Before I say anything further, yes I know how much the recommended VPNs cost. I can read. Please do not interrogate me about it.
I’ve been wanting to get into torrenting for a while, particularly contributing to private trackers related to music (and to a lesser extent retro games, though I don’t have much original stuff to put there as it’s harder to find rare games than rare music). FMHY recommends RiseUp if I must get a free VPN while I’m working on my financial situation, though I’m not sure whether it’s been tested in court. What are my options, if any?
Focus on fixing the most obvious issue then. Don’t waste you time on watching some dumb content, pirated or otherwise. Unless of course you plan on pirating stuff that would actually help you sharpen your skillset, helping you land a better job. But to ease the pain by watching some dumb shit, just don’t.