“How to Get Free Stuff” Series

{Part 5} “How to Get FREE Stuff”

Welcome to {Part 5} of my series, “How to Get FREE Stuff”…

…Contests, Sweepstakes, and Giveaways!

I haven’t been entering contests as much the last couple of months, since I’ve been so busy. But for about 6 months, I was seriously winning something new almost every single day. It was awesome.

I admit that I did put a bit of time into it…. It became kind of a hobby, which sounds so dorky :) Whenever I had a little free time, I’d hop online and enter some new sweeps. Here is a list of what I’ve won in just the last few months….

Prizes Won:

Huge box of natural products and vitamines from Taste for Life.
Rock and Roll DVD set from Celebrations.com
Stainless Steel water bottle from Eco2o.
Memorex Party Cube sound system from ModernMom.
High Impact Mascara from Clinique.
Stouffers Melt and Soup match up winner, free product coupon.
Free products from My Dream Sample Box in a FB giveaway.
Nasoya Prize Package from Naturally Savvy (the pic above!).
Cut Arts $25 gift certificate from TBWAP.
Tons of books! 4 or 5 parenting and baby books, and 4 others.
$50 Cafe Press Prize Package from Girl Gone Mom.
A months worth of FREE Pillsbury Toaster Strudels.
Gift certificate to Payless shoes.
FREE product coupons in the Gortons Fish giveaway.
Chiquita Mom prize package from Crazy House.
Planet Wise wet bag. (Awesome product!)
Voyage Diaper Bag from 7am Enfant. Super nice.
Amazing set of kitchen tools from Viewpoints!
R.W. Knudsen anniversary bottle of Sparkling Concord grape juice. Super good stuff.
Adorable set of toys from Kushies Baby.
Free pasta and sauce coupons from Barilla.

Thats just what I can remember… There have been loads more, and lots of little stuff like small gift cards, free product coupons, or small products. But if I can win all of this stuff in just a few months, so can you!

How do I know if a contest is legit?

A lot of people ask me if it is safe to give out their information when entering contests. As long as you are entering a contest or giveaway from a company/brand/product that you know, it should be fine. I say “should” because things happen… You hear a new story every day about some system getting hacked. But really, I’m not too worried about someone having my name and mailing address… They could get that from the phone book anyway, right?

And remember: You should NEVER have to pay anything to enter a contest.

What is the difference between a contest and a sweepstakes?

Most people use these terms to mean the same thing, but there is a difference. A contest is when a prize is given away based on some type of skill… Writing an essay, entering a picture, or submit a recipe. But a sweepstakes is when the winner is chosen based on luck only.

What is an Instant Win Sweepstakes?

Many companies run large sweepstakes with a great big grand prize, and the chances of winning it are pretty slim. But they will also let you enter an Instant Win contest each day, where the prize is much smaller, but the odds are MUCH better! This is usually where I win stuff like the month of free toaster struedels.

What are some tips for entering lots of contests quickly?

Everyone uses a different method, but this is how I do it…. Usually when you enter a sweepstakes you’ll get a confirmation email right afterwards. I take all of these emails and save them to a folder in my Yahoo account. Then, when I have a minute to enter, I can just roll through all of those emails and put in another daily entry to all of the contests!

This works great because usually you only need to enter all of your information the very first time you enter. After that it’s usually just your email. So I can enter about 30 contests in maybe 10 minutes.

Another tip is to make sure you have AutoFill!! This will automatically fill out all of your info on most forms. You can find AutoFill when you search for extra tools on your Google toolbar. I don’t know what I’d do without it!

Other types of giveaways:

I have TONS of luck with Facebook giveaways. The kind where you leave a comment to win, or something similar. So so many great prizes have been won this way! Also, the odds are always really good… The most I’ve seen on one of these type of giveaways was 300 comments, and sometimes it’s only 20 or 30. So enter all of these that you can find!

Blog giveaways are usually really good odds too… Much better than entering a big sweepstakes with a major company. Plus, I love blog giveaways because you learn some fun info about a new product, and find new blogs to follow. Good times.

What are the most “winnable” giveaways?

When it comes to sweepstakes, the harder it is to enter, the better your odds. If you have to upload a picture to enter, a lot of people will just skip it, even if the winner is picked randomly. So you have better odds. The more work you have to do to enter, the less people will do it. So if you DO complete an entry, you have a better chance at winning!

What are the best contests to enter?

I get asked this all the time. But it depends on what YOU are most interested in. Do you like to know right away if you’ve won? Then Instant Win games are for you. Are you happy with smaller prizes, won more often? Then enter contests that giveaway tons of prizes, versus a sweepstakes with just one grand prize. Or enter all types like I do! I’m hoping to finally win a BIG prize sometime soon. Hopefully a vacation….. :)

Where do I find contests and sweepstakes to enter?

