By
Reneé LaVoie
Friday, March 26, 2010, 06:56 AM
Category:
FREE Today
Some freebies are one-time goodies: free ice cream, free samples or free gifts with purchase for example. But recently, we've come across a number of freebies that offer ongoing value. Some of these offer ongoing coupons and savings, and others provide resources like weight-loss tips and craft projects. Here's a handy list for you to review - bookmark the ones most helpful to you!
Free Diet Plans, Low-Cal Recipes & Diet Tips at FaveDiets.com: Don't settle for a website that only gives you one diet plan - FaveDiets.com gives you several different plans and lets you choose the one that fits your needs. Plus, there are weight-loss tips, tons of delicious diet-friendly recipes and free eBooks.
Free Beautiful Beads eBook from FaveCrafts.com: If you are into making your own jewelry (or want to be), sign up for FaveCrafts.com. Not only will you get the "Beautiful Beads" eBook with over 45 different jewelry projects, but there are hundreds of other project ideas and crafting tips.
Free Craft Tips, Videos and eBooks at FaveCrafts.com: If you are a home crafter, signing up for FaveCrafts.com will give you access to hundreds of project ideas, how-to videos tips and eBooks. This site covers a wide variety of crafts including leatherwork, needlecraft, crochet, painting, candle- and soap-making, and more. You'll also find holiday and special occasion craft ideas as well as special offers from the site partners. We found the egg place card holder craft idea (shown) and though it would make a great addition to the Easter dinner table. Easter is just around the corner - it's the perfect time to join!
Common Sense Media: If you have kids, Common Sense Media is a "must join." Not only will you receive up-to-date reviews of current media choices for your children, you'll also get a free trial offer of Disney Digital Books. You never have to wonder about your kids' movies, games, websites or TV shows again. Common Sense Media puts up-to-date reviews of content and age-appropriate ratings right at your fingertips, and your kids are going to love the gorgeous graphics and fun stories at Disney Digital Books.
Free Personalized eCards at Smilebox: Although they offer a premium service for a small monthly fee (follow our link for details), you can always make free personalized eCards and fun things to post on your Facebook page at Smilebox. Bookmark this link for holidays, birthdays and those "just because" moments. Use your own photos and images and have a world of fun.
The best part about these freebies is they're ongoing! Use these free offers and services in the coming weeks and months - you never know when a good freebie might come in handy.
--Renee
Image courtesy of FaveCrafts.com
By
Reneé LaVoie
Friday, March 19, 2010, 05:54 AM
Category:
FREE Today
In addition to free samples, free gifts with purchase and the occasional restaurant freebies, free online resources are an essential piece of the frugalista's arsenal. These freebies are great because they do not expire so you can bookmark them to use when you need them. Here are five resources that we have found particularly helpful:
Free Online Over-the-Counter Medicine Guide at Walmart - This resource is particularly helpful if you have children. Staring at a rack of 15 different cough medicines at 3:00 AM can be overwhelming. Look up the symptoms on this handy guide, follow the questions and it will direct you to the medication you need. Arm yourself with knowledge BEFORE you go to the store. Or if you have a bottle of over-the-counter medication and are unclear as to what symptoms it is meant for, you can search by the brand name and medicine type as well. You can also indicate existing medical conditions and it will narrow search results to products that are safe for use with high blood pressure, pregnancy, diabetes, etc.
Free Allergy Alert Tool for Local Pollen Level at Walmart - If you have severe allergies to pollen, this resource is a must for your health. Use this tool to check the pollen count in any given United States location. Use it daily during peak seasons to get an idea of how much medication you'll need that day. Or use it when you're traveling to plan ahead for pollen counts at your destination and pack medication accordingly.
Free Weight Loss eTools from Jenny Craig - Even if you are not a member of Jenny Craig, you can use these resources for free. Other weight loss sites charge $15-20 a month for the same features. Start planning your weight loss success story with a number of great tools to help to you find your BMI, determine your dieting style, target potential problem areas and help you create a plan to address your weaknesses. There is also an online diet journey, progress charts and exercise log to keep you focused on your goals.
Free Virtual Makeover at e.l.f. Cosmetics - Keep this one on-hand for those moments you are thinking of making a drastic change in hairstyle or hair color, or makeup. Before you let those scissors touch your head or reach for that bottle of dye, find out if that look is going to turn you into a bombshell or a train wreck. Do the same with new makeup ideas and save yourself tons of money that you might spend on colors and products that just don't work for you.
Free Online Tools to Help Stop Smoking from Commit - Even if you don't want to use Commit as part of your plan to stop smoking, you'll find these online resources to be incredibly helpful as you plot strategy and fight your way to non-smoking freedom. There are a wide variety of tools to help you get started including the Readiness Indicator to evaluate your motivation, the Dependency Quiz to find out how "hooked" you are, the Health Risk Assessor to find out if your are at high risk for cancer (some smokers are at a higher risk than others - are you one of them?) or the Savings Calculator to calculate how much money you'll save. These are just a few of the tools available for free.
