On Line Freebies- 6/24/12

You see the offers all over the Internet. “Hey, it’s free,” “free samples,” “freebies,” “free,” “free,” “free,” “free.” Consumer Reports ShopSmart checked out dozens of offers. Jody Rohlena “Freebies are a great way to try new products. Just be aware that they’re typically samples and many of them are travel-sized.” Some companies give you a lot more than others. Compare this 4-milliliter packet of Eucerin lotion to this 50-milliliter bottle of Simple Facial Wash Gel. Jody Rohlena “This is a good-sized sample. It’s enough to use the product a few times and decide if you like it.” ShopSmart says the best place to find free offers are aggregator sites, such as Free-flys, Hunt-4-Freebies, and Hey-Its-Free. Jody Rohlena Consumer Reports ShopSmart “Facebook is a good place to find freebies. If you ‘like’ a company or a brand, they may send you free samples.” Twitter is also worth checking. Here’s an offer for a free Clif Bar, if you follow the company. And check out companies like Target and Procter and Gamble that have free sample pages on their websites. Just be aware you’re going to have to enter some personal information. Jody Rohlena “But don’t give away too much, like your birth date or any health information.” All freebie offers require an e-mail address. So create one specifically for freebies so offers don’t clog your inbox. Jody Rohlena, “When you are trying to score freebies, you have to be patient. We ordered 44 items, and just about half had arrived after almost three months.” This Rachael Ray Just 6 Dog Food took 10 weeks, but when it arrived, it did come in a good-sized sample. .”