If you know a little bit of command line and know how to configure openvpn on windows or use tunnelblick on mac, just use this simple command on a service like digitalocean, linode, or vultr
https://github.com/Nyr/openvpn-install
I don't really have a need to use a vpn but when I go to a public wifi at a store or coffee shop it is wise to have one. People can have programs that intercept all your traffic, I know a guy that showed me it once.
The one time I was a victim of credit card fraud (beyond getting my card banged) it was because I made a purchase on a network that was compromised. Somewhere on the bookstores main network there was a traffic sniffer and it started billing over $1500 on the card. Luckily I gotten it taken care of immediately.
A quick shot vpn like that on a ssd instance is you can get rid of your logs as soon as you delete your droplet.
It's good enough too where if you download a torrent, for whatever reason, and get stung it goes back to the hosting service and not your ISP. It's something that's only happened once.
But on open public connections I strongly suggest encryption as there are people that sit in coffee shops and not all of them are innocent.