Fun and affordable things to do online

Between Smartphones, tablets and computers, we spend on average nine hours a day looking at screens. Many of these hours are spent working, but the rest can be dedicated purely to leisure. There is an unlimited supply of websites out there for your reading and viewing pleasure – and not all of them are Harlem Shake compilations or commentary. Here are some of our favourites:

1. What Should We Call Me

Started by two anonymous girls in their mid-twenties, this blog has become an internet sensation with plenty of spinoff versions. With a winning combination of moving images and clever captions, WSWCM is definitely a good laugh.

2. Buzzfeed

Picking up on the social media trend, Buzzfeed calls itself a “social news” source – picking up on viral or trending articles from users and its staff. The result is a brilliant compilation of everything popular, from top 20 lists to pictures of cute animals.

3. Cracked.com

Cracked.com is like Buzzfeed’s cruder, humour-focused brother. A descendant of Cracked magazine, which was founded as a print magazine in 1958, Cracked is a treasure trove of funny and often insightful articles.

4. StumbleUpon

Kind of like channel surfing on the web, StumbleUpon is a goldmine of recommendations. If you are a surfer with a short attention span who likes immediate gratification, StumbleUpon is a way to click without commitment and never get bored. 

5. Coursera

Now that university seems to be, once again, largely for only those who can afford it – sites like Coursera are revolutionising education by offering higher-level courses taught by established professors to anyone who wants to take them. You can dabble in Einstein’s relativity theory with a course taught by Stanford, or learn about the human body with Duke University’s Introduction to Physiology.

6. Games

There’s no doubt about it: games are fun. And, thanks to the demand, there are plenty of games now available to play online. Popular favourites in digital form include online Bingo as well as classic childhood games like Monopoly and Battleship. 

7. Shop

Shopping usually involves buying, and buying does mean spending money. The good news is that online shopping provides some of the most budget-friendly solutions to the problems raised by high street price tags. You can compare different websites for the best prices, meaning you won’t have to break the bank to find what you’re looking for.

8. Wordpress

Now that you’ve been looking at tons of blogs, why don’t you create one of your own? To get the creative juices flowing, join Wordpress’s community of thousands of bloggers. You’ll get suggestions, links and a buzzing forum full of tips and advice - plus it’s the most user-friendly way of creating your own site. Pick a theme for your blog and get writing!

9. VPN

VPN is a great technology to help people increase online security. There're many VPN providers out there. You can shop for the best VPN service providers and select a VPN service that can help you the best.