While my summery Pollyanna Self has control of my mind (see last week, “Only Good News”), I’ve been noticing the free/nearly free stuff that cost big bucks just a few years ago. Yeah I know, plenty of things are more expensive, while real wages are going down, According to the Pew Research Center:

“Adjusted for inflation, the federal minimum wage peaked in 1968 at $8.54 (in 2014 dollars). Since it was last raised in 2009, to the current $7.25 per hour, the federal minimum has lost about 8.1% of its purchasing power to inflation.”

Despite that, and with the help of a smartphone, a glimmer of hope lies out there in the form of demonetization (hate that word). To wit:

Entertainment

YouTube, with its one billion (!) users, can keep me entertained for hours. (And I hate cat videos.) Why go to see a movie when you can see the condensed version, i.e. trailer, online? I love Soundhound, to identify that song playing here at the coffee shop. A minute’s worth of any music track is free for the sampling on iTunes. And not that I’m an expert, you understand, but porn (lately overtaken by Pokemon in number of downloads, according to my local guru) is free. Unless your tastes are really, really kinky.

Education and Information

Google! Wikipedia! If you didn’t grow up with Encyclopedia Britannica or other multi-volume vault of information, you may not realize just how much of a revolution the quiet switch to instant and free on-line data is. Staying informed has never been easier; MOOCs on every topic under the sun and moon await you and me. Log into Coursera to see free courses from Johns Hopkins, Duke, Stanford and others. Not enough? Then try Khan Academy (“You can learn anything”) or MIT Open Courseware. Have you watched one of the 2,200 online TED talks lately? (Or my TEDx talk.) For magazines, check out the library’s Zinio online magazine service. Even prissy Siri (“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I can’t answer that”) is becoming marginally intelligent. All gratis.

Maps, Navigation

Nearly free ($7.99) downloadable topo maps of the whole country—USGS 7.5 minute series, if you’re an aficionado—for your smartphone. Plus, free!!!, GPS (thank you, Bill Clinton, for presidentially removing the military block on GPS accuracy on May 1, 2000). It’s a mixed blessing for some of us (“not all who wander are lost”), but: no one with a smartphone ever has to be lost again.

Communication

I’m from the era of aerograms, telegrams and long-distance phone calls. Calling England from New Zealand in the 1960s, at horrendous per-minute costs, shouting to be heard via the submarine cable (“How are you?” “What?” “I said, ‘How are you?’” “I can’t hear you. How are you?”). Now it’s Skype and Facetime, with video even. Seamless.

Photography

Got a smartphone? Of course you do, who doesn’t? (—besides me, I schlep around an iPad Mini—got columns to write, you know). In your palm lies your camera and video recorder, not to mention online photo albums to share your life (and more!) with your kith and kin. Not so long ago, half the weight I traveled around with consisted of cameras, lenses, tripod, film…Nope, don’t miss it at all.

Commerce and Business

Craigslist—free.

Videoconferencing—free.

Much more—here’s a chart from (way too optimistic futurist) Peter Diamandis.

What have I missed?