Everyone likes a bargain, and of course the best bargains of all are things that cost you absolutely nothing. Manufacturers provide free samples of their products in order to convince you to purchase more. Companies are willing to give you free prizes just for considering their offers. But where do you get these wonderful freebies?
Before the Internet became widely popular, most people were already familiar with the concept of the free sample. Demonstrators would occasionally be seen in stores, handing out samples to passersby in order to convince them to go purchase the full product. Companies would occasionally send coupons for a free product in the mail, or even free products or coupons to those who send in a letter praising their products.
With the Internet, though, the market for free things is wider than ever before. A quick search of the Internet reveals a multitude of sites dedicated to listing free samples and goods:
* TheFreeSite.com - TheFreeSite.com offers a wide variety of links to free services, programs and samples.
* WalMart.com - It may be the largest, most ominous shadow of the retail industry, but even Wal-Mart has started giving free samples away over the Internet.
* Totally Free Stuff! - Another good source for all manner of free things, from books and CDs to food and cosmetics.
* A number of online community sites offer free samples to their members, in exchange for participation in surveys and providing feedback. Vocalpoint and BzzAgent are two examples of such community sites.
* LiveJournal has a number of communities devoted to free samples and free stuff
- although these are user-operated, communities like these tend to update regularly with the newest and freshest free offers, and provide better feedback on which sites are reliable.
* A search for 'free sample' on Gather turns up many articles relating to free samples; likewise, there are many groups on Gather dedicated to getting things free (or cheap!)
While there are obvious benefits to receiving something for nothing, less tangible benefits exist as well. If you're not sure whether you'd like a particular product, trying a free sample is preferable to buying a full-sized product and discovering that it's a full-sized nuisance. Furthermore, sample-size products are just the right size to take with you on trips and vacations. Need a small bottle of shampoo? Pick up a free sample from Dove. Need a small tube of toothpaste? Pick up a free sample from Sensodyne. With a bit of planning and watchfulness, you can be prepared for any trip.
An important thing to remember when getting your free samples, however, is to read the fine print. Advertisers are ever quick to offer 'free offers' that, in turn, require the completion of countless labyrinthine offers (many of them requiring money, and thus defeating the purpose of 'free sample'). Usually, all you achieve from anything that requires the completion of other offers is a heavily spammed e-mail account. If you see something for 'free*', that * probably stands for 'must complete X number of other offers' - be watchful and avoid these tricks! Offers by the manufacturer are usually the most reliable and least prone to this sort of behavior.
Most 'free sample' sites require basic information - your name, your address, and some degree of demographic information. If you partake of these offers regularly, having an email account dedicated for the purpose is advised, to prevent clogging your primary email account with unwanted advertisements.
Many free sample offers are limited to specific countries, or specific regions; be sure to check the fine print before supplying your information!
What free sample sites have you found to be most reliable? Write a comment and let us know!
Austin Cushing, Money Correspondent:
Austin's column, Common Cents, published every Tuesday to Gather Essentials: Money is focused on life below the poverty line and other topics that are of importance to those living paycheck to paycheck.
Austin Cushing is an eccentric writer, programmer, poet, and photographer, as well as a former maintenance worker for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. He writes from personal experience and personal opinion, and enjoys finding the humor in even the darkest aspects of the world. In addition to his column, he maintains Gather groups on a diverse range of topics, from gaming to political discourse.
You can find all of Austin's Common Cents columns at http://commoncents.gather.com. Keep up with Austin's other postings and Gather activity by joining his Gather network -- just click here and select the orange "Connect" button on the left-hand side of the page.
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Comments: 74
Becareful on these or you can end up with your e-mail box filled with all sorts of offers, or your mail box, or both.
Good article here, there is a lot of free items from good sources if you just takle the time to look. :)
so many times it makes me stupid.
But the really free stuff is really cool.
Cricket
I have one email address just for spam- it's always full of junk so it's easy to check- delete all!
I usually go to the manufacturer site for free stuff and I will try the Walmart site as I have not tried that one in the past. I really think Walmart is not the place to shop but where else can you go in a small town!
free samples; saves me money why not?
http://www.bigbigforums.com/big-big-freebies/
it is a message board like gather and everything on this particular one is dedicated to freebies...I have gotten some really nice things from here.
they have other boards dedicated to things like coupons and referrals and contests, etc
worth a look :)
You're the best.
Free things are good things, but as I mentioned, it's best to have an email account dedicated for the purpose - because companies do, as Dan mentioned, spam the heck out of you sometimes as a result. Check the email for verification emails (which some companies use to ensure that you're reading) and delete the rest.
1. Create an email account (Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, etc.) especially for your freebie offers, you may have to sign up for newsletters or you may get spam from companies, but it's harmless and is more annoying than anything, but in the 3 years or so since I've been doing it, I've never had anything bad transmitted to me (plus I use Norton 360, AVG and a firewall!).
2. If you're ever asked for money, don't proceed, it's not free, ditto for any offer that requires you to complete and be accepted to move on, it's more than likely a spammer site.
3. Some manufacturers will not send freebies if you give them erroneous information, I've always given my true information and have never had a problem with identity theft, etc. Good protection on your PC is a must for any internet activity, period.
4. Try these sites: www.freebiefriends.com (excellent site!)
www.startsampling.com
www.jdfreebies.com
www.momanddads.com
www.killerfreebies.com
Thanks, Austin, for spotlighting one the fastest growing hobbies on the internet, It can be fun and rewarding, plus my husband works for the Postal Service, we like to call it job security!
I would like to say sorry for taking a while to get to your article. I have been away from gather for a while and I am finally getting to the 3000 plus emails I have awaiting me on here to go through. so I am starting from the most recent received to the first I ever received.... So now I am finally able to read your piece. Thank you for sending me the link to this article.
Now second thing:
I am def a freebie alolic... or how ever you spell it... Most of the suggestions and sites you have mentioned or others have are the same I agree with,.. Nice article and thanks for sharing it with everyone. Great work.