If it’s free, it’s for me. I love getting freebies in the mail and free samples of my favorite and new products. But some people disparage free samples and say that they are just clutter or a marketing ploy to get your personal information. Sure, the company giving me the free sample wants to get my information for marketing purposes but that doesn’t bother me. All companies do that now and it hasn’t changed my life one bit for the worse. As long as you sign up for freebies from reputable companies, you usually don’t have anything to worry about more than an email here or there promoting a product or maybe coupons sent in the mail, which are actually a nice perk.
But freebies are more than just icing on the cake. They can in fact save you money. Here’s how.
1. Freebies for Travel Toiletries
The most prolific category of freebies is free beauty and cosmetic items. Women love trying out new beauty items and companies know that, so they often offer free samples of their new products to entice customers to buy the item. I love signing up for these freebies and collecting them for when I travel. I keep a bag full of sample size shampoo and conditioner, body lotion, toothpaste, hairspray, face wash, moisturizer, and any other samples I get. That way when I am travelling there is no need to take a trip to the drugstore to buy each of those items for a dollar or two apiece. That amounts to a free travel toiletry bag which saves me about $10 each trip.
2. Try Before You Buy
We have all bought a new product with high hopes for a great taste or superb cleaning effectiveness, only to be disappointed or find that a family member hates it. If you have picky eaters you know how frustrating it is to bring home a box of granola bars you got on sale only to find them untouched a week later because no one will eat them. Well, getting free samples allows you to try products before you buy. Let your picky eater try the free granola bar you got in the mail and see if they like it before you waste $5 on a box that goes uneaten. Trying out a cleaning product allows you to see for yourself if their cleansing claims are true before you buy a whole bottle that doesn’t work. Same goes for skincare items. If you are allergic to it or it doesn’t live up to its claims, better to find out before spending the money on it.
3. Stockpiling Freebies
I have about four packets of laundry detergent that I got for free in the mail just sitting in my laundry room waiting to be used. I have lots of samples of beauty and cosmetic items so that I can shampoo my hair for three months using just samples (that is, if I am not planning a trip anywhere soon). Getting freebies can supplement your regular supply of that item and stocking up can save you from having to buy more of that item as soon as you regularly would. Many free samples offered will limit one per household, but if there is no such limit, why not get your spouse to also sign up for it? Signing up for multiples of the same type of freebie can stock you up in the same way, like multiple freebies for an all-purpose cleaning product.
4. Coupons With Freebies
Most freebies also come with coupons, hence the enticement to buy after you try it. The great thing about those coupons is that they are often higher value than the one you may find in the newspaper insert for the same item. And having a second coupon can make Buy One, Get One Free sales even better when you can use the second coupon on the free item lowering your cost even further. If you don’t like the item, just pitch the coupon, but I find that most items I am willing to buy at a discount price so I add the coupon to my coupon binder and wait for a sale.
5. Sampling Websites
There are number of websites that offer product samples and product testing in exchange for your opinion, review, and for telling your friends. This is a great way to get full size products to try out and coupons to share with your friends and for you to buy more of the product. I have had so many free product trials that I haven’t had to buy face wash or shampoo for a year. I have also gotten free full size products to try of dog food, cookies, vitamins, energy drinks, cleaning products, candy, games, frozen dinners and pizza, coffee, razors, and deodorant. Check out sites like BzzAgent and Smiley360 for samples like these.
Leave a Reply