If you’ve been following my “How to Get FREE Stuff” series this week, then you know that there are lots of ways to find new giveaways!

In {Part 1} I teach how Survey Sites work, and how they do monthly giveaways for members. This isn’t a place you would go to FIND sweeps, but if you like winning stuff, they are great.

In {Part 2} I gave you a HUGE list of newsletters you can sign up for. This is a great resource!! When a company is going to run a new sweepstakes they will always feature it in their newsletter, and sometimes they have exclusive giveaways just for newsletter subscribers. This is how I find TONS of new sweeps to enter.

In {Part 4} I shared tons of TRUSTED freebie sites that I use. Almost ALL of the freebie sites will also post about new giveaways going on too. So signing up for their daily email updates is another great way to easily find new sweeps!

(And if you want to see the other post in the series, it is {Part 3} about cash back shopping site rewards!)

Also, here are some great places to find new giveaways to enter:

Sweeties Sweeps: You can find her site here, and I highly recommend you check her out! She has a free Sweeping 101 course you can sign up for, plus loads of new sweepstakes posted daily. There is also a “secret” sweeps site that you can pay to access… She posts really winnable contests that are not posted anywhere else.
All You Website: All You magazine has a website that lists lots of free samples and giveaways. You can check them out here.
Giveaway Scout: Sign up for email updates to find all of the newest blog giveaways! Check them out here.
Icefairys A-List: A really amazing list of sites with giveaway linkys! Find it Icefairys List. Icefairys List is a HUGE resource for giveaway linkys!! Seriously, it’s pretty amazing. A linky is a tool that allows bloggers to come and easily add their own giveaways to a big list. Then you can just click on each one to quickly and easily go right to the giveaway post on each site to enter!
When you click on one of the links, it will take you to another site with a list of giveaways. Once you’ve entered the ones you want, you can go back to the Icefairy site and check out the next linky. And if you are a blogger, this is an AWESOME way to go out and promote your own giveaways! I love it.

Leave some comments and let me know if you’re a sweeper too! What have you won lately? What is your FAVORITE prize winning? Do you have any great tips?? Share them with us!… :)

Swagbucks: Get FREE Prizes and Win Swagbucks Today!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 15, 2011 Filed Under: Contests, Freebies | 7 Comments

{Part 4} “How to Get FREE Stuff”

Welcome to {Part 4} of my series, “How to Get FREE Stuff”…

Todays Topic: The best trusted FREEBIE sites to use!

Every morning, I get a huge mug of coffee (you don’t want to see me without coffee), and sit down to check my email. These days, that takes a LONG time, but before I had this blog, it wasn’t so bad. I’d usually spend about 20-30 minutes in the morning on the computer, going through the updates from all of my favorite freebie sites, and clicking on the offers I wanted. By the time my coffee had worked it’s magic, and I was finally semi-awake, I had a boatload of free stuff on it’s way to my freebie lovin’ home. Easy, right?

Why would I want to sign up with these FREE STUFF sites?

Well, thats about the only way that you’re going to be able to get lots of free stuff without spending a ton of time! Even I don’t have enough time to go and search out all of these freebies on my own… I rely on a network of sites that I have signed up with, and their daily email updates. Then I can quickly skim through them, pick the offers I want, and delete the rest.

Don’t you get a ton of spam by using these sites?

These sites won’t spam you, (at least none of the ones that I do!) but you will end up getting a lot more emails once you start requesting freebies. Many places are sending you something free in exchange for being able to send you their advertising.

To solve this problem, you have a couple of options. You can set up a seperate email account that you use only for free sample requests, that way you don’t have to deal with any ads.

Or, if you’re like me, and you actually do WANT to get many of those sale and promotion emails, you can just hit the little unsubscribe link when you get an email from a company that you’re not interested in. Then they won’t send you anything else. If I’m requesting a free product, it’s probably because it is something I like, so I’m usually ok with getting their emails. So many awesome deals and special offers are ONLY promoted in their emails, so I love getting these!

How do these sites work?

Some of these sites are approached by companies that will pay to have their samples listed, because they want to get their products into the hands of some new potential customers. Plus, when there is a great sample out there, it gets A LOT of buzz going for that company.

Other sites get paid a “pay-per-click” type compensation, for sharing those offers with their followers. Again, it’s because the company wants to get their name out in front of some new fans. To me, theres nothing wrong with that! If you want people to really promote that you are offering a free sample of your awesome product, the best way to do that is to offer a little reward, right?

Also, most of these sites have tons of people working for them, always out there trying to find new freebies. Some of them even have an option for YOU to post any cool new freebies you find too!

