Get Free Stuff

There's nothing more frugal than free, and these days, there are lots of sources to get free stuff. Check out the websites and places below to snag all kinds of cool stuff without spending a dime.

Craigslist - You may know that Craigslist.org is a great site to search if you're looking to sell something or find an apartment to rent, but did you know there's a whole section for people just giving stuff away? Under the "for sale" category is a section just called "free." Poke around, and you'll see listings in your city for everything from furniture to mulch, old magazines, pet food and moving boxes - all free for the taking. The items in this section are usually first-come, first-serve, so be ready to jump in the car for a pick-up if you see something you want.

Freecycle - Freecycle.org is similar to the free area of Craigslist, in that everything that's listed on the site is a free item being offered by a person in your community, but it's a bit more exclusive. Freecycle is considered a network, rather than just an open site. You have to join the Freecyle group for your area to see your local listings and communicate with the people giving things away, but it is free to join, and the intent is to make sure that anything that can recycled and used by someone else stays in use and out of the landfill.

Garage sales - Most people who host garage sales are just trying to get rid of stuff they don't want. They'd like to make some money if they can, and the good stuff often goes early, but often you can get free stuff if you go by a sale toward the end of the day. Many times the host will just give away whatever is left so they don't have to haul it to Goodwill. We've even put out a "Free" box at some of our sales, filled with things we don't really think anyone would buy, but someone might take off of our hands if we just give it away. Kids are great for relieving you of that ! For more tips on how to get the best deals at garage sales, check out my Yard Sale Shopping Tips page.

Swagbucks - Swagbucks.com is a website where you can earn "Swag Bucks," or points, for performing activities, such as searching the Web or taking surveys. You can redeem your Swag Bucks for a wide variety of products, including my favorite: gift cards. Read my article about Swagbucks.com to learn more, including how to earn points and what you can redeem them for.

Online surveys - Online surveys are a great way to get free stuff. You earn either cash or points that you can redeem for items by answering surveys for marketers. There are a lot of web-based survey companies out there, but the one I've used for years is e-Rewards.com. It's free to sign up, and they email me surveys fairly frequently - usually a few a week. I fill out the ones I want, when I can, and earn "rewards dollars" that I can redeem for magazine subscriptions, airline miles and other products. The selection of items isn't as wide as with Swagbucks, but the reward rate is good, so if you like the items they offer, it can be worth your time.

How do YOU get free stuff?

Do you have a great resource for finding free items - a great online survey or free samples site or some cool method for getting people to just give you stuff because you’re so awesome? Tell your fellow readers! Maybe they’ll give you something free…

Yard Sale Shopping Tips

Swagbucks.com

Jump from Get Free Stuff to the Laughing Wallet home page.