By
Reneé LaVoie
Friday, October 30, 2009, 08:00 AM
Category:
FREE Today
Is your available budget for Halloween weekend eliciting blood-curdling screams? Behold the Seven Freebies of Halloween - pursue them if you dare.
The first dreaded freebie of Halloween is named Greed (also known as beggars' night). This one is a given - grab a sheet, cut two eye-holes and go stock up on free candy. Even if you don't have kids, there are tons of free candy stockpiles on Halloween you can cash in on - some you won't even have to go door-to-door for. You can also borrow a niece or nephew for trick-or-treating and split a percentage of their stash :)
The second horrifying freebie of Halloween is named Fire, or the Black Jack Taco featuring spicy pepper jack cheese. Taco Bell is offering free Black Jack Tacos on Halloween night between 6 PM and midnight. Not only is this tasty treat free, it's good to get some protein in your stomach so you don't go into a sugar coma.
The third ghoulish freebie of Halloween is called the Twisted Toymaker. Take your little goblins to Sears Toy Shop in full costume, present this coupon and they'll receive a Mattel toy for free. Be careful of hidden danger - there is also a coupon for $5.00 off a $20.00 regular priced toy. (You might want to keep this to yourself, for fear of invoking the first dreaded freebie of Halloween in your children.)
The fourth fiendish freebie of Halloween is named Illusion. Get a free movie ticket when you purchase two select General Mills cereals but beware of getting lost in an alternate reality.
The fifth gruesome freebie of Halloween is named Plunder. As if beggars night was not enough, indulge your lust for loot by gathering up Halloween candy wrappers and sending them in for a free Breyers YoCrunch Coupon. Cash in on tasty flavors like blueberry, strawberry banana and mixed berry with sweet crunchy toppings. But you must never tell your children the dark secret - it's healthy!
The sixth vile freebie of Halloween is named Tenpin. Buy a Tony's Pizza at Walmart and you can get a free game of bowling. Pizza and bowling is not a bad way to spend this gruesome weekend.
And the seventh bone-crunching freebie of Halloween is called Torture. Take your insanely cute munchkin in costume to get pictures at Picture People and you'll receive a free portrait sheet of Halloween wallets. What better way to torment friends, family, strangers on the bus, distant relatives and other people who can't run away? Spend hours showing them sweet photos of your adorable child!
Happy Halloween!
--Renee
photo courtesy of lostzombies.com
By
Reneé LaVoie
Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 05:02 AM
Category:
FREE Today
If you're expecting a newborn or one has recently arrived in the family, financial stress can play a toll. The good news is you're tapping into an excellent source of freebies - take the baby shower for example. You'll bring home a vast bounty of gifts from loving friends and family so register at
Land of Nod and pick up a
free baby organizer while you're at it. This handy tool will help you keep track of important moments and doctors appointments during your baby's first year.
It's also likely that you'll bring home a bag of free goodies from the birthing center when you deliver. But in the event you don't, rest assured - there are plenty of online sources as well.
Enfamil offers a
Free First Visit Nutrition Kit. Follow this link, print off the certificate and take it into a participating physician. You will receive a nursing mother and an infant vitamin supplement, free Enfamil Premium Formula, plus useful tips and suggestions.
One of the biggest expenses you will face is diapers. Every mom must weigh the choice between the more expensive name-brands, or the cheaper store-brand diapers. One great tool to help you choose is free diaper samples, like the free samples of
Huggies Pure & Natural or the
Free Potty Training Kit from Pampers.
Check back to Free Today frequently - there are more hot baby deals than you might imagine. And remember: you are not alone, especially when there are freebies to help. We can't help you with midnight feedings but we will nod our heads appreciatively and hand you a can of free Enfamil.
--Renee
By
Reneé LaVoie
Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 06:19 AM
Category:
FREE Today
When you think about it, Halloween is the ultimate freebie event.
Little beggars forage through the neighborhood, their bags filled with
sweets thanks to the kindness of strangers. Keeping up with the munchkins can be a little pricey. But this year, Friendly's is offering a fantastic
Halloween freebie at participating locations. For every dollar you donate to Easter
Seals, you'll receive five coupons for free Kids Cones to put in trick-or-treat goody bags, plus you'll also
receive a coupon good for $5 off any $25 purchase. Easter Seals helps
disabled and autistic children and adults live fulfilling, independent
lives: it's an excellent way to put your Halloween dollars to work.
If you don't have a local Friendly's, here are
a couple of other Halloween freebie ideas that will save your budget AND make yours the most popular trick-or-treating house on the block.
Witch's Boon: Make up a batch of witches' hats from construction paper.
On the back write "good for one wish" or "you've been tricked." Make
quite a deal about the fact you had them blessed by an actual witch, or
perhaps you won them from her in a poker game. Kids love that kind of
stuff.