What to beware of when getting freebies:

Even the legit sites sometimes end up posting offers that aren’t “really” free. Some may do it on purpose, others by accident of not checking out the offer well enough first. The easiest way to spot a scam offer is the “with participation” disclaimer. Boooo. This means that they will expect you to complete a bunch of OTHER offers, some requiring payments, just to get to the darn fabric softener sample, or whatever they’re offering. If you see “with participation”, delete it. You can try it, no harm done, but I’ve never seen one of these where I actually got to request the product.

And NEVER enter your credit card info on an offer that is supposed to be free. This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people do this! If it asks for you info, it’s usually because you are signing up for an automated shipment, or a service, for a “free trial”, and if you don’t cancel by a certain time they will charge you big bucks. Don’t do it.

So, give me some sites to check out! I want to get some FREE STUFF right now!!

I know that’s what you’re thinking :) And I love it. I’m going to give you a list of websites and blogs that I use and have had good luck with. Not all of them have great freebies every day, which is why I sign up for lots of them… that way I have a better chance at finding the really good stuff! This is also how I find the great deals and freebies that I post in big lists for you guys too. I broke it down into regular sites, and sites to get free baby stuff. I used these baby sites SO much while I was pregnant, and still find lots of stuff we can use.

My Favorite TRUSTED Freebie Sites:

MySavings: This is one of my very favorite sites! They send out a great daily list of freebies and giveaways, plus you can find even more deals on their site! MySavings.com Sign Up.
The Deal Scoop: Cute site “giving you the scoop” on daily deals and freebies! Sign up for her email updates or follow her on Facebook so you don’t miss any goodies. Click Here.
Deal Crown: This one is brand new for me, but I’ve found some awesome stuff! Get signed up to check out their freebies! Up to the minute updated free sample and deals Click Here.
Freeflys: This is a big site, with tons of free samples and coupons. To sign up, it does make you click through a couple of offer screens, but just skip ’em if you want. Then you can get to the samples. Freeflys sign up.
Frugal Freelancer: A blog with a really random assortment of stuff… Deals, coupons, freebies and tips. Frugal Freelancer Sign Up.
Vocalpoint: I’ve mentioned this site before, because its awesome. Their newsletter always has tons of fun info, and they send out lots of really generous samples too. Click Here.
Women Freebies: Free samples, giveaways, and special offers chosen just for women and moms! Sign up for Women Freebies!.
TradePub: This is a site for FREE magazines. You may notice in my freebie pics that I mention how I NEVER pay for magazine subscriptions. This is one of the ways I do it. They feature mostly business magazines, but if you sign up, you’ll get notices when they have new ones like Cosmo or Womens Day too. Click Here.
Go Freebies: You have a chance at winning an Amazon gift card each day just be being an email subscriber. Sign up at Go Freebies.
Freebie Fanatics: “Your guide to finding quality freebies on the internet”. Sign up here.
Sweeties Freebies: Love this site, and the partner site Sweeties Sweeps too! Always good stuff. Sign up here. You can also stay updated by “liking” her on Facebook.
Hey, It’s Free!: Great resource of new stuff each day. Sign up here.
Sample A Day: Check them out and sign up for daily deals and free stuff. Click Here.
Free Snatcher: Tons of new coupons, free samples, and deals! Sign up here.
All You Magazine: This link will take you to a page where you can sign up for their daily free sample newsletter, plus you can check out their giveaways and other great stuff! Click Here.
Free Sample Freak: Loads of new stuff each day! Sign up for updates here.
Free Sample Momma: Fun new freebies and deals, great stuff! Click Here.
The Daily Goodie Bag: Awesome ladies posting tons of awesome deals, freebies, and giveaways all day! Check out their site, and follow them on Facebook too! Click Here.
The Frugal Free Gal: Coupons, samples, how-to’s and more! Check it out.
Freebies4Mom: Spoils you with freebies each day! Check her out here.
I Love Free Things: Check them out because, well, you love free things too! Click Here.
Coupons and Freebies Mom: A mom of two boys who posts all of the best deals and freebies for you every day! Click Here.
Mommy Wants Freebies: Another great site to check out for fun new deals, coupons, and free stuff! Check it out by clicking here.

Best Safe Sites for FREE Baby Stuff:

Baby to Bee: I’ve posted about this one before. Love it. Tons of giveaways, helpful tips, and free samples. Get FREE baby stuff: Click Here.
Planning Family: Another one I’ve talked about. I got so many great freebies while I was pregnant from this site! “Tons of free baby stuff from the brands you know and trust.” Click Here.

