One of the big benefits of living frugally is that you often get the opportunity for free stuff. This is lots of free stuff, from magazine subscriptions to furniture. You might be amazed at the amount of free stuff that is available if you know how to find it.
Free online offers
Manufacturers want you to try their products in the hope that you will like these products and then purchase them. Of course, if you get enough free samples, you seldom have to purchase any products at all. Toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, deodorant, tote bags, t-shirts, music, books, magazines and more can all be had for free. The secret here is to focus on legitimate manufacturers and companies. You should never have to enter credit card information for a free offer.
Combining coupons and sales
From CVS to your local grocery store, combining coupons with sales and rebates are a sure way to get plenty of name brand full sized products for free. Check the sales flyers, or read blogs to find out the deals. One great place to go is freecoupons.com. Every week there are usually several ways to “purchase” products for free. While you are at the grocery store, peruse the free samples. They often give away new products. I’ve found such things as a free full-size sample of Febreeze.
Swapping communities
There are many local communities that are formed just for the purpose of swapping items for free. You can ask for specific items or browse to see what everyone else has available. The stuff is always free and no money is ever exchanged. Freecycle.org is the most popular of these sites. For books, you can checkout paperbackswap.com, although you will need to pay for the cost of mailing out books to exchange.
What is your favorite way to get free stuff?
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.
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