A practical AI guide for Vermonters, from AI in the 802.
Create a Claude account at claude.ai with Google or email. The free plan is enough for a first chat. Checked September 25, 2026.
You can start without a credit card. The free plan is enough for a first chat.
Create the account
1. Open claude.ai.
2. Continue with Google, or enter your email.
3. Finish the prompts. A phone check may appear.
4. Stay on the free plan for the first chat.
After one answer
Look for Projects in the sidebar. Make one named Home, or Work. Put three to six lines in it: what you want back, and what it should leave alone. Add only the files for that work.
Leave Claude Code and the terminal alone until a normal chat is already useful.
Cowork, the task runner, is a later step and a paid plan. See How to start a task in Claude Cowork.
Questions
Do I need a credit card for Claude?
No. The free plan covers a first chat.
What is the first useful setup after the account exists?
One project with a short instruction, then one saved answer. Coding tools come after that.
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