Plus, for more baby samples, see {Part 2} Newsletters, for bunches of baby company newsletters to sign up for to get free samples, high-value coupons, and exclusive offers. Having a baby is darn expensive, and getting all of these freebies help a lot! I was able to stock a whole diaper bag with samples not long ago for a baby shower! Diapers in different sizes, tons of free formula, diaper cream, bibs, and tons of coupons for mom. Great gift.

What do you think? Ready to go freebie hunting?

Every single one of these sites were taken right out of my own personal email this morning! I use all of them, so I can promise that they are all safe, with great offers and freebies. Let me know which ones you decide to sign up with.

I’d love you guys to add your own favorites in the comments too!

And, if you’ve missed the earlier parts of the series, you can check out {Part 1} Survey Sites, {Part 2} on Newsletter Freebies, {Part 3} Shopping Rewards. Plus, you can see a ton of sweet pics of my goodies on the {Intro} post and see the best coupon resource right here. I really hope this set of posts helps you guys!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 14, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies | 3 Comments

{Part 3} “How to Get FREE Stuff”

Welcome to {Part 3} of the series, “How to Get FREE Stuff”…

Cash Back Shopping Sites!

You can see my most recent check from Ebates in the picture above; I posted it so you can see that yes, these sites are legit, and you DO get real rewards!

I will admit that Ebates is my VERY favorite cash back shopping site, and I can’t believe that it took me so long to start using it! I do most of my shopping online since it is easier than going out with the kiddo’s, I find better deals, and especially- because I can earn rewards for my purchases!

Why would I use a cash back shopping site?

Well, if you’re going to shop online, and you’re going to buy it anyway, why not use one of these sites to get a reward back as a bonus? It’s like free money!

Now that I have been using some of these sites, I have started to buy some of our basics online too… I can stock up on shampoo, detergent, paper towels, etc, at a place like Walgreens, Right Aid, or Drugstore.com, and get cash back rewards on my purchase. This saves me time since I don’t have to get to the store in town, and gives me free cash. Awesome, right?

How do these type of sites work?

There are several different types of shopping sites: some give you cash back in the form of a check, and some reward you with gift cards.

When you get online to make a purchase somewhere, you just take a quick second to go to a site like Ebates FIRST. You type the store into the search box to see if it is a partner, if it is you click the link to visit the site, and you do your shopping just like usual! The site will track your purchase and calculate your rewards. Simple, right?

Plus, some of these sites, such as Ebates, will also post exclusive coupon codes that you can use on your purchase too!

Shopscotch (say the name, it makes you smile, love it!) is a really fun new one that I’ve just started using. It makes shopping and getting deals into a game almost :) It is built on the idea that all of the users are a community, and it lets you share deals and best practices with others, so you can all benefit! Plus, you earn badges and rewards for your activity. Very fun site.

What are some things to be aware of when using these sites?

I learned the hard way that you need to carefully read the rules on these sites, to make sure that you don’t miss out on rewards.

For Christmas, I ordered about $150 worth of merchandise from Shutterfly. Since Ebates had a promotion, and Shutterfly was earning you 12% cash back, I thought this would be a great way to save on such a big purchase.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t aware that you cannot use a “non-Ebates” coupon code on your purchase. This means that you can use any of the great coupon codes that they provide on their site, but not a coupon code that you have found on your own. This is because the partner companies will only provide cash back with APPROVED discounts. But it makes sense… I was using a photo book Buy 1 Get 1 FREE deal, and saved over $100 already, so it seems fair that I couldn’t earn cash back TOO. Just wish I’d known that at the time!

What tips do you suggest for using these reward sites?

I’ll explain how I use these sites, and what works best for me, just as an example. You’ll figure out what works best for you, based on what type of purchases you make, but this will give you a basic idea…

I always go to Ebates first, since most of the companies that I order from are partners there. I search out the company, check out the available coupon codes, and keep that in my mind. If I’m not too excited by the coupon code or the cash back percentage, sometimes I’ll also take a minute to check out ShopAtHome and Shopscotch and see what they offer. Then I make my decision on where to link up for my purchase.

If I have a coupon code of my own, (this usually happens with Shutterfly or Snapfish) then I’ll head over to MyPoints to do my shopping. MyPoints rewards you with points for your purchase, no matter what code you use! Those points are then redeemable for FREE gift cards, and I get a lot of these.

Another option that works great when you are using your own coupon code is Inbox Dollars. Inbox Dollars you earn cash back too. MyPoints and Inbox Dollars are similar in that they reward you for lots of different activities, not just shopping. So you can earn rewards pretty quickly. Check them out to learn more!

Now that you know how it works, I’m sure you’re ready to get started! (And, if you’re like me, this just gives you another reason to go shopping, lol.)

