By
Reneé LaVoie
Friday, November 27, 2009, 03:15 PM
Category:
FREE Today
Gift-giving can be a beautiful thing; going into debt from holiday spending is not. While I don't advocate giving free toothpaste samples as holiday gifts, freebies can be used to stretch your Christmas gift dollar further than you think. With a little creativity and advance planning, freebies and free gift with purchases can help soften the holiday blow on your budget. Here are a few ideas I plan on using this year:
FREE TRIAL MEMBERSHIP TO A FITNESS CENTER: If you know someone who has been thinking about getting back in shape and could use a little nudge, there are three different fitness centers that offer free trial memberships. Just print off the free membership certificate to Bally Fitness Center, Lifetime Fitness or 24-Hour Fitness Center and stuff it in a card or stocking. This makes a nice addition to a larger Christmas gift (think new workout clothes or athletic shoes) or by itself as a secret Santa treat, white elephant gift or stocking stuffer.
FREE GIFT WITH PURCHASE: These goodