Is there a way to test battery health without special tools?

[brandonhillg]

Car's been acting a bit strange lately and I'm trying to figure out if it's the battery or something else before I go spending money I don't have. The last few mornings it's been cranking just a tiny bit slower than normal, not enough to fail but enough that I notice it and get nervous. Also noticed that when I'm sitting in traffic with the AC on, the lights dim slightly when I press the brake pedal, never used to do that. Don't have one of those multimeter things everyone talks about online and honestly wouldn't know how to use it if I did. Was hoping there might be some simple tricks to figure out How to know if your battery needs replacement without being a mechanic. I remember my dad used to check by turning on the headlights before starting the car and seeing how bright they were, then starting it and seeing if they dim a lot, is that actually reliable? Battery's about three years old now so I know it's getting close, just don't wanna replace it if it's got another year left. Anyone know a shop in Sharjah that does free testing maybe? Rather know for sure than guess.