Freebies – Are They Really Free?
Part One : Three Basic Types
Part Two: The Carefree Breakdown
In the last post of this series we mentioned the Carefree type. We listed a few tools to help the compulsive freebie, Know the difference between free and free with a cost, Is the free product worth it, and use a separate e-mail for all offers.
This part of the series will be for the type that has boundaries. This is the better of the three. They still want “free” but they have their limits to what they sign up for. This type has limits and usually only signs up for offers that take a limited amount of time, require a newsletter signup or a mail out off . They have a separate e-mail address for Spam and other newsletter offers.
We post offers such as free ecookbooks ( 27 free Mexican Recipes), Free restaurant coupons (the recent Chili’s Offer), free samples with facebook “likes” (Free Matrix Hairspray) and free printable coupon lists from Coupons.com. A free Queso Dip or deset from Chili’s is well worth the extra newsletter sign up. The 27 Free Mexican recipes is worth it for me because my family loves mexican foods.
All of t
Series: Freebies – Are They Really Free? Part One: The Three Basic Types
We went through the three basic types of people in part one of this series. There is the carefree that don’t care what they have to do to get something for “free” as long as they get it. There is the one that has boundaries with limits to what they sign up for. The last basic type is the close-minded type that believes that there isn’t anything for free in life.
All types have dangers. There are also good points to each type that the other can use to learn from. In this part of the series we want to go over the Carefree type.
The Carefree type can be the most dangerous type. If they are not careful with reading the fine print they will will get a ton of freebies in the mail but they aren’t absolutely free.
Here are a few tools for this type of person. Hopefully this will help with the compulsive freebies.
Know the difference between free and free with a cost. If you are required to sign up for a “silver offer, gold offer, or platinum offer,” then I can go ahead and say that this freebie not only will take a lot of time to get but also it will come with a cost. One specific right now is the ” LifeScript – Free Spring Samples Offer” . I went through this one myself to see what all it entails.
- First you are required to enter your e-mail address before seeing what more is required. (This doesn’t always mean it is a “cost” offer.)
- Once you give them your e-mail address then you will notice that at the end of the page there is the fine print. Also, started with an asterisk. You first saw this asterisk on the banner of the offer.
This is what that end of the page stated:
“*Upon completion of the Program Requirements.
LifeScript.com is not affiliated in any way with the listed products, brands, or merchants. This Free Sample offer is an independent program intended for consumers only. Trademarks, service marks, and/or logos (including individual product names) are the property of their respective owners. Those owners have no association with and have not endorsed the products and services provided by LifeScript.com. LifeScript.com is solely responsible for all Free Sample fulfillment.
This promotion is brought to you by LifeScript.com and is subject to your completion of the Program Requirements. Receipt of the Free Sample requires completion of the following Program Requirements:1) completion of the Member Registration including registration on LifeScript.com with a valid email address; 2) completion of the Member Registration Survey & Questionnaire and 3) acceptance of one of our Sponsor Offers. Access to a Sponsor Offer is dependent upon the answers provided in the Member Registration Survey & Questionnaire. In some instances, the answers provided may not generate a qualifying Sponsor Offer. No purchase is required to qualify for the Free Sample.
Upon satisfactory completion of Program Requirements, Lifescript.com will ship the Free Sample to you, without charge. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. Samples are available for U.S. residents only. Limit one per household while quantities last. The picture(s) of the product displayed may not be representative of the actual size of the Free Sample.
YOUR PRIVACY IS IMPORTANT TO US. After joining LifeScript.com, you may, at your election, receive emails and/or direct mail containing personalized health content, targeted advertising, opportunities to take surveys, and other free offers from our advertiser partners. In addition, in the case of certain offers that you may select, we will share your personal information with the trusted third parties that are making such offers. By participating in this offer, you are electing to share your information with such third parties. For more information, please click here to review our privacy policy. “
The main part I want to point out is the bold red highlighted words for #3, Acceptance of one of our sponsors offers. Accepting a sponsors offer could be to sign up for Coupons.com(this isn’t a bad offer) but other offers could be trial offer sign ups, or purchase a monthly magazine subscription. This offered mentioned above doesn’t state the “silver, gold, or platinum requirements” , which is a good sign. Most likely this offer will only take up your time and a few extra email offers.
Is The Free Product Worth It? Some may say that the product that they are getting for “free” is with the sign ups for other offers even if they may take time and money to get it. Make sure your time is worth the product or coupon you are wanting. If it is going to take you 30 minutes to sign up for a sample of a dryer sheet, is it worth it?
Use a separate e-mail for these offers. If you decide that you want to go ahead and get the free product with the offers, I would suggest setting up a separate e-mail account to handle all the “free” newsletters and other offers you will be flooded with.
Don’t get me wrong; there are several offers that I have felt was worth it. Especially if I only have to sign up for a newsletter, like them on facebook, or receive more info by mail. I want to make sure that you can be able to tell the difference in these offers. if you feel that they are worth it then you can sign up without regret.
