Free Stuff and Money Saving Coupons

[LilacGardenia]

Hey everyone!

I've been clipping coupons from ads, boxes, and this online website called freeflys.com. They also have some really nice free samples--I got toothpaste, a mini bag of dog food for my dogger, a shampoo sample, a free full-size bottle of sunscreen, etc.

While some people may not be able to go out and work a full time job (especially in high energy jobs like construction work, retail, etc.) clipping coupons and getting freebies can help ease the financial burden and is easy (if not easier) than posting on the forums/blogs here. I've heard stories of people that live off this stuff (kind of weird, but I suppose it's not impossible.) I find it's just a nice way to save some money and who doesn't like freebies in the mail?

My parents and I all work, but still look for sales and use coupons. One time we bought like $250 worth of groceries for $70. I'm trying to beat that goal.

I'm pretty sure this stuff is just for the U.S., but you can also look in your local ads and websites for the stores you shop at. I don't endorse this website, advertise for them or anything like that, I just thought I'd share it in case others are interested.

 

[maddietod]

I took a look.........and am a little worried that the sign up includes not only name and address but also complete birth-date. That information makes freefly's mailing list very lucrative if they sell it.

Have you been using them for long enough to tell if this is a problem? If not, it's always fun to get stuff in the mail!

My daughters sometimes watch "Extreme Couponing" and I saw one where a 16 year old has complete control of the family's entire grocery budget. Of course, they show us the storage area.......which is most of the basement..........and it's full of paper towels, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. Already more than they could use in a lifetime, and very little food. If they only eat foods they have coupons for, as they claim, how are they still healthy???

Anyway, thanks for the fun idea. I'm going back to take another look.

Madie

 

[LilacGardenia]

I know several others that use it and they haven't had any problems. The birth-date helps them find items and ads tailored to your age group. For example, I get loads of acne treatment and cosmetic stuff since I'm in that teen-20's age group that buys most of these products. I also get free stuff on my birthday (like a free drink at Starbucks and rewards from Sephora.)

I don't buy all of my food based off of the coupons I have (like the people on Extreme Couponing.) Now, I just got coupons for some healthy things like: granola, yogurt, wheat bread, whole grain cereals, tea, and coffee. I get a lot of good deals on meats, veggies, fruits, and things of that sort by looking for sales (for example: one week my grocery store offered a "buy one pack of chicken breast, get the second half off" and they always clearance the fruits and veggies once they get a new truckload in.) We also have a lot of small farms and farmer's markets that have really amazing deals on organic meats and produce. I can get a dozen cage-free chicken eggs for $2 and a bushel of organic apples for $6. If you live in a large city--these type deals might be difficult to find.

 

[maddietod]

Wow! My local farmer's markets charge a lot more than supermarkets, especially for organic. We joined a CSA this year hoping to save some money, but lately a quarter of it is nightshades (potato, peppers, eggplant, tomato), which I can't eat.

 

[Ema]

I've been using ebates.com for about a year and gotten a little under $100 in cash back. You just have to go through their website when you make online purchases at other retailers. There's no charge to sign up. I've used it at drugstore.com, Nordstrom.com, overstock.com and others successfully.

If you sign up with my link, I can get credit for the referral too:

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=cqLse9BxL8luFrYb4YUpdA%3D%3D

 

[beaker]

you don't have to put your acutal BD if you are worried about ID theft. Pick a day -- and write it down to remember.
But yeah, if you get a coupon for a freebie out you may have to show ID. Use something close enough could be a typo. : )