Here are links to the sites that I mentioned:

MyPoints: Earn points for shopping, surveys, offers, and ads. Points are traded for FREE gift cards to tons of great stores!
Ebates: Shop at 1200 Top Online Merchants and Get Up To 25% Cash Back! Click Here.
Shopscotch: Earn $5 today for signing up! Shopscotch is a “social” cash back site, and lets members share what they’re buying, and learn about great deals from each other! Lots of other fun stuff too. Click Here.
Inbox Dollars: Featured on the Good Morning America TV Show.InboxDollars pays members to read e-mail, take surveys, play games, shop online, and more! As a special bonus, anyone that joins NOW will receive a quick $5 in their account just by filling out their user profile, so signup right now for FREE. Click Here.
ShopAtHome: This site offers tons of other great features like giveaways, coupons, and more. Click Here.

I’d LOVE for you guys to share any cash back/reward sites that you are using to get bonus stuff back on your purchases. There are so many of them out there, and these are just the sites that I personally use…. So I’d love to hear your experiences with other sites too! Leave some comments and share your tips.

If you missed {Part 1} about Survey Sites or {Part 2} about Newsletter Freebies, make sure to check them out and leave some thoughts! And I always LOVE it when you guys shae my post on Facebook and Twitter! (Check out the new little Twitter box my the GFC!).

And don’t forget, there is a new giveaway, where you can win a swag bag just like the one that my guests took home from the Dinnertime Dillema House Party! Win it… Enter the giveaway HERE!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 13, 2011 Filed Under: Deals and Coupon Codes, Freebies, Shopping | 3 Comments

Using Mailing Lists to Get FREE Stuff – {Part 2}

Welcome to {Part 2} of my series, “How to Get FREE Stuff”… First, I showed you how I use survey sites to earn free cash, gift cards – and even free full size products to review in my home. No, you won’t get rich, but yes it does do a ton to help your family budget! And, today’s tip will totally help you in the budget department too – in a ton of different ways. I’m going to show you how joining brand reward programs and signing up for mailing lists can save you hundreds of dollars, and load you up with new freebies every week! Check it out…

How to get FREE stuff using newsletters

This is something that I started doing a few years ago, and I get so many great offers, coupons, and freebies this way. I know that some people say, “Why would I want to sign up for all that marketing junk?” Well, because I like to be “marketed to.” Lol. Seriously – I want to be enticed to try your brand new products, whether it’s a coupon or a sample. I want to be in the group of people that brands send their best stuff too. And I love getting to try the newest products before anyone else, save a ton of money when shopping, and get random cool perks free. So – “That’s why I want to sign up for all that marketing junk,” lol.

Most companies send you out a weekly or monthly email newsletter, filled with great stuff. You’ll almost always get new coupons to print, usually higher-value ones than you’ll find in the paper or other places. {Looking for more coupons? Check out my giant coupon site resource too.} And, most newsletters reward their subscribers with their best stuff – you can request free samples, free coupons, enter exclusive giveaways, and more. {Because heck, if you were a brand, who would you give your cool free stuff too? The people that love you enough to subscribe, right?} Plus, I love seeing new ways to use products that we already love, and the newsletters usually have fun tips, recipes, and ideas to solve the chaos of my busy-mom life :)

Many companies invite their newsletter subscribers to join consumer panels too. Many times these panels are not open to the public, they are exclusive to people who have already shown their interest and loyalty to the brand by signing up for their newsletter. Makes sense, right? These panels usually involve doing a few surveys or activities, and reward you with free product or other perks. {Love sharing your thoughts in surveys? Learn how to make money at it, and how to get free products to test too.}

Another benefit – my very favorite! – is that by filling out your mailing information when signing up for a newsletter, you’ll sometimes get random goodies in the mail! If Betty Crocker comes out with a new cookie mix, they might send me a free sample, or a coupon to try it out. The unexpected surprises like this are the best!

How do I get started?

A great way to get started is to take a quick look through the house, and make a list of all of the brands that your family uses frequently. Then hop online, and use Google (or your Swag Bucks search bar if you’re smart and using that for more free stuff!) to seach for the brands. Almost all of them probably have a website with an option to sign up for their newsletters!

You can sign up for newsletters for products like Cheerios, Tide, or Dove…. And you can also sign up for brand newsletters like General Mills, P&G, or Unilever. There are also places like Viewpoints or Vocalpoint that have amazingly fun offers to try out new products in their newsletters.

Now that you know what kind of cool free stuff you can get, I’m sure you’re ready to sign up for some newsletters, right? And of course I’ve made it easy for you to get started by putting together a list of some of my favorites! But remember, almost EVERY company has some type of newsletter, (some better than others) – so search out newsletters for your OWN families favorite brands too. You’ll love it.