Some of these types of offers are affiliate based which means that we get a small commission for you signing up to these offers. You won’t see these offers very often because even though we may get paid for your sign up, our $.30 commission just isn’t worth the rep.
We would love to hear your comments on this article. Please comment on this post.
While growing up I always heard, “Nothing in life is free” and “Money doesn’t grow on trees”. Unfortunately, the second statement is true, ”Money doesn’t grow on trees. This is a good thing though because we would be a world full of lazy people!! The first statement, ”Nothing in life is free” is false, thank goodness.
There are a ton of things that we can get for free. Stores offer free coupons while online partners offer free samples and much more. We all love free stuff but some offers come with a price. The price doesn’t actually have to be a dollar amount that you have to pay. There are offers that can get you free items by signing up for newsletters, requiring you to sign up for exclusive offers, “liking” a company on facebook and/or much more.
There are three types of people in this series,
1. The Carefree: This is the type that doesn’t care what they have to do to get something for “Free” as long as they get it.
2. The Boundary: This is the type that cares but has certain boundaries to signin up for the “free” items.
3. The Closeminded: This is the type that believes the old truth, ” Nothing in life is free”. They do not sign up for freebies, giveaways, coupons and tons more.
You may be one of these types or somewhere in-between. Tell us what type you are.
The next parts to this series we will break each type down and give you the good and bad to being these types. We will also give you the advise you need to make the right decision when signing up for free offers.
Are Rebates Worth It?
Some would say to stay away from rebates. Serena and I both agree that rebates are worth sending off as long as you remember, TO SEND THEM OFF and you can answer to steps below with a yes!
I am guilty of forgetting to send off rebates and because I am more for instant gratification, I am less likely to purchase something that requires me to send off for a rebate form. When I do choose to use rebate option I have a method.
Is it worth the wait? Decide if the item you are purchasing is worth the wait. Most of the time rebates take around 4-6 weeks before receiving a check in the mail from the manufacturer or store. Does your pocket book suffer from the wait? This question brings me to the next question.
Can you afford the wait? This one is simpler then you might think. If you can’t afford it then don’t buy it! Enough has been said on that one.
Can you pay cash? This question breaks down the last question. Unless you have cash for it do not purchase it. Do not use a credit card to purchase a rebate product. Most likely when the check comes the credit card bill will not be paid using that check.
Now that you have asked the questions above, let’s say it is worth it, you can afford it and you have cash. How do you make sure you get the rebate sent off? Here are a few steps that I have learned along the way.
1. Purchase the product as stated for the rebate. Make sure that you get the exact size of the product, the right solution and any other details that pertain to the rebate. I have purchased a product and once I got home I realized that it wasn’t the right size. I then turned around and took it back because it wasn’t worth it with out the rebate.
2. As soon as you get home fill out the rebate form, cut out the UPC bar code (if required), and gather any other requirements to send off the rebate.
3. If the purchase is a large rebate, always make a copy of everything that you are sending off. You would hate to miss out on a rebate because it was lost in the mail. (Knock on wood; this hasn’t happened to me yet!)
4. Send off ASAP! Most rebates have a time frame and need to be sent off before they expire. I find that it is easier to send off everything as soon as I get home from the purchase.
5. Check on the status of your rebate. If you are dealing with Rite Aid you will notice that the receipt you received the day of the purchase will not always be available on their system so you enter your information from the receipt. Once the receipt is available on the Internet, usually a couple of days later, and then your products will show your rebate amount. If not then go back to #1, did you purchase the correct product for the rebate?
If your rebate has to be done over the Internet, as with Staples or Rite Aid, then do it the same day as the purchase. You don’t always have access to the Internet as soon as you get home so do this as soon as you can.
Rebates are great when you can purchase a product, use a coupon with the transaction and send a rebate to make money but if you aren’t diligent enough to send the rebate off it will not be worth it.
Do you have a comment or a question about rebates? Let us know! We have awesome readers that love to help answer questions about saving money!
There are several times where I will pass up a gas station for a cheaper one right down the road, hoping to save more by finding the deals! That’s what we do right?! With family travels, soccer games, date night, and work keeping my family on the road, I have to find cheaper solutions so this article is here to show you how to save money at the pump.
If you know this already, please share with us how much you have saved lately by commenting.
As you can see, the reciept in the banner above is not real but it is a duplicate of my last gas stop. The price for my gas before discounts was for regular unleaded at $2.449 a gallon. At this stop I purchased 18.117 gallons. Before the discounts my fuel cost was $44.37. After discounts my fuel cost was $42.56. This ending up being a savings of $1.81. You may say that wasn’t a lot in savings but that $1.81 goes a long way when you coupon!
Here are the steps to saving at the pump,
1. Find a pump that offers fuelperks. If you are Bi Lo shopper then you know that for every $50 you spend before coupons you receive so many fuelperks loaded on your Bi Lo bonus card. You can also gain more fuelperks by purchasing participating products making your discount go from $0.05 a gallon to as much as $0.20 a gallon or more. This totally depends on the Bi Lo rules and products . Not all gas pumps offer fuel perks so be on the look out for BP, Shell, Sunoco, and Spinx gas stations.
