Fabulous Freebies

OK, so money's tight. That doesn't mean that you still can't do things for next to nothing or even sometimes for free. Below are some examples of things that are out there.

Freebie #1

Free Credit Report

• You may have seen those ads on TV that offer you a free credit report. What you may not know is that they are often come with strings such as enrollment in a credit monitoring program for an additional fee. What they don't bother telling you is that you can get a free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every 12 months with no strings attached.
• Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to take advantage of this.

Freebie #2

Free Education

• The Massachusetts Institue of Technolgy offers a program called Open Course Ware (OCR) where most of its course materials are avaiable for free, including lectures, video and notes. You can't earn credit or a degree through this program, but its a good way to learn something about just about everything MIT teaches.

Freebie #3

Free Ice Cream

• There's not much anything better than ice cream, especially if it is for free. Once a year on "Free Cone Day", Ben & Jerry's gives away a free scoop to everyone as part of their anniversary celebration at participating stores. Last year it was held on April 29, so look for it around that date. If you see something about this in your email, just know it's not a hoax and enjoy!

Freebie #4

Free Travel

• Ever want to travel for free? You can if you organize and travel with a large group. Many tour operators offer free travel tickets to those who organize a group of 40 or more people. Also, most major cruise lines offer a similar program for those who organize groups of 15 or more. To do this, you just need to find a good travel agent who is willing to work with you as a "group leader". This can be a great opportunity if you are organizing a family or class reunion .

Freebie #5

Free Groceries

• While you are probably aware that you can save money on groceries by using coupons, did you know that you can actually get free groceries? Sometimes you might have to take advantage of buy one get one free offers, but not always. There are several very good grocery cost saving websites available including CouponMom and GetGroceriesFree.com which were started by real moms. They scour the internet and hundreds of store advertisements for the best deals, help compile shopping lists and even tell you what coupon to use and when for the best available deals.
• the largest grocery store chain in the country, Kroger, even has some pretty cool ways for you to save. If you have a Kroger rewards card, you can automatically link your card to offers avaiable online. When you check out using your card, the coupons are applied. No clipping! They are also offering coupons for download to your cell phone via text messages.
• For even more savings, check out CoolSavings and Coupons.com where you can download hundres more offers.

Freebie #6

Product Samples

• There are literally hundreds of sites available where you can get free product samples from companies, but you must register your name and email address on most. Products available range from everything from lipstick to candy to baby products to cleaners. For example, most cosmetics makers offer freebies through third party partners. Just enter freebie or sample and the name of the product you are looking for in your favorite seach engine's URL bar. You are usually limited to 1 per household every 8 weeks, though.
• For samples of feminine products go directly to the manufacture's website such as Platex.

Freebie #7

Free TV and Movies

• Who says you have to belong to Blockbuster or NetFlicks to get movies, or even subscribe to cable or satellite to watch TV? There are now several ways to watch your favorite programs for free.
• YouTube offers more than just viewer created videos thesedays. there are now "channels" created and mantained by music artists, major studios and even the even Pope Benedict has a channel officially maintained by the Vatican.
• One of the best sites currently available is Hulu, where you can watch full length episodes of shows like 24, Family Guy, 30 Rock and The Office. the only catch, aside from registering for an account is that, like real TV, you have to watch commercials. But hey, it free!

Freebie #8

Free Massage

• Want to pamper yourself? Try a massage, then, and there is no need to spend up to $100 on this. Many massage scholls offers free massages for those who are willing to let their students practice on. Just look for massage schools in your area to call and inquire.
• Also, local day spas may offer a free or reduced rate "introductory" massage to new clients. All you have to do is ask.

Freebie #9

Free Music Downloads

• You don't have to pay for free music, even with Apple's iTunes store. Visit sites such as YourFreeMusicDownloads.com, FreeMusicDownloadSpot.com or Sprialfrog.com to take advantage of this where you can find many original artists, including up and coming unsigned artists. All that is required is registration.
• Even subscription services such as Napster, eMusic and iTunes offer free music if you are a member. for example, iTunes offers a Free on iTunes section that usally has several free downloadable songs and videos each week. Just click and enjoy.

Freebie #10

Free Books

• The library is not the only place these days where you can find free books. There is now a way that you can clear out those unwated, previously readd books you have and get somethng you want. All you have to do is join an online book exchange such as PaperBack Swap or Title Trader. After you register, you get credit for each book you list available for trade or send to another member. You use these credits to get the books you want that are posted as available from other members. Your only cost is postage, which usually runs less than $2 when you use MediaMail through the U.S. Postal Service, which is way cheaper than the cost of buying a new book at the store.