FREEBIES

I’ve been feeling a little bit tired lately so I think it might be time to take a break. In the meantime I am going to turn my attention to getting free samples and giveaways which are all in a good cause too – me! Since I started comping I have discovered how easy it is to get free samples and many of theses are disguised as prizes for competitions. Like the recent Burt’s Bees ‘competition’ that was actually a way of sending out hundreds of small samples of their products in return for a mailing list. I can’t complain as the sample I received – lemon butter cuticle cream – was a very good score.

Free samples and other free stuff are sometimes easier to score than prizes in competitions especially useful and motivating when going through a competition prize drought. If you are interested in all kinds of freebies there are quite a few websites where, once registered you can receive samples to try and test on a fairly regular basis. The best Australian one I have found so far is Pinchme(www.pinchme.com.au). I found this site mentioned in Money Magazine and registered straight away. I like it because it is local and since February I have received a toddler pull-up nappy and toddler formula (for my granddaughter), a lamb meal-base (yum), some small cereal samples, cat food (twice) and three tubes of hand cream. All that is required is a short survey on the product after you receive it. You even get points for participating and once you have reached a certain point level you go in a monthly draw for a shopping voucher and other rewards.

Also pretty good is Brand Power – Home Tester Club (www.brandpower.com.au). Through this site I have received a number of shampoo samples and five packets of dishwasher tablets. Again all you need to do after applying for and receiving your goodies is to fill out a small feedback survey.

Another site I discovered, Mouths of Mums (www.mouthsofmums.com.au) is always on the look-out for product reviewers. Although I haven’t been able to score one yet, I have noticed beauty and skin care products, shavers, books, a washing machine, an air dryer and even a ten day test drive of a Citroen car.

On the forum the other day I discovered TotalTwaddle (www.totaltwaddle.co.uk) – thanks Schilders!).

This is an English website but it has a forum with Australian and New Zealand links. You do have to register but it looks pretty good so far. Another site to follow is the Coles Blog (blog.coles.com.au). They regularly give away products. I received a dettol hand dispenser and refill pack today and a packet of fozen mxed berries as part of a recent giveaway. There are also many businesses that happily send out samples as a matter of course in their marketing strategy. Just yesterday I got a packet of gluten free muesli and a small packet of Sustagen (I am pretty sure this one came through a radio station website but I can’t remember which one) in the mail.

Many new businesses using Facebook and just getting started are especially keen to distribute freebies. Make sure you are registered with competition’s sister site www.freestuff.com.au to keep ahead of any of the free stuff that can be found on the internet from day to day. And check the Facebook page as well. Don’t forget the obvious freebies such as free Wi Fi at your local library (I just head down there from time to time and download free books onto my tablet (which I got free through a NRMA promotion).

Fast food outlet are always giving away free stuff with purchases and many restaurants and clubs give away a free bottle of wine or food voucher on your birthday (that is if they know it). Finally, here are a couple of other sites worth checking out which may be able to get you started on your freebie collection. They are www.wikihow.com/Get-Companies-to-Send-You-Free-Stuff and perhaps www.wikihow.com/Get-All-Kinds-of-Free-Things-on-the-Internet. The best thing is to just have fun.