Your Guide to Getting Freebies and Free Samples
Freebies, which are anything that's given away for free, are a great way to try out new products or services with no risk to you because you aren't spending your hard earned cash to get them.
A freebie can be something physical, like a free sample of shampoo or a free dinner at a restaurant. It can also be a free service, like an oil change or a free event for kids at a local store.
Not only can freebies save you money on things you would normally buy, but it's a fun hobby that encourages you to try new products and get more surprises in the mail than bills and junk mail.
Sometimes a freebie can sound too good to be true, but there are ways to identify and avoid freebie scams as well as steps you can take to protect your privacy.
Free Samples
The most popular type of freebies is free samples. This is also a great place for the beginner to get started with freebies.
Free samples can be requested online where the company then sends them to you in the mail or you can pick up the free samples at stores, such as free food samples at your local grocery store on the weekend.
Companies give away free samples because they want you to like their product so much that you end up purchasing a full-sized product. Many free samples also include high-value coupons to further encourage you to pick up the product.
There are a few ways to find free samples to request online. You can find a list of current free samples, follow your favorite brands on social media and watch for free sample announcements, and there are also a few companies who send out boxes of free samples in exchange for your opinion.
If you've heard about free samples in the past, you may have heard that you need to complete lengthy surveys to get them but you can easily avoid these surveys and take a few steps to make sure that a free sample reaches you.
Food Freebies
One of my favorite types of freebies is free food. These can come in the form of free sample food in the mail, like free mini boxes of cereals and full-sized protein bars, but they can also be coupons for free food at a restaurant or even free groceries.
Many restaurants will give you free food for joining their loyalty programs or for visiting on your birthday.
They hope that you'll like them so much that you'll come back again and spend your money there.
There are also certain days of the year that many restaurants and stores join in and give out free food. Some of the most popular ones include National DonutDay, National Coffee Day, and National Pretzel Day. You can view the upcoming free stuff calendar to find out which ones are coming up.
Home and Garden Freebies
If you're looking for some freebies for your home and garden, these free home decor catalogs will give you the inspiration to redo a room or simply rearrange your furniture to get a new look.
Use these free online room design applications to plan your new look and then use services like Freecycle and Craigslist to find free stuff in your area that you can use to make your home look great. You can even use some free building plans to create new furniture for your home and your yard.
Now that you've redesigned a room for free, it's time to turn to your garden. Request some free seed catalogs for inspiration and use a free garden planner to plan out your new space.
Request free seeds and you're ready to plant a garden all for free that you'll be able to enjoy free produce from this summer.
Beauty and Health Freebies
Beauty and health freebies are a great way to try out new products without having to spend your money on a full-size item that may not work for you.
You can request free beauty samples, including free perfume samples and makeup samples, with just a few clicks of the mouse.
There are also some secret ways to get freebies and free makeovers at Sephora as well as test makeup for free that you can keep when you're finished.
Entertainment Freebies
We love to be entertained and spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year on movie tickets, DVD rentals, satellite/cable subscriptions, music downloads, and books. Luckily, there are some easy ways to save on these.
If you want to see the newest movies for free, you can get free advanced movie screening tickets that will let you see the next big hit before all your friends do. Wait until the movie comes out on DVD and you can use free Redbox codes or stream free movies online to see your favorite movies on the small screen.
You can even use a free streaming movie app to watch them on the go.
Cut down your music download costs by listening to free streaming music, downloading a free music app, or downloading music for free.
No matter how you like to read, you can get just about any book for free if you know where to look. You can get free Kindle ebooks, free Nook books, free audio books, and even free traditional books.
Freebies for Kids and Families
Having kids is expensive but there are quite a few ways that you can keep them entertained and happy for hardly any money.
Summer is an especially great time for kids to get freebies. They're out of school and looking for something to do and they can take advantage of free summer movies, summer reading programs with free rewards, free bowling, and even free roller skating.
All year around, kids can go to free building classes at Home Depot, free monthly LEGO mini builds, crafting classes at Lakeshore Learning, and other free classes and events.
Other popular freebies for kids and families include free Kindle books for kids, free kids movies online, and free printable activities.
If you are expecting or have a baby, there's an ongoing list of baby free samples and free baby magazines you can request to get in the mail and some great ways that you can save on diapers, formula, and all kinds of other baby stuff.
Free Computer Software
It's easier than you think to get free computer software. The free alternatives get better and better and it's a great time to save with them.
There are plenty of Microsoft Office alternatives as well as individual free software replacements for word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation software.
You can also easily find free software for antivirus programs, cloud storage, photo editors, and image hosting websites.
Special Event and Holiday Freebies
If you're celebrating a special event in your life or a holiday, there are plenty of ways to save on everything from decorating to gifts.
If there's a wedding in your future, you can get plenty of free wedding stuffincluding free invitations, wedding registry gifts, and free thank you cards just to name a few. There are also some great ways to save on wedding dresses and flowers.
Celebrate every holiday for less with freebies for Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Veterans Day.
If it's someone else's special event, there's free, printable greeting cards and free e-cards for just about every occasion.