21 Ways to Score Free Stuff

Posted by: kimc on Monday, August 24th, 2009

I'll be the first to admit that many of these require an investment of time, but I suspect that many of us have more time than money.  A couple even require some cash outlay, but you get your money back.  Find the ways that work for you.

  1. Ask your friends and family. Need a clock radio?  A replacement for your broken cellphone?  A baby stroller?  Before you hit ebay or the thrift stores, ask around.  There's a good chance somebody you know has what you need taking up space in their junk drawer or garage, and they would love to give it to you.
  2. Just say yes. Make a practice of accepting hand-me-downs.  If you decline too often, people will stop offering.  Just remember to be a good steward by passing along the items that you won't use.
  3. Look around your own home. What can you repurpose to suit your current need?  Frugal Hacks has a whole category dedicated to this question.
  4. Check Freecycle, Craigslist, and the local paper. You'd be surprised at what people will give away because it's just too much trouble to sell it.  Consider placing a want ad if you can do it w/o cost.  If possible, set up an automatic search so you'll be the first to know when your wished-for item becomes available.
  5. Ask at the thrift store. Some are happy to let you pick through the donated goods that are left outside after hours.  If they only accept donations during certain hours, items left outside are considered dumped and may be fair game.
  6. Request an item to review on your blog. When I'm considering a purchase - especially if it's something I know I'll love - I often request it for free.  Manufacturers are happy to get a positive review, and I get what I wanted for for free.  The worst they can say is "no," but they usually agree happily.  It's a win/win situation.
  7. Barter. Trade what you have for what you want.  Be as creative as you want.  Accept a banner ad in exchange for some free merchandise.  Babysit your friend's children if she'll give you her ____.   Trade the wheels off your brother-in-law's clunker for a spa certificate.
  8. Win a drawing. Of course your chances of winning will vary, but giveaways abound in the web world.  If you enter enough drawings and giveaways, you're going to win some.
  9. Need a replacement? Just ask the manufacturer.  Many will replace parts on your small appliances with no questions asked.
  10. Become a coupon expert. There are plenty of websites that teach you to combine sales, coupons, and rebates to shop for free every week!   Money Saving Mom is the biggest and best known.
  11. Free after rebate. Deals abound on the internet and in the real world.  Remember to keep good records and follow up on the rebates that don't show up in your mailbox.
  12. Be the last to arrive at the yard sale. Yard SALE that is! Arrive as they're closing up shop, and the seller is likely to let you take anything you want - for free.
  13. Patrol the neighborhood on trash day. If it's out on the curb waiting for the trash man, it's yours for the taking.  Save a landfill - take trash home with you.
  14. Dumpster dive. There's a whole culture built around dumpster diving.  Go as deep as you dare.
  15. Looking for a book? Many are now available online as free downloads.  Google Books is a good source, as is Project Gutenberg.  Here's a handy list with many more sites.
  16. Need software? Before you buy, check the reviews on free options.  You might be surprised at what's available.  The premium software you're longing for might even have a shareware option so you can download and try it for free before you pay.
  17. Earn swag. Swagbucks is a fun and easy way to earn free stuff - choose your own prize by redeeming points for Amazon gift certificates.  There are many other similar programs.
  18. Join affiliate programs. Some, like BookCloseOuts.com, give the option to receive affiliate payments in merchandise credit with a higher percentage payout.
  19. Paperback Swap. Not technically free since you pay outgoing shipping, but still a great way to get books for free.  And they are technically free if you refer friends and family to get credits for free books.  If you tell enough people, you may never have to actually ship a book.  You just keep choosing new ones for yourself.  They also make good gifts for the bibliophiles in your life.
  20. Buy more, then sell the extra. My friend's laptop keyboard went out on her.  Instead of buying a new keyboard, she bought a lot of 6 on Ebay.  She repaired her laptop, then sold the other 5 keyboards.  She recouped her investment with a nice bit of profit to pay for her labor.    If you want it, ask your friends if they want it too.  Then buy a case lot to get the best price, mark up the individual price a bit, and dole out the goods.  Tell your friends about the markup if you feel the need; most will understand and approve.  Your friends still get a better-than-retail price, while you get yours for free.  You all live happily ever after.
  21. Buy used, sell used. Buy it, use it, sell it.  If you get a good deal at the outset, you should be able to recoup when you're ready to sell it.  We used this technique years ago to try a wide variety of homeschool curricula for free when our children first reached school age.

These are ideas that have worked for me, but I'm sure I missed some.  Add your own ideas in the comments.

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Topics: free stuff

6 Responses to “21 Ways to Score Free Stuff”

Angela Says:
August 24th, 2009 at 10:32 am

You are right about saying YES. My husband and I always say yes to what is offered to us. AND we are not afraid to ask if we know somebody is getting rid of something. We have aquired a lot of stuff this way. My family just recently built a cabin designed around free Anderson windows. A coworker of my husband was dozing in his house to build a new one. The windows were good and so was some other stuff like, doors, outlet boxes etc. We took everything we could. Otherwise it would have just been hauled off to a landfill.
Our motto “IF IT’S FREE IT’S FOR ME. IF I HAVE TO – NOT TODAY!”

stephanie anderson Says:
August 24th, 2009 at 12:42 pm

Hello –
Regarding #6 – I wanted to know how a blogger can politely ask/contact a company/manufacturer about trying/reviewing a product. I’m not sure how formal a letter or email should be, and what is good to say?

I’d love to hear back – feel free to email me – or I’ll check back here for comments.

Staci Vazquez Says:
August 25th, 2009 at 9:10 am

I would love to know the answer to Stephanie’s post above also!

Thanks

kimc Says:
August 25th, 2009 at 10:34 am

Stephanie and Staci,
Thanks for the question. I’ll plan to post on that topic soon, but the short answer is this:
1. Keep it brief.
2. Explain how you can benefit them.
3. Include a link to your site.
4. Give your traffic stats. Be aware that if you don’t have much traffic, manufacturers have less to gain from you. They might say no – but they might not! It never hurts to ask.
5. Be yourself. You don’t need to sound like a business manager. Blogging can be a very informal platform, and it makes sense to approach manufacturers with a tone that is not too formal. This doesn’t mean that your letter should be disrespectful or full of mispellings and slang. It simply means that your letter should, to a certain extent, reflect the tone of your site.

Swagbucks codes for everyone! | Frugal Hacks Says:
August 31st, 2009 at 10:06 pm

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