Get yourself a VPN already for private internet use

If you still do not use a virtual private network (VPN) regularly, you should spend some time to get connected to one and make using it a habit.

The habit part is as important as setting up a VPN. If you cannot do it yourself, ask a friend or the teenage nephew to do it for you.

No money - no (big) problem
Great unlimited VPN service comes at a cost, although prices for decent VPNs can be as low as a few dollars per month. Which really shouldn't bother you if you are the proud owner of a high end smart phone. However, if you spent your last buck on the flashy hardware or are simply poor, you can still get some privacy and security at no cost. 

Getting into the habit - free services for occasional use or travel
You can search the web for free VPN services, and you will find many, for example this pcadvisor comparison page. Read up on features and drawbacks or limits carefully, and the ad free offerings will help you use the internet securely while you travel.

Opera, the web browser with built in free VPN
The company behind the web browser Opera has a track record of innovation despite not being one of the big names in the web browser world. In late 2016, they added free VPN to their Opera browser.
Simple, isn't it? Unlike a "full" VPN which makes all of your applications/programs go through the VPN, this one is for the browser only. That's good enough for most web uses, like browsing or internet banking.

SoftEther - free open source power VPN
For the more technically inclined or those with techie friends, the blogster recommends SoftEther. Originating out of a research project in Japan in the early 2000s, SoftEther has become a versatile, fast VPN solution that uses donated server bandwidth in many countries, although primarily in Asia.

SoftEther is not difficult to install and use, no worries. At the same time, it has advanced features that make it a geek's delight.

You can use the latter to entice the nerd friend or the nephew to install SoftEther and configure it for you. When you ask "can you help me set up a VPN" make sure to add "you know, the documentation says it even runs over ICMP and DNS".

If this does not get his or her attention, you are either dealing with a snob or someone who pretends to know more about computers than they actually do.

There is no need to tell them that the feature may sometimes cause problems. 

Think about Christmas & get a paid VPN
It is never to early to think about what you want for Christmas or as a birthday present, whichever comes first.
While experimenting with one of the free VPN solutions described above, research the commercial offerings and get one as a Christmas present.

In the meantime, should you be so unlucky to find yourself accused of illegal download or upload of a movie or a song and face hundreds or even a thousand or more dollars in fines and legal fees, interpret this as a sign of the universe to move to a full VPN.

[Update 1/4/2017]  Because the blogster feels generous today, here are two favorite paid services. Not cheap, but among the best you can buy.

Perfect Privacy, no logs, no hard disks (RAM only!), TOR access
VyprVPN

[Update 5/24/2017] There currently is a 3 Months Free special by VyprVPN. You can get it here.