by Chelsea Carlson

While it may be depressing having a little (or a lot) less dough in your pocket for entertainment, the Internet provides many free entertainment sources. When it comes to the Internet, it seems that many of the best things in entertainment are free.

1. Hulu – Hulu shows tons of shows currently on TV on the Internet for basically free. All you have to put up with are the messages from their sponsors, and automatically those without a tivo have the ability to watch their favorite shows both legally and freely. Hulu is currently working on adding a sweet collection of movies, which includes a good mix of old and new, but mostly little known movies. Bigger films are hopefully on their way, but for now enjoy a documentary like the infamous “Super Size Me.” You can also watch a high quality trailer for any movie about to be released.

2. Grooveshark – Grooveshark is, like Hulu, both free and legal, allowing users to choose virtually any music to listen to. If you sign up for a free account, you can also make and save playlists of your favorites. This is a music station for those who have specific music in mind, want to try out a new artist, or discover obscure recordings by your favorites. Grooveshark is basically an Internet iTunes though you can’t take it with you on your iPod, but you can access it from any Internet connection.

3. Pandora – For those who want to discover new artists they may like, Pandora is the music service to go with. Once again free, Pandora prompts users to pick a single artist or song to start a “station” with. Once you make your decision, Pandora does the hard part, using the Music Genome Project to match you with other music it thinks you would like. If you don’t like Pandora’s picks, simply give it the thumbs down and help Pandora fine tune your station to your specific tastes. If you spend an hour or so tweaking a station, you can usually create a fool proof radio station that only plays the kind of music you want to hear.

4. Huffington Post – The Huffington Post, or HuffPo as its frequently referred to, is an Internet newspaper comprised of both original columns and many links to their contributing blogs. Its a blend of pretty serious news in the Politics section, with lots of hilarious polls and obscure facts in the Comedy and Entertainment sections. This isn’t a site for a serious news junkie; its for the casual observer who wants to get their news quick and then get on to the ten best presidential gaffes, pictures included.

5. Fmylife – This delightfully entertaining website is fueled by readers, and consists of stories which will make you laugh, cry, and then laugh again. For example: Today, I received my passport in the mail. They got my birthdate wrong. Then I picked up my birth certificate that I had sent in with the application. Turns out my parents have been celebrating my birthday on the wrong day for 16 years. FML Need I say more? This website is perfect for the casual entertainment seeker or the hard core procrastinator! Check it out and feel better about your own life, or submit your own FML to see if it gets published!

When you are searching for recession friendly entertainment on the Internet, look to the free and legal!