2. If you do not have a fuelperks/Bi Lo bonus card of course find the cheapest gas station in your area. This doesn’t mean wait until you are about on empty and cruise to find a station. This means to keep an eye out for cheap gas on your way to work and or during traveling time.
3. Use a the debit option instead of credit. Most pumps offer a discount if you use a debit card instead of a credit card. Even if your bank card has a VISA symbol or any other credit card company symbol, as long as you have a debit pin number issued by your bank, you can use it as a debit card. So next time you are at a pump choose debit, pay here, and enter your pin #. (Look at the above receipt for a savings of another $0.05/gal for paying with debit card)
4. Use cash when possible. Not all pumps offer the option to pay cash at the pump. My local Spinx does so this is another option just like debit to get a discount on gas.
5. You can also sign up for a credit card to save on gas at the pump but I wouldn’t recommend this since credit cards are not the solution for getting out of debt.
Granted my savings were small this time and I haven’t built up on fuelperks but a savings is a savings! I am a Bi Lo shopper so my fuelperks will be adding up soon enough.
We would love to hear how much you have saved!
Guest Post by Teresa
“When I make Bean and Pasta Soup the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Now in the past I have opened a can of tomato paste, removed the required tablespoon, and then covered the can up with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator with all good intentions to use up the remainder in other recipes as the week progressed. A week later I pull the can out and as you all probably know the can is all yucky looking and the tomato paste tastes like tin. Yuck! Now it’s only fit for the trash. There is some good that comes from this yucky lesson.
If I’m going to all the trouble to print and clip the coupons, and look for sales to purchase this superb tomato paste at an inexpensive price I am not going to throw away anymore. Where’s the savings in that? Here is a brilliant tip to save the remaining tomato paste and cut down on waste in the kitchen.
After opening your can of tomato paste use your 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop out exact measurements on to a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet.
As you can see I get 8 tablespoons to 1 can of paste. Then pop it into the freezer for a few hours until they are frozen solid. Place them into a well labeled freezer bag and store them in your freezer for up to 6 months. I keep mine on the door because I tend to push back and cover things up as I add new items to the freezer. (Tell me I’m not the only one that loses things in their freezer. Please!  Now when you are baking you don’t have to worry about not having any on hand or about having a yucky can left over in the fridge. Aren’t you lucky I passed this tip along to you?”
Teresa is the author/owner of Money Saving Maine-iac. She lives in coastal Maine with her husband and sons. She am always looking for ways to stretch their budget and cut down on waste. Canning, freezing and dehydrating are not just a necessity for her but a hobby as well. Here is one way that she cuts down on waste and preserves this delicious organic tomato paste for future use.
Pictures are by Teresa
If you have enjoyed this guest post please take time to comment on this post. If you would like to be a guest on Smart Shopping Ladies please send us an e-mail about what you would like to share with others.
Have you ever wondered why grocery stores and other retailers are so observant when it comes to couponing and couponers?
Most of us don’t want to believe that there are people out in the world that could consciously fraud or hurt others. Apparently, it happens way more than we think and until it happens to you or you see it for yourself do you truly understand why a company is so strict with coupons.
We wanted to press on this issue and make others aware that fraud is not something that we approve of and that we try our best to help others avoid these situations. We are available to you to show you how to get items free or cheap with coupons and we would like for everyone to also stay true to the rules of couponing and make it easier for others, that want to do it the right way.
To avoid fraudulent transactions, you have to know the rules. Let’s start with, what is a fraudulent transaction?
Fraudulent transactions are caused by the couponer knowingly and sometimes not knowingly using a coupon that is not for its original intended use.
The reason that “sometimes not knowingly” is mentioned, is because mistakes do happen but they should always be corrected so that you stay in good light with the grocery store and other retailers that accepts your coupons.
Do not use a coupon to purchase a product that is not mentioned on the coupon.
Let’s say I received a coupon for $1 off 1 Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal. The coupon plainly states that the coupon is for the instant oatmeal. I pick up the Quaker Oats Cereal Bars. I gather all my other items, stick the coupon in my stack of other coupons to use and proceed to let the cashier scan the coupon. Even if the coupon does scan and lets me use it for that product, it is still fraud.
Now let’s say that I received a coupon for $1 off 1 any Quaker Oats product. The coupon is now open for ANY Quaker Oats product. You can then use this and it is not fraud, as long as you purchase a Quaker Oats product.
Do you ever get a cashier that spreads out all the coupons, scans each item and picks the coupons for that item at the same time? This is why! They want to make sure that the coupon is being used for the item that you purchase. If it isn’t then this may cause them to not get reimbursed for that coupon, which then in turn causes them to loose money.
Stay tuned next week for more to this series and other ways to avoid fraudulent transactions.
Also check the tab Tips and Truths for other helpful articles.
Comment, we would want to hear what you think!
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