So, you’re on a tight budget and a little freebie is sounding pretty good. You hear about free offers all the time. How do you find and acquire this elusive free stuff though? There are many options for finding free items. There are equally as many types of freebies. The Internet is a good place to start your search for freebies, but it doesn’t have to end there.

Samples:

The simplest way to get a free sample of a product is to log onto a products' web site. Usually companies have a section where you can fill out a form with your contact information to receive a free sample sent by mail. It is easy to take advantage of these promotional offers. Unfortunately, most of these offers will have you waiting for 4-6 weeks for your sample item. Many other sites exist that offer a list of the companies that are offering free samples. This can be especially helpful if you are mostly interested in specific types of products such as beauty supplies, health samples and office supplies.

Downloads:

Another way to get freebies without leaving your home is to look for Internet freebies. Free downloads are available on many web sites. Downloads can include anything from clip art, screensavers and spyware to free Internet games and fun freebies. Free email accounts, Internet access, web hosting and e-cards are also available on the Internet.The advantage of this is that it is instantaneous. The disadvantage is that each download may take up quite a bit of space on your computer’s memory. Make sure you have enough room before downloading something new.

Ebooks:

With a growing number of self-published books and other writing online, ebooks are becoming popular items listed under free stuff. You can find ebooks on virtually any topic or genre. Sometimes it is used as a hook to get you to buy other books, sometimes it is an excerpt of a book to peak your interest so you will buy the whole book, other times it is a promotional way for an author to spread the word about their work. In any case, downloading an ebook is a fairly easy process. Again, make sure you have enough space in your computer’s memory to handle the new document.

Trial Offers:

Free trials are a common type of freebie found just about anywhere that you can find a business. Normally, if it is a service provider, they will offer the first month or first three months free. This may be contingent on you signing up and making a prepayment on the following months. This is a common practice for magazine subscriptions as well. There is usually a stipulation that you can cancel anytime, but once the subscription starts rolling in and the free period has ended, you are responsible for making payment on the subscription.

Coupons:

The Internet is also a good place to find coupons. Discount coupons are available by joining sites set up specifically for coupons. You can also visit the web sites of the stores you shop at. Sometimes they will offer online or in-store coupons for you to print and use. Not only can you find discount coupons for free, but you can also get coupons that offer free stuff. Logging on to a company’s web site is a good way to find this type of freebie. You may find coupons for free candy bars, gum, toothpaste, and more.

Free Stuff for Kids:

Freebies aren’t just for adults. Kid freebies are everywhere on the Internet. A good place to start is on the web site of your child’s favorite television show or channel. On these sites you will find free downloads, games, coloring pages, kid’s clubs and more. Another way to look up cool free stuff for kids is to look up their favorite book or author. These sites often offer free bookmarks, book excerpts, posters and contests. From a general search, you can find free crafts, paper puppets, greeting cards, party invitations, stickers, and posters, to name a few.

Freecycling:

In an effort to keep things from being sent to the landfills, some environmentally conscious people are recycling their unwanted items for free. There are web sites that support these offers. One such site is www.freeccylce.org. It allows users to post items within a local area for pick-up. No fees are allowed to be exchanged between parties. You can post offers as well as want ads. Most items are used, but if you are looking for household items, toys, and other miscellaneous things, this is the place to get them for free. It is also a great place to offer your unwanted items in an effort to keep the landfills from filling up with items someone else can potentially use.

Garage Sales:

A garage sale is another venue for getting free stuff. Garage sales require a more hands on approach though. Many times a sale will offer a “free” box that contains small items they either don’t think will sell or are just desperate to get rid of. A free box can also be used as a tool to lure buyers in. Also, if you catch a sale on or after it’s closing time, the people running the sale are usually eager to get rid of their items so they don’t have to repack them all, load them up and take them back into their home. This is the perfect time to look for used items that will be offered for free. If your timing is right, you may find them packing smaller items in boxes and lugging them to the curb, along with the larger items they no longer want.

On the Street:

Speaking of curbs, if you keep an eye on the roadside on garbage pick-up days, occasionally you can catch something of use, and again, save it from the landfill. You should also be cautious about the things you take. Generally, furniture, toys and the like are usually safe bets. But as the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.