overall, just keep in mind that in general, people like to help college students. If that “broke” narrative continues, you can pretty much finesse quite a few free things. The key to getting the bang for your buck, however, is by staying organized and knowing when to tap out.
Rachael Henderson graduated with honors from the Missouri School of Journalism in May.