Mummy Rags: Take an old sheet and cut it into small strips. For
extra creepy effect, splatter some red food coloring on the pieces. Tell your
trick-or-treaters a ghoulish story about how it came from an enchanted
mummy of an ancient Egyptian king and will bring them good luck.
Magic Buttons: If you are one of the many people who owns a
large jar filled with mismatched buttons you just can't bring yourself
to throw away, why not give them away at Halloween as "magic buttons?"
Old buttons are cool anyway and if you tell the kids a spooky story
about how they belonged to the leprechauns or faeries and can be used
for magic wishes, they will seem even cooler.
Magic Stones: Very similar to magic buttons, if you have a garden
bed filled with smooth pebbles, gather up a handful, give them a good
scrub and start handing out enchantment. They can be blessed by
angels/faeries/witches or be stones from a graveyard. Just make the
story interesting and fill the stones with enchantments and good luck - perhaps a stone that will bring good grades on tests at school but
only if they study.
With a little creativity and a few good stories, old things come to
life in a new way. Throw in a coupon from a worthy cause and you've
got a holiday treat worth talking about. Why waste your money on candy
when you can give away a bit of wonder and magic this year for
Halloween?
--Renee
Image courtesy of Kera.org
By
Reneé LaVoie
Wednesday, October 07, 2009, 05:35 AM
Category:
FREE Today
There are usually a few free shampoo sample offers on the site at any time and although they aren't quite as sexy as a
free day at Disneyland, there is more to shampoo samples than meets the eye. You may be thinking, "Two free ounces of shampoo - is it even worth the effort to fill out the form?" But don't be blinded to the awesome potential of this little freebie. Here are six great uses for the humble shampoo sample:
Trying out a more expensive shampoo: Sometimes a professional salon brand shampoo is worth the investment, especially if you have very fine or dry/damaged hair. But don't trust the fancy name on the bottle - just like any other shampoo, professional formulas don't work for everyone. Before you lay down your wad of cash,
try a free sample. If a free sample isn't available, many stores and salons will have 2-ounce size bottles you can purchase for $5.00 or less.
If your hair seems dull and lifeless: No matter what shampoo you use, once in a while your hair needs a break. Styling product build up in your hair, while waxes from conditioners can weigh your hair down and make it look dull and lifeless. A few washes with a clarifying shampoo will usually bring it back to life - a whole new bottle of shampoo isn't necessary. For these results, you want to look for a free sample with words like "revitalizing," "clarifying" or "rejuvenating" and avoid samples with words like "conditioning" or "moisturizing." A great example is the current free sample of
Biolage Rejuvenating Shampoo. A handy rule of thumb if you are shopping and no free samples are available: clarifying shampoos are clear to the eye, while a true conditioning shampoo will be thick and creamy in appearance. In this case, pick the one that is clear.
If you need a conditioning treatment: Immediately after receiving a chemical treatment such as a color or perm, your hair needs extra nourishment to restore its moisture balance. You might not need to switch to a heavy moisturizing shampoo on a long term basis but if it's looking a dry, try a free sample. The
free L'Oreal EverPure trial is a perfect example. Another available freebie for this deep conditioning would be the
Biolage Hair Masque but if your hair is dry, save the Biolage Rejuvenating Shampoo in that freebie set for another day.
Travel: Why pay money for a travel-size shampoo when you can get it free? Holiday travel is just around the corner so start sending away now for your free samples to travel with. These mini plastic bottles fit conveniently in your cosmetics case or luggage pocket and they're lightweight and easy to carry. Plus, there's the safety factor: if you've ever had a large bottle of shampoo or conditioner explode in your suitcase, you know what I'm talking about.
House Guest Baskets: If you are on the receiving end of holiday travel, a guest basket is a nice way to welcome someone for a visit. Take a small wicker basket and place travel-size shampoo/conditioner, tooth paste/toothbrush, razor, mouthwash and decorative guest soap inside so there's a convenient supply of toiletries in the event your guests forgot anything. Add your own touch with a holiday guest towel/washrag set for them to keep or a few holiday sweets in case they get the midnight munchies. Free samples are a perfect addition AND keep the expense low.
Secret Santa/Stocking Stuffer Gifts: With the holidays coming up it's time to start planning for all those Secret Santa/Stocking Stuffer type gifts. To turn a free shampoo/conditioner sample (like
the free Biolage set) into a nice little gift set, get small decorative bag and place the shampoo/conditioner inside. Then add a fun barrette or headband, hair comb or styling creme. Throw on some ribbons and colored tissue paper to finish it off and you've got an offering of holiday cheer for less than ten dollars!
--Renee