Where to Get Freebies, Part One

FREE!!!! Everyone loves free stuff, whether it is bite sized samples at the grocery store or a favorite perfume sample from the mall. Over the past couple of years, I've come to realize that there is free stuff--all KINDS of free stuff--out there for the asking. You just have to know where to look. The quickest and easiest way to stock up your free sample drawer (yes, I have one--and it's full!) are to check out these sites:

www.todaysfreebies.com

I like to go to the freebie forum everyday and just browse through the posts. Members graciously post links to all sorts of freebies they have come across, and I usually find at least a couple of things each day that interest me. Most companies just have you fill in basic information (name, address, email) and they send the freebie your way. I love checking my mailbox because along with those nasty bills (blech!) and junkmail (blah), I get something free in the mail almost everyday (Yippee!)

Some of my freebies over the past year include: dog and cat food samples, many trial size shampoos, body lotions, vitamins, face creams and serums, toothpastes, baby diapers and wipes, laundry detergent, snack bars, popcorn, rice cakes, breakfast cereal samples, drink mix, tissues, toilet paper, trash bags, cleaning wipes, and Post-It notes. A double benefit is that many companies include a coupon with their sample which I file away for later use when/if the product goes on sale.

Another freebie we have enjoyed over the past year is our extensive collection of FREE magazine subscriptions. Until recently, I had no idea it was even possible to get magazines for free, yet we now get 12 subscriptions, and do not pay a cent for any of them. And these are GOOD magazines--Smithsonian, Family Fun, Wonder Time, Good Housekeeping, Better Homes and Gardens, Lego Magazine, Saveur, just to name a few. At one point I totalled up the subscription price of all our magazines and it would have cost almost $300 if we had paid for them. All the subscriptions came as promised, and I found the postings for them in the Today's Freebies forum. We truly have more than we can read. The magazines are a little luxury for us, but can be passed on to others as an act of charity as well. Hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons often appreciate donations of magazines.

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-free-samples.aspx

Walmart has a list of free samples on their website that they will mail to you. The product samples change frequently, and there is a pre-determined number of each sample allotted; Once that number has been requested a new item will be posted. I check this site every few days and many of the freebies I mentioned above came from Wal-mart.

http://www.craigslist.com/

Most major metropolitan areas have a local Craigslist with a "free" section. Many things are listed here--clothing, furniture, landscaping stones and materials, toys, bikes, swingsets, etc. Definitely worth an occasional peek.

So, there you have three places to start you on your hunt for freebies. It may take 5-10 minutes per day to check all 3 sites and fill in the sample request forms, but it is worth it when you see your mailbox loaded with free stuff! And, hey, what Mom can't use more laundry soap and toothpaste, right?

A few words of wisdom--it is best to stick with name brands or well know companies. Those samples are likely to actually come. Unknown companies may indeed be legitimate, but some merely try to get email addresses to sell, and all you will get from them may be spam. For that reason, you may want to do as I did and create a separate email address that you use for freebie requests.

I hope your mailbox is soon full of happy surprises!