Maybe you mean open source? None of what you describe is limited to free software.
If software is free, someone still has to sacrifice to keep it up to date. If you're not paying money for it, publishers will get money in other ways like advertisements, or selling your data.
Most apps cost less than the price of a single meal.
People that see value in something but refuse to pay even the tiniest amounts will always be a cultural amazement to me.
If you're a regular unsubscriber, your email box is only ever filled with relevant important items.
I do the same thing with my phone notifications. If my phone ever gets a notification, it's something that directly concerns me.
I don't know how people live getting bombarded with stuff all day, but like you said, everyone's different.