My Favorite Food Newsletters

Vocalpoint: Check out all of the great articles, message boards, coupons, and free samples.
Campbells: Links to TONS of other brands, coupons, and special offers. Campbells is about WAY more than just soup :)
Kellogg’s: Get exclusive coupons and earn rewards from your favorite Kellogg’s® brands. Click Here. They have lots of great stuff going on – and, I happen to be in love with several of their products, lol.
FreeFlys: This isn’t a brand exactly – but, they have new offers every single day – great coupon round-ups, and freebie and sample round-ups too. You’ll always learn about the best mailing lists to get on with them – this was one of the first sites I joined, to learn about other cool sites to sign up with!
ReadySetEat: Tons of your favorite brands are included in this newsletter. You’ll find tons of easy recipes, coupons, and more samples too.
Bisquick: Amazing ideas, cool coupons, and great offers – Bisquick can make meals all day long, so don’t think it’s just a “pancake product” – :) We make casseroles, biscuits, breads, and more.
Kraft First Taste: Samples, House Parties {these are things where they send you coupons and products, enough to do a small party with your friends. All you have to do in return is share a few pics on their site, and maybe give some feedback!} coupons, and tons more.
MyInsite: From General Mills – you’ll find lots of coupons, recipes, and cool freebie offers. Usually cereal type products, but other stuff from them too.
Betty Crocker: Click up in the top right to join their club, and sign up for some newsletters. This is one of my favorites – I don’t get too many freebies, but I get loads of really high-value coupons, and SO many fun recipes and party ideas.
Box Tops: Help your school earn cash and rewards by signing up for Box Tops for Education – Registration is free, you get access to cool coupons and samples, AND you’re earning the school free money too!
MySavings.com: This is another one where you’ll find a big resource of cool stuff each day. I find a lot of freebies this way, that come from newsletter or mailing list sign ups. So I get the goodie, and then sign up so that next time I get my own notice in my email too.
P&G Everyday Solutions: Opportunity to request free sample packs once each quarter, which are awesome. You want to be sure to watch for the emails, to make sure you get in asap as they announce it, so you get more stuff. This is a great site for moms too, since they share tons of great tips.
Tablespoon: General Mills products, includes recipes and coupons. Lots of big brand names – you’ll love it.
Pillsbury: I get some of my absolute favorite recipes on here. Their newsletters rock! They also do a free recipe calendar each year for subscribers – Like, gorgeous pics, big full size, and amazing stuff. They have lots of cool offers each week in their newsletter, so be sure to open ’em each time!
Dinner Made Easy: Betty Crocker products, simple meal ideas, giveaways, and great ideas to solve your dinnertime dilemas.
Eat Better America: Healthy menu ideas, coupons, and free samples of healthy products. Great option if you’re looking for most diet-friendly fare.
Cheerios: Big giveaway right now, plus tons of contests, samples, games, and coupons. We eat loads of Cheerios in my house!

Photo Company Newsletters

Shutterfly: Free offers, coupons and discounts, amazing project ideas, and more. Once you have this for awhile – especially if you do an order every once in a while, you’ll get great free offers. Things like free prints, free photo books, holiday cards, and more.
Snapfish: Very similar to Shutterfly, plus – Get 50 FREE prints when you join, plus lots of discount offers and deals.
York Photo: Get 60 Free prints with code: FREESIXTY. Just pay the shipping. You’ll also get an additional 40 Free prints just for registering. Click Here.

Household Products

Home Made Simple: TONS of great stuff!! Plus they send out big coupon books every month or so, in the mail, for things like Swiffer, Febreeze, Cascade, Dawn, Mr. Clean, etc.
Tide: Special offers and promos, samples, and more. And they come out with new products a lot.
Dawn: Coupons and offers, lots of tips and ideas.
Febreze: Discount coupons, freebies, rebates and more. {I can’t even tell you how much I rely on their products, with a very bad dog living in my house, lol.}
Purex: Sign up in the top right little email subscribe tab to get their offers – soooo much good stuff. And, you can also check out their Purex Insiders {bottom left side little link says “join here”} group if you have a blog or other influence, to get free full size products.
Right @ Home: These are for SC Johnson products – sign up on the right side, and get their awesome newsletters. This is another one that often offers up BIG samples to subscribers!

Best Baby Newsletters

Johnson’s Baby Products: Helpful baby advice, lots of coupons, and special deals and offers. Plus, who doesn’t love Johnson’s, right?
Earths Best: Tons of great offers and ideas, coupons, and fun sample events. The sample events are more of those “house party” style events, where you get great stuff to share with all of your mom friends too.
HappyBaby: Coupons and offers, big giveaways, fun stuff, samples, plus check me out on the partners page :)
Sprout: Coupons, deals, promotions and more on some really amazing healthy and natural baby and kids products.
Pampers: Join now & get 100 Free Points. Plus coupons, deals, and giveaways. You can get things like free photo books, children’s books or toys, and more. (Read my list of bonus points in this post.)
Big List: I also have a big list of how to get free stuff for babies – check it out for more cool lists to get onto.

