10 Tips to Getting Free Samples

Do you love getting free samples of stuff in your mailbox? I do too! Just this week I've gotten a stuffed animal and samples of shampoo and laundry detergent! If you're new to the freebie world, here are ten things you should know.

10 Tips to Get Free Samples - PO boxes sometimes don't work.
Many companies that send out rebates, free samples, and other promotions will not send to PO Boxes. Check the details of anything you're signing up for to avoid wasting your time.

10 Tips to Get Free Samples - Be patient!
I've gotten samples months down the road that I barely remembered signing up for. If you keep a log book of your samples you'll see that some never come, some come very very late, and some come within days!

10 Tips to Get Free Samples - Join blogs.
There are lots of money-saving freebie blogs out there. My favorite one is Free Sample Freak, but if you do a google search for freebies you'll find lots of them. Sign up for their newsletters! Some of the blogs might post the same items, but some will post new contests and samples that other bloggers may have missed. One website to keep an eye on that isn't a blog is Walmart.com - they give out lots of free samples, and they usually come with coupons!

10 Tips to Get Free Samples - Coupons count, too!
Sometimes instead of a sample product, which costs money to ship, a company will send a coupon to get something for free. I got one recently for Cottonelle wipes that are a new product. Don't overlook coupons just because they're not the item you expected!

10 Tips to Get Free Samples - Make a separate e-mail address.
This has been a huge help for me. You don't want to be slogging through all of the free sample e-mails and the spam that might come with signing up to so many websites. Google does a wonderful job of filtering through Gmail, but keep an eye on your spam folder, because sometimes things you want to read end up in there!

10 Tips to Get Free Samples - The difference between free samples, sweepstakes, and earning items.
Free samples are free, no questions asked. You'll eventually get the item they tell you you're getting. Simple. Sweepstakes are contests that you sign up for that you may or may not win. The prizes can be great, or very small, or none at all. You can sign up for sites to earn points toward items, too. One I've just started using (and love!) is Swagbucks. It allows you to set your browser's default search as their own, and you earn whenever you search! It takes a while for your points to add up (I'm expecting a $5 Amazon gift card every week or so), but how easy is just searching?! You can also watch videos and get random Swagbucks, too.

10 Tips to Get Free Samples - Diligence!
You won't get anything in the mail if you don't do anything to get it!

10 Tips to Get Free Samples - Look for flyers.
If you're in a store and see a coupon book, or something that lets you fill in your information to get a coupon book or free sample, then do it!

10 Tips to Get Free Samples - "Additional Offers."
Scam, scam, scam. That means that you'll get wonderful free stuff - after you sign up for things that you have to cancel before your first bill, or you'll have to pay!

10 Tips to Get Free Samples - How to spot a scam.
Look for "additional offers," or "complete these offers to..." If you can't just sign up for it, then it's not worth it, usually. Many sites want you to sign up for Equifax, Netflix, or other services. Maybe you want those services, and if you do, don't let me stop you. But if you don't, just steer clear.