People often misinterpret the word "free" when giving examples or trying to provide guides and stuff. They think that "free" only means that you do not have to spend money to get something, while they ignore the fact that when you put some effort into getting something, you are not getting it for free. When you are employed, you don't spend money from your pocket to finally get a salary at the end of the month, but you provide your services, you work for the company or firm or anything it is you are working with, and they pay you for your efforts and time and the work that you've done for them.

Similarly, when you are completing a certain task to get something in return for it, you are not getting it for free but you are earning it with your efforts and time. Free is something that you get for doing nothing. I'm sitting on my couch watching TV and I receive an SMS that I got some reward from a giveaway or something from somewhere I might have shopped or done something that wasn't specifically for that purpose, now that can be called getting something for free.