FREEBIE HANDOUTS: WHAT’S REALLY FREE?
In this economy, we need to preserve our cash. Not only is not buying in bulk too expensive right now for an average-sized family, but we really need to hold onto every dollar we have. Freebies are in demand.Quality, in the feedback I’ve been getting, has gone down in lots of your favorite brands and products. Companies are now paying up to a few hundred thousand dollars to get our feedback on thousands of items. If you volunteer to test products, you will receive 5-6 free items, mostly food and cosmetics.
By sharing your positive thoughts and getting some feedback from your friends, your feedback can impact how products are made. Companies know we will spread the word if we like their products. 10,000 volunteers to test products generates 600,000 people learning about those products, according to Bzz Agent.
BZZ AGENT
Average yearly savings: $60-100
Products typically tested: food and cosmetics. Saving you money on your favorite products, word-of-mouth marketers hope you and your friends, and their friends, etc., will buy products. Most importantly for you, a chance to give your meaningful feedback and input into product-making.
How it works: Bzzagent.com does a word-of-mouth campaign whenever there is a need to address a group of people like yourself–young moms, recent grads, people living in large urban areas, etc.
The Catch: you don’t get paid to be a volunteer, but you get to keep the product samples.
FREE DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE
Average yearly savings: $1,000
Many people spend $30-$50 a month on 411 calls — a service you can totally get for free!
By calling 1-800-FREE411, you get free directory assistance service for any business, residential, government or toll-free listing in the United States.
How it works: After navigating the voice prompts, you listen to a short advertisement (about 10 seconds long) and then you have the option to connect to the original business you requested, or to the sponsor.
Savings/year: A family of four can save up to $80-$100 a month, or about $1,000 a year.
Americans spent $6 to $7 billion on directory assistance in 2007, which is more than the U.S. government spent on cancer research the same year.
The Catch: It’s all automated (which is the reason they can give it to you for free!)
FREE BIRTHDAY TREATS
Average yearly savings for family of 4: $1,000
We’re spending anywhere from $500-$1,000 to throw our kids parties these days. It’s our version of keeping up with the Joneses.
Free Birthday Treats.com offers hundreds of freebies from companies when it’s a kid’s birthday or adult’s. Over 40 places in Minneapolis, alone, offer freebies, but freebies are offered in every major city across America. Most are popular chain places that everybody loves.
How it works: To get things like free gifts–which, by the way, there are over 40 places in the Minneapolis area alone that are giving away free meals, ice cream parlors, entertainment venues and gifts for kids and adults–you need to sign up on those establishments’ websites.
Savings/Year: The average family can save $1,000 dollars a year just shopping this site before they break the bank on birthdays!
The Catch: You have to sign up online with these companies to get the freebies, but there is no charge and they don’t sell your financial information.
FREE 20% OFF UNUSED GIFT CARDS
The gift card industry is a $75 billion industry, yet 1/3 of all gift cards are never fully used. We all need to shop, even during a recession, to buy our kids clothes, pay for entertainment and meals, and so on. At Gift Cards Again.com, I found discount cards at Borders, Applebee’s, Bloomingdales, and AMC movies. 20% off beats most coupon values today.
How it works: Just visit the site and search for stores or categories and you will see many choices. You can also sell your own unused cards on the site.
Savings/year: Save up to $2,000 a year on all of your everyday items. Like most gift cards, shipping here is absolutely free!
The Catch: Check the cards’ expiration dates and know that some cardholders will offer less than 20% off.
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