The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on the lives of Americans who are busy trying to eat, exercise, educate children, pass the time, and ease the isolation of social distancing. Companies large and small have rolled out special deals and free offers that can help you weather these trying times.
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With so many schools facing campus closings, Adobe is providing greater access to its Adobe Creative Cloud software to help with distance learning. The company is giving clients at-home access for students and educators at no extra charge through May 31. "We believe that doing so will make it possible to keep coursework, teamwork, and student progress on track," the company said in announcing the offer.
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Buy one entree for $13 and get a second one free from this ubiquitous Italian food chain — one hot and ready to eat and the second packaged and chilled for the next day. In addition, the chain is offering delivery services and curbside pickup while its dining rooms are closed.
Want to use this time to expand your knowledge and skill set (and maybe add the name of a prestigious educational institution to your résumé)? The eight Ivy League schools offer free online courses. That means you can choose from options at Harvard, Brown, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania. The self-paced courses include everything from modern and contemporary poetry to the art of structural engineering.
Among the most notable free entertainment options in the time of coronavirus are the Met's nightly free streaming performances. Each day while the legendary house is dark, the company makes a different encore presentation available as part of its Live in HD series.
Core Power has a curated selection of its classes available for free online. The options include Yoga for Beginners, Mind and Body Strength, and Strength for Beginners.
If you've run out of edifying books to read at home, the Guggenheim has released more than 200 that can be enjoyed free online or downloaded in PDF or ePub formats. The books focus on art and artists such as Paul Klee, Picasso, Roy Lichenstein, and more.
Scholastic has launched a Learn At Home portal in response to coronavirus school closings, with free digital lessons in four grade spans: pre-K and kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2, Grades 3 to 5, and Grades 6 to 9-plus. Subject matter covers everything from science to social studies and even social-emotional learning. "As more and more teachers, students, and families around the world are affected by the coronavirus, our priority is to support them in the best way we know how — by providing them with rich stories and meaningful projects that will keep kids academically active," says Lauren Tarshis of Scholastic. The materials are accessible on all devices and do not require any sort of sign-up.
The video recording and sharing service has deals making it easier to work at home. Through July 1 it has removed the 25-recording limit on its free plan, making it now unlimited. Trials of Loom Pro are now 30 days, up from 14, and the price has been cut in half, to $5 monthly. And Loom Pro is newly free for educators using it for classroom work — forever. "We want to be clear that these changes are not a marketing play," the company's founder and CEO said in a blog post announcing the changes. "We are trying to do what we believe is right. Inaction was not an option."
For a slightly more hardcore workout, Gold's Gym has your back. The company is offering unlimited, free access to on-demand video workouts on its website, and audio and video guided workouts via its Gold's AMP app, whether or not you're a member. There are more than 600 workouts to choose from.
The minimart chain serves free coffee to health care workers, police, first responders, medical staff, medical researchers, and military personnel. The deal applies at any of the chains owned by parent company EG Group, which include Certified Oil, Fastrac, Kwik Shop, Loaf 'n Jug, Minit Mart, Quik Stop, Tom Thumb, and Turkey Hill.
Google has made its advanced Google Meet video-conferencing capabilities available at no cost to all Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) Basic, Business, Education, and Nonprofit customers through Sept. 30 "to ensure businesses, organizations, and educators continue their work during this crisis." More advanced features, such as meetings of up to 250 participants per call and live streaming for as many as 100,000 viewers, will be free until Sept. 30, according to the company; both features are usually available only to Enterprise and Enterprise for Education customers.
NEOU has on-demand and live fitness, exercise, and wellness classes covering everything from dance to yoga, Pilates, boxing, and meditation, with 30 days of free workouts online. No credit card information is required, meaning you won't be on the hook for anything (except maybe some emails) after the month expires. There's an app, and the lessons can be streamed from any screen.
If classical music is your jam, head over to the Seattle Symphony's website for links to free live performances and rebroadcasts streamed via YouTube and Facebook.
Nationwide chain YogaWorks offers daily live-streamed classes with some top teachers. The practices, posted on YouTube, are constantly expanding and include the basics, vinyasa, kundalini, hatha, and more.
Comfort food chain Boston Market is offering free delivery on orders of $7 or more online or via its app.
Exercise app company Down Dog is making all of its apps, including Down Dog Yoga, Yoga for Beginners, HIIT, Barre, and 7 Minute Workout, free through May 1. "Stressful times like these are precisely when people need wellness practices the most," the company says on its website. The company is also offering free access through July 1 for students and teachers.
Buffalo Wild Wings has a variety of deals on its website, including buy-one-get-one-free wing Tuesdays and boneless Thursdays. The company offers free delivery through its website or app.
Need your burger and french fries fix at home? Burger King will deliver orders of $10 or more for free.
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Mexican food eatery Chipotle will deliver online orders for free as long as the total is $10 or more.
There's free delivery through the Jersey Mike's Subs app until further notice.
Need your Starbucks macchiato fix to get through the day? The coffee chain is offering free delivery through the Uber Eats app for orders of $10 or more.