I hope you find some newsletters on the list that you LOVE, and I can’t wait for you to start getting some fun FREE stuff! Look forward to new recipes and tips, exclusive offers and surprise samples, new product information and promotions, and great giveaways. Seriously – this is such a simple way to get more stuff for free, get cool tips and awesome ideas, and coupons to save big bucks.

If you have any favorite newsletters, PLEASE share in the comments! Remember, this weeks series is all about you guys, and I’d love for you all to share your ideas, tips, and suggestions.

You can check out {Part 1} of this series: How to Earn Free Money & Products with Survey Sites, and see the Intro to Getting Free Stuff post for all of the links. And remember to share this with your friends too – Use the social buttons to share to Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, or of course everyone’s fave – PIN IT! :)

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 12, 2011 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Freebies | No Comments

How to Get FREE Stuff Online {Part 1} – Earning Free Money & Products with Survey Sites

How to Get FREE Stuff Series {Part 1} – Earning free products and cash with Survey Sites! So many of my friends were super skeptical when I first started signing up for survey sites… Everyone told me that there was no way that this stuff was legit, and that I was wasting my time. But as the free full size test products, the boxes of samples, and the checks that I cashed to get free money started rolling in regularly, they changed their tune pretty quickly, lol. Most of them now use these sites too, and I’m excited to share my tips and tricks with you guys here too!

Welcome to Part 1 of this weeklong series teaching you, “How to Get FREE Stuff”!! Today’s topic is how to get FREE stuff by becoming a member of Survey Sites.

Why use survey sites?

Signing up with survey sites was one of the first things that I did years ago when I first started looking for online freebies. I was pretty discouraged at the beginning, because so many of them just didn’t seem to be getting me any rewards. I’d spend tons of time filling out surveys and never have enough rewards to cash out. Or, once I got enough points to get something, all of the “good”rewards were always “sold out”, leading me to think that they never actually offer this stuff.

How to find legit survey sites

With a legit survey site, you should be able to earn rewards in a reasonable time frame, cash out and get a check {or PayPal deposit} without waiting months, and have a good selection of rewards to choose from. Also, when you request a reward, you should get it within a few weeks, not be told that it takes “2-3 months for shipping.” No way. So, how do you know if a survey site is a scam? A legitimate survey site will be honest about what they can offer you… Beware of offers like, “Make $90 per survey!” or “Test out new iPads at home for FREE!”… offers like this are a pretty obvious sign that the company is a scam.

And be careful too about claims like, “Make a full time income from home filling out surveys!”, because I have not seen ANY company where you can earn that much!

Don’t get me wrong, you can make some nice extra money doing surveys, just don’t expect to quit your day job :) I make about $80 – $150 a month from the sites that I use… Plus a few product testing shipments each month, and sometimes I even get lucky and win a big prize in one of the giveaways! I used to make even more, but with the new baby and new blog, I’ve cut back quite a bit.

How to Maximize Your Online Survey Site Earnings

The more sites that you sign up with, the more surveys you can complete, and the more money you can make. Here are a couple tips to keep your email under control if you’re worried about the offers coming too frequently – Use one separate email account dedicated just to surveys, so you can easily log in when you’re ready to earn some cash. Or, put the survey invites into their own email folder in your regular account, and have everything ready to go in one spot. The sites I use don’t send spam, just the invites to participate in surveys or giveaways.

What kinds of rewards can you get from these survey sites?

Most of the sites that I use have the option to trade in my “points” for cash, which means checks mailed to you, or a PayPal deposit. Some sites let you cash out as soon as you reach $5, but I like to wait until I hit $20 or $30 to request my checks. Lots of sites reward with you with FREE gift cards, which I love. You can usually earn these even faster than you can cash, and the sites that I use all have a great selection of places to choose from, like Amazon, Macy’s, Home-Depot, Old Navy, and more. Many sites will also reward you with entries into their monthly giveaways each time you attempt a survey. That way, if you start a survey but don’t qualify to finish it, you will still get rewarded, with a chance at winning prizes. And – one of my favorite rewards is the product testing! Several of these sites will send out surveys to see if you qualify for product testing opportunities, and if you do, ask you if you’d like them to send you free stuff. Um, of course, right? Right now we’re doing a salad dressing test, air freshener plug-in testing, and trying out a new face cream product too. Super fun.

What should I know before getting started with survey sites?

