One of my favorite frugal hobbies is collecting freebies. I just started this back up a few weeks ago and am glad I did. I’ve gotten everything from laundry soap and perfume to dog food and breakfast bars. This nice little hobby is good for many reasons. Being the frugal zealot that I am, it satisfies that itch to reduce costs and even get something for free. It’s also a way for me to take short breaks between job projects. And, since I’m a professional reviewer, I can help spread the word—or warning—about products.
Many years ago getting free things online was easier and the items were much better. You could easily get full sized products, T-shirts, even a watch. Now we get very small samples which sometimes don’t allow us to really get an idea of how well a product works, but I’m still happy to get these.
Just this week in the mail I received two free Purex Complete 3-in-1, a travel size tube of Arm and Hammer Advance White Brilliant Sparkle toothpaste, and a travel size Neem herbal toothpaste. Each week it’s like small gifts in my mailbox since I’m always receiving new free samples.
This is also something kids can join in on since they can collect stickers, posters, and sometimes free toys. Recently I saw a free sample of Legos you could send away for.
Where to find all of these free samples? A couple of my favorite websites are Start Sampling and My Savings. These two websites seem to have information on the most free samples out there on the Internet.
For those who would like free magazine subscriptions, that can be a bit trickier. Most companies will offer a few free issues then bill you if you don’t cancel after your free issues have been received. However, a couple of my favorite free magazine sites are Trade Pub, and My Savings often has a couple of free subscriptions as well. I just got a free one-year subscription of CBS Watch magazine.
There are also many places to find free ebooks. The two websites I visit most are Free Ebooks and Scribd. If you can’t find anything you want on either of those sites, try checking the site E-books since they have links to hundreds of places online that offer free ebooks.
Besides trying to make a little extra money, it’s always great to save money. There are a lot of freebies out there, so why not take up a fun and relaxing hobby that can also help stretch your budget? I can’t wait to check my mailbox tomorrow.