St. Louis is known for being a pretty cheap, laid back area. But did you know that there is all kinds of free and cool stuff waiting for you if you just know where to go or who to ask?
Dig into this selection of St. Louis life hacks to find all the best free stuff, all the best cheap stuff and all of the best secrets around town that are often hidden in plain sight.
(Secret) St. Louis Life Hacks
By Jaime Lees on Fri, Jul 28, 2023 at 3:42 pm
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Photo courtesy of Flickr / Aaron Carlson.
The Missouri Botanical Garden (4344 Shaw Boulevard, 314-577-5100) is free for St. Louis city an county residents each Wednesday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon.
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You can rent more than books from the St. Louis County Library. Boost your summer with a rental of outdoor equipment or fishing gear from their Library of Things.
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FLICKR/JERAMEY JANNENE
Book your parking space in advance on big game nights and concert nights downtown. You'll be the hero when you book in advance via Spot Hero and nobody has to miss the first inning at the Cards game.
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MONICA OBRADOVIC
The St. Vincent de Paul Outlet in Cool Valley (1225 South Florissant Road) is the best thrift store in the St. Louis area. You pay for your stuff based on its weight and they have genuinely cool things here, too.
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Mabel Suen
Make sure to sign up for birthday freebies around town. Cool St. Louis places like the Hi-Pointe Drive-In, the Alamo Drafthouse and Nothing Bundt Cakes will totally hook you up.
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BENJAMIN SIMON
If you want cheap late-night eats in the Grove, let Larry the Hot Dog Guy be your hero.
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Riley Mack
Raid the dumpsters on college campuses at the end of the school year to find cool stuff that students didn’t have room for in their cars.
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Cheryl Baehr
If you can't decide on an ice cream flavor at Serendipity (multiple locations including 4400 Manchester Avenue, 314-833-3800), order the "Tiny Trio" to get three flavors in one cone or cup.
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DOYLE MURPHY
You can save more than a few bucks by bringing your own food to Cardinals games.
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If money is tight, you can find free lunches for your kids all summer all across the St. Louis area.
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COURTESY OF FLICKR/GRABADONUT
There are free menstrual pads and tampons available in the bathrooms on campus at Wash U.
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You don't need to spend a bunch of money on tech when you can just borrow all manner of electronic items from the St. Louis County Library. Hit them up for a Wi-Fi hotspot, a Chromebook, a virtual reality headset and more.
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SARAH LOVETT
If you can manage to time it just right, best place to see fireworks on the Fourth of July is from the Ferris wheel on the roof of the City Museum (750 North 16th Street, 314-231-2489).
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FLICKR/CHRIS YUNKER
Admission to the St. Louis Art Museum (1 Fine Arts Drive, 314-721-0072) is free every day, but if you want to see the main (usually touring) exhibitions for free, too, visit on a Friday and the whole darn place is free.
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RFT file photo
If you're looking to increase your game in the kitchen, hit up Penzey's Spices in Maplewood and trick your family into thinking that you finally learned to cook.
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RFT File Photo
Don't forget: You can always get a free seat at The Muny (1 Theatre Drive, 314-361-1900) but you have to show up early.
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photo by Jaime Lees
Aldi in University City (7701 Olive Boulevard) is the best Aldi in St. Louis. It’s worth the drive if you don’t live there.
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RFT file photo
The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House (15050 Faust Park Drive, Chesterfield. 314-577-0888) is free to St. Louis city and county residents on the first Tuesday of every month for the first two hours after opening.
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Photo by Amir Kurtovic
If you need some yarn for a knitting project (or want to donate some yarn), the St. Louis Public Library is happy to be your middle-man.
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NAGEL PHOTOGRAPHY/SHUTTERSTOCK
The St. Louis Public Library gives out free period supply kits so you'll never have to be caught without a tampon or a pad.
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