--Renee
Image courtesy of Catherinewhite.files.wordpress.com
By
Reneé LaVoie
Friday, March 12, 2010, 05:55 AM
Category:
FREE Today
At FreeToday, we enjoy a steady stream of freebies and have also noticed a few patterns when they don't show up. We thought we'd take a few minutes to pass along our wisdom on how to pick a winning freebie.
Smaller start-up companies will often offer freebies to generate interest but are then overwhelmed by the response and run out of freebies. We still post those freebies - as long as they are legitimate companies - because oftentimes, they do follow through. But brand name stores are more reliable. Walmart is one of the best, and their samples always arrive quickly.
You may occasionally see a freebie on the net that we haven't posted. This is usually because the company is not only unknown, but has no corporate mailing address listed on the site. This helps protect our FreeToday audience from fraudulent companies. Avoid giving your information to any site that doesn't have proper contact information. Many times, they will promise a freebie to get information and then sell it to a third party.
Facebook has been booming with freebie offers lately and so far, the follow-through is very good. Facebook offers are most frequently via coupons. Coupons are great because you don't have to wait four to eight weeks to get your freebie - and don't we all love instant gratification? The free offers via mail have also performed very well, probably because Facebook offers tend to be from solid, well-recognized companies.
Have you seen the growing list of Facebook deals? If you want to pick a winning freebie, you can start with this list:
Free Two-Pack of Chocolate Chip Cookies at QuickChek
BOGO Free Skittles Coupon When You Become a Facebook Fan
BOGO Free Starburst Coupon When You Become a Fan on Facebook
Get a Free Entree w/ Purchase When You Become a Facebook Fan of Ruby Tuesday
Free Sample of Nescafé When You Become a Facebook Fan
Free Breakfast Panini from Corner Bakery Cafe
Free Crispy Shrimp Taco w/ Purchase When You Become a Facebook Fan of Del Taco
--Renee
Image courtesy of PlaystationLifestyle.net
By
Reneé LaVoie
Friday, March 05, 2010, 06:38 AM
Category:
FREE Today
Everyone loves freebies - including kids! Why not use that to everyone's advantage? Freebies are a great way to reward your kids for doing well in school, helping out around the house or even just a way to say "I love you." It's easy on your wallet, and kids feel special getting their own freebie.
FOR GIRLS:
A special treat for girls is our weekly free gift with purchase offers. These are excellent motivators because they usually have five to seven items included, plus a pretty bag to put them in. Choose makeup-centered freebies like the free Seven-Piece Estee Lauder gift with purchase at Boscov's that includes mascara, lipstick, eyshadow and two different makeup bags. Currently, there's also a free Harajuku Lovers Alarm Clock when you purchase a Harajuku Gift Set at Sephora - it would make a nice motivator for a really impressive accomplishment like straight A's on the report card.
Shampoo samples are also fun treat and we currently have a wide selection including a free sample of Fekkai shampoo and conditioner from Walmart, a free sample of Aveeno Nourish+ shampoo and conditioner from Aveeno and a free sample of L'Oréal EverStrong Hydrating Shampoo from L'Oréal Paris.
Another great freebie currently for girls is the free heart charm from Centura Health when you sign up to receive free information on managing your health.
FOR BOYS:
Boys will enjoy the fun Build and Grow Clinics at Lowe's where they can make their own toys and other fun projects for free on the weekends. There's an upcoming project on Saturday, March 13 to build a free tabletop basketball hoop. There are also weekend projects at Home Depot.
Another great reward for boys is a free game of bowling when you buy a Tony's Pizza at Walmart. (Pizza and bowling are good motivators for dads too.)
FOR EVERYONE:
Hallmark is currently offering a free kid's card. Choose from a variety of kid-friendly messages ranging from congratulations for their accomplishments to simply telling them they are loved and appreciated. The cards feature fun graphics and many also have sound effects.
Take your young achiever out for a well-deserved treat at Steak 'n Shake, where you can get a free kids meal every weekend with each adult purchase of $8.00. In addition to this, we have weekly food freebies at restaurants of all kinds. Check in with FreeToday frequently to see the lastest restaurant freebie treats.
One of the best freebie rewards is the free DVD rental for kids with good grades at Blockbuster. If your children (kindergarten through 12th grade) have a B average or better, bring their original report card signed by a parent or legal guardian (within 30 days of issuance) and they will receive a free DVD rental. If you have more than one genius in the family, they each will qualify for their very own DVD.
FOR BEST RESULTS:
When you are ordering free samples it will take anywhere from four to 12 weeks for them to come in the mail, so stockpile ahead of time for immediate gratification once the reward has been earned. Don't offer a potential freebie as a reward, because supplies are always limited - it's best to wait until the freebie arrives.
Always call ahead with any restaurant or business freebie to make sure your local store is participating. Nothing's worse than a brokenhearted munchkin denied a much-deserved reward.
Make sure to clearly define what must be done to earn the reward and always follow through once the goal has been met. Clearly defined goals and rewards, and consistent follow-through are essential to keeping your child happy and motivated to achieve.
--Renee
Image courtesy of Kids 101