Know that you won’t earn HUGE amounts of money, but you will have a new, fun way to earn some extra spending money. I put part of my earnings away in a separate account each month, and then I have FREE Christmas shopping money at the end of the year. {Learn more about how to shop online for free.} Know that you won’t always qualify for every survey, but that’s ok. Don’t get discouraged. You’ll see the rewards start to pile up after a while! Just make sure to sign up for as many survey companies as you think you can handle, so that you are always earning in different places. Soon, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ve earned at each one :) And remember… Not every survey site is right for everyone. Some people like to get lots of short surveys that offer smaller rewards. Some people like taking the longer surveys to earn rewards faster. Some people want to only earn cash, while others (like me!) LOVE getting to do the product testing! So sign up for a few, try them out, and see what you like.

There’s nothing to lose…

If you don’t like one site – cancel it, and come back to find some new ones to try out! Bookmark or Pin this page, so you can easily add new sites when you’re ready for new rewards. I’ll add to this regularly as I use and earn with new sites… I don’t like to recommend sites unless I’ve actually cashed out and received a reward myself, to ensure I’m not sharing spammy-scammy places with you. Because those suck.

Now that you’ve learned more about how this stuff works, it’s time for the fun part… Signing up!

Inbox Dollars: Get $5 in your account just by filling out your user profile, so signup right now for FREE. Click Here.
SwagBucks: Search, complete surveys, and more! Start today! {You may have read my post, and seen how I earn about $5 in FREE Amazon gift cards each week with SwagBucks. Adds up quick!} Click Here.
Global Survey Group: Businesses want to pay for your opinions – that’s how they develop and launch new products, learn what pricing people will pay, improve existing products, and more. And they reward you well for filling out those surveys and trying their products!
Valued Opinions: Nice reward options, fun surveys so far. Click Here.
Neilsen Home Scan: I was doing this one, using the scanner, until the baby came and I got too busy. I want to get started again, and I heard their taking new members. It’s incredibly cool – you scan everything you buy, in town or online. You earn points for sharing that feedback. You can earn SERIOUSLY awesome stuff like kitchen appliances, trips, and more. Click Here to check it out.
Opinion Outpost: The minimum cash out for Paypal is $10 and only $5 for Amazon gift cards. Learn more.
MyPoints is a little bit different than the rest. You can earn points for surveys, completing offers, and clicking on the ads that they send you via email. You also earn points if you start here when you shop online. You’ll learn more about MyPoints on Wednesday when I post {Part 3} about cash back sites. MyPoints rewards you with FREE gift cards, and I have earned sooooo many of these over the years with them.
MySurvey: They have tons of great product test opp’s for moms. I’ve tested out two big packages of diapers, and a baby jumper. Take Surveys, Earn Rewards, It’s Easy & Free! Click Here.
SurveySpot: Love this- “Earn prize draw entries every time you participate in a survey, with a chance to win up to $12,000 in our quarterly prize draw.” They always have fun games. promotions, and giveaways. Click Here.
NPD Group – Online Research: This is one of the largest and most trusted market research companies in the world, with over 40 years of experience, very trustworth and legit.
Mindfield: Frequent surveys = more chances to qualify. Click Here. This is valid for US and Canadian residents too.
Vindale Research: Keep products you review Click Here.
Ipsos I-Say Moms Panel: Earn points for taking surveys and use them towards Cash, Gift Cards or Charities.

So – now you know how to tell if a survey company is safe or a scam, what to expect in rewards, and have a HUGE resource of great new programs to join! And remember: I am VERY interested in hearing from you guys this week! If you have questions about any of these companies, post your question in the comments. If you want to share your experience, good or bad, with any of these sites, please comment about it! And if you have a great site to add to my list, post it!

Check out the the rest of the How to Get Free Stuff Online series here.

Once you become a NCP panel member all you have to do is scan and send them your household purchase information every week with a handheld scanner that they provide. For each week of the month NCP receives your purchase information, you will earn one entry into the Monthly Sweepstakes where you can win a $500 American Express Rewards Card. That’s up to FOUR entries every month! Every month, 25 panel members win!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 11, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies, Product Testing | 7 Comments

How to Get FREE Stuff Online – Series Intro

Have you even wondered, “How do some people get SO much free stuff?” Or, maybe you hear about people getting all these cool freebies, see posts on Facebook with offers that look great, but your skeptical or suspicious on whether it’s all real? Well, I’m here to help! First of all, I’m going to show you pictures of what I get in the mail on a weekly basis – each of these were taken after collecting a week’s worth of free stuff from my mailbox. That’s to show you that yes, it’s real, and you really can get freebies like this. Then I’m going to give you a week’s worth of tips, to help you tell the difference between the scammy-spammy stuff and legit offers, where to find them, and other ways to get things totally free. Check it out…

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