When Paul brings the mail into the house each evening, I will gravitate to my kitchen counter to peruse the day’s delivery. Besides the usual advertisement, credit card invitation, and bill, I will usually find a free sample, magazine, or coupon.
Receiving the mail is no longer a burdensome task of viewing the bills. No way! Getting the mail has become a treat to see what free items have arrived today.
Locating the Freebies
Searching the Internet for all the free items would NOT be using time wisely. Spending my valuable time searching for freebies would detract from my top priority – educating and training my little ones.
Note: As all Mommy’s and Daddy’s know, educating and training children is a 24-hour/7 days a week responsibility. Though I do not homeschool my children academically, I am still teaching and nurturing them constantly.
Since our kids are only young once, choosing to spend time with them is using time wisely – even if it is playing the same game repeatedly or answering the same question. OK . . . off my soap box and back to the post. 🙂
In using time wisely, I look for ways to maximize my money, energy, and time. If I do not want to spend the time searching for freebies but want them, I need to find a reputable source to bring those freebie opportunities to me.
Heather Hernandez of Freebies 4 Mom fits the qualifications. Heather researches and posts on www.freebies4mom.com all the current free samples, coupons, and sweepstakes. Her web site is fabulous! I love the clean, organized design. With one freebie opportunity per post, I can quickly scan the offers to find my favorites.
Finding the Freebies
Photograph Credit: Freebies 4 Mom
Once you begin requesting freebies, you will find that the “hot” ones vanish quickly. No worries, more freebies will be available soon. If you don’t get one, then keep a lookout for another. To stay on top of all the freebies, Heather offers 3 ways to subscribe to her posts:
1. RSS Feed. By now you know this my favorite choice. I subscribe to freebies4mom in my Google reader. (If you need assistance setting up a reader, check out my RSS Feed Reader series.)
2. E-mail. To encourage e-mail readership, Heather randomly gives away $400 each month to one e-mail subscriber. If you prefer one e-mail each day with all the previous day’s post, then subscribe by e-mail (located across from her title in the header of her blog’s home page).
3. Facebook. I am in awe of Heather’s Facebook page. She has customized her page and has over 100,000 followers. (Way to go, Heather!) If you prefer to see her posts via Facebook, then go “like” her page. You will not be disappointed. In addition to the RSS Feed, I am also a Facebook follower so is Using Time Wisely. (Are you a follower of Using Time Wisely? If not, come “like” our page and interact with fellow readers.)
Choosing the Freebies
When you find a post for a freebie you want, click on the purple-colored words. The words in purple indicate an embedded link in her post. The link will take you to the registration page for the freebie. As you register for these freebies, remember to use your junk e-mail account. Usually you will be signing up for newsletters or correspondence from the gifting company.
For free Facebook offers, use your junk Facebook account. The company offering the freebie will want access to your friends. The junk Facebook account is empty, so they can view your account without invading your friends or your privacy.
Keep in mind, the company has an agenda. They want more newsletter readers, followers, or comments. To incise you to help them raise their numbers, the company offers freebies. Give them what they want through your junk e-mail and Facebook accounts, and the freebie will be yours.
Receiving the Freebies
Usually after your registration is complete, you will receive confirmation that your freebie will arrive within a time frame, e.g., 4-8 weeks. Just think, one day when you are going about your business, you will be surprised to find your freebie waiting for you in your mailbox. Cool, huh?
As you request freebies consistently, your mailbox will soon become, what Heather terms, your “freebox.” By requesting samples and freebies, you can try new items and replenish existing products without spending any money. In using time wisely, you can continue stretching your dollars by requesting freebies and enjoying the surprise in your “freebox.”
Question: Where do you find freebies? Please add your answer to the comments.