How to Get Free & Almost Free Items Every Week

Last year I read an article about a woman who compiled a large stock of shampoos, toothpastes, shaving gels, and pantry items all tucked away for later, and gotten them all for free or almost free. I got so excited about wanting to do the same thing that I reread her article several different times and even emailed her about where she got her free stuff and what she recommended for me to be able to do the same.

Since that time, I have been diligent about studying ads, checking coupon databases, getting the Sunday paper (that has the invaluable weekly coupon inserts), and timely shopping to create my own stash of free items and almost-free items. And although I'm sure my supply isn't as great as hers, believe me, I am set for a while, and my supply keeps growing every week. Having extra products tucked away for later that I've gotten for free and almost free definitely makes me feel blessed and ready to share my method for acquiring free items. I'd love for others to have their bathroom closets and kitchen pantries overflowing with items that were free, too.

Interested? Here's what to do:

The Basics:
1) Get the Sunday newspaper for the weekly coupon inserts and store ads/coupons, 2) Sign up with The Coupon Mom (free) and The Grocery Game (not free but worth the $$), 3) Do your homework by studying the drug store ads and using the two websites - weekly, 4) Shop on the right shopping days, 5) Shop every week at each store according to the free and almost free items you want, 6) Always remember to submit/send for rebate checks on time.

The Details:
1) Get the Sunday newspaper for the weekly coupon inserts and store ads/coupons. Perhaps you already get the Sunday paper. If so, you're all set in this area; if not, start subscribing. It does cost, but I have found two different ways to get the paper at a discount. The first is to talk to those teens that ring your doorbell to subscribe you. Sometimes they offer a really good deal on the newspaper. If no one ever comes to your door, talk to the guy giving away free [week day] newspapers at your grocery store. Stop by and ask him for his best deal for subscribing. The guy I talked to gave me a better deal for subscribing to both the Saturday and Sunday newspapers than for just the Sunday paper alone. Or better yet, find a neighbor, friend, or family member who gets the Sunday paper and doesn't use the coupon inserts/ads and have him save them just for you.

2) Sign up with The Coupon Mom (free) and The Grocery Game (not free but worth the $$). The Coupon Mom is a free site that lists some states' grocery stores, their sales, and corresponding coupons. For instance, I live in Colorado, and the The Coupon Mom lists CO and our two major grocery stores: King Soopers and Safeway. Each week the list gets updated for those two stores with some of their sale prices and any corresponding coupons that equal out to a great deal on groceries. Occasionally you get something for free, but most of the time you just get almost free or just a great value. Besides grocery stores, The Coupon Mom also has lists for Walgreens, Rite Aid, Wal-Mart and Target. You do have to sign up in order to use The Coupon Mom.

The Grocery Game is not a free site that also lists your grocery stores, their sales, and corresponding coupons, but this site lists more items than does The Coupon Mom. The price is $10 per 8 weeks for the first grocery store's list and $5 more for additional stores' lists. I pay $15 per every 8 weeks for the two major grocery stores in my state. I have found that The Grocery Game gives me more deals than The Coupon Mom gives me, and it's just worth it for me. Currently The Grocery Game gives you a $1 trial that lasts for 4 weeks to let you decide if the program is worth the money to you.

3) Do your homework by studying the drug store ads and using the two websites - weekly. The first part of your homework is to study the drug store ads weekly for free or almost free items. I recommend looking at them as soon as you get them (on Sunday) since the free after rebate items move quickly right on out of these stores once they're advertised. Almost every week Rite Aid and Walgreens have free after rebate items. Those items you pay for at the store, but then submit a check request at the end of the month to get reimbursed, making them free or almost free. This is how you will compile most of the free items but also some almost free items.

You can use coupons when purchasing these free after rebate items to save or make even more money. If a certain toothpaste is free or almost free at Rite Aid one week, you can check The Coupon Mom to see if there's a corresponding coupon that you can use with your purchase. When you mail in your receipt or request your check online (Rite Aid and Walgreens have different programs) you will get the quoted amount back in a check, regardless of whether or not you used a coupon for that item. Not only can an item be free, but you can even make a buck or two on the purchase!

The second part of your homework is using the two websites (The Coupon Mom & The Grocery Game) weekly. For grocery shopping, I use only The Grocery Game lists now; I check the lists on Sunday, print out my selections, locate and clip all corresponding coupons, and am ready to shop on Monday morning. It's convenient for me to check The Coupon Mom that same day to print out my list of free and almost free items for Walgreens, Target, etc. and clip coupons at the same time as for the grocery stores. This part of the homework can be tedious and time-consuming, especially locating all those coupons. But well worth it for getting free and almost free items!

4) Shop on the right shopping days. For my grocery stores, King Soopers and Safeway, The Coupon Mom updates the week's list on Wednesdays, which gives me an entire week to shop for my free and almost free items if I use The Coupon Mom for my groceries (which I currently don't but could if I didn't want to pay for The Grocery Game). The Grocery Game updates those grocery store lists on Sundays, however, giving me only until Tuesday at midnight to shop for my free and almost free items. The drug store/discount store lists at The Coupon Mom updates on Sundays as well, giving me an entire week to acquire my free items. The sooner I can get to the free or almost free items I want, the better, since they often do run out.

5) Shop every week at each store according to the free and almost free items you want. To truly stock up on free and almost free items, you have to shop every week. Grocery stores have different deals every week, so one week you may stock up on granola bars and frozen veggies yet the next week will offer frozen chicken nuggets and yogurt. To get a well-rounded pantry or freezer, every week shopping is required.

For discount stores like Wal-Mart and Target, you will probably not find as many free and almost free items as you will at grocery and drug stores, but you will find some free and almost free items there. I've gotten many travel-sized items (lotions, shaving creams, shampoos) free with use of a coupon at these stores, but you just gotta check every week to see what you can get for free this time.

6) Always remember to submit/send for rebate checks on time. The free after rebate items aren't free at all unless you submit the rebate - and submit it on time. Rite Aid allows you to enter your receipt info online and keeps track of your monthly rebate total for you. When the end of the month comes, you go online and request your check for that month. Walgreens still requires you to send in original receipts along with their Easy Saver form each month (always make a copy of your receipts and filled-out form before you send it in). Both stores ask you to submit/request your check by a certain date each month.

Note: Once I passed the deadline to submit my Walgreens receipt and Easy Saver form by a few days. Although it was late, I went ahead and sent my stuff into them and they sent me my check anyway. Although this happened once, I don't expect it to always work that way if I'm late ever again, but just for in case that even happens to you, go ahead and try to send for it.

That's how I get free and almost free items every week. Even when I don't currently need products like dish soap or Advil, for instance, I go ahead and get those free and almost free items for later on when I run out. Instead of spending money on something I am out of that's not on sale, I look ahead and get it when it's the free or almost free.

Now that you know how to get stuff for free and almost free, too, go ahead and clean out all your closets - you will need the extra space!