By Aaron Crowe

Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist who specializes in personal finance. Aaron blogs via Contently.com.

Getting something free — especially on the Internet where a freebie is only a few clicks away — perks up the inner cheapskate in all of us. But you need to be careful when trolling the web for samples and the like because, as the saying goes, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”

There are plenty of companies offering free samples of their products: cosmetics, baby formula, grocery coupons and gift cards. It’s marketing: they get you to try their products; you become a walking advertiser.

Websites such as Bargainbabe.com round up the freebies and tell you the ins and outs of how to get them. But you have to be careful of websites that go phishing for your personal information. Never give more than the basic information they’ll need to mail you the freebie. You don’t need to give your phone number, date of birth or any other personal information to get something in the mail. Most sites will ask for an email address and your postal address. If you’re worried about being spammed, set up a disposable email account to only use when signing up for freebies. You can also google the name of the website and type in “+ scam” to look for complaints.


Meanwhile, there’s lots of free stuff out there. Here are seven of my favorite ways and websites to get things without paying a cent:

1. Freebie websites such as RetailMeNot.com, has coupon codes that make it a lot easier than searching individual websites for discounts. The coupon codes may not always be for freebies, but their forum is a great place to go for a list of freebies posted by members.




2. Craigslist. It’s an obvious choice when looking for something used locally, but it also has a “free” area where hundreds of people are giving away their stuff. All you have to do is drive there to pick it up. Just be careful when meeting with strangers — don’t meet in a dark area and don’t give them money for something advertised as free.




3. Freecycle.org. Like Craigslist, Freecycle helps you find someone local who is giving away something for free. It’s a friendly place and an easy way to give away stuff you no longer need.




4. Mail-in rebates. I’m wary of a retailer requiring me to fill out paperwork to get a rebate on something I’ve had to pay cash for, but if it gets me something free that I was going to buy anyway, it’s often worth the effort. It’s better than getting a free sample of a product since it’s something you were going to buy and you know you want. Just be sure you don’t have to pay any fees to get your money or anything else sent to you.




5. Credit card rewards. Free flights, gifts, hotel stays and other rewards for using your credit card may not seem like much of a freebie since you have to spend money to accumulate the reward points. But if you’re buying things that you’d normally buy anyway, you might as well get something out of it if you can afford the annual fee that usually comes with such credit cards.




6. Store loyalty cards. These are easy to use because they’re free. I have cards for my local yogurt shop, which gives me a few ounces for free after buying 10 servings. Grocery stores also have them, and at Panera I get a free drink or cookie after every few visits.




7. Houseparty.com. I haven’t hosted one of these, but they sound intriguing. Companies will provide you with food for hosting a party to promote their product. You give out one of their products and some other freebies to guests, and you get to keep a product, such as free diapers or enough rice to feed your family for a while.

Some of these methods may require more work than you’re willing to do, at least in the beginning, so start with small steps. Try a few freebie websites and see how much you like the idea of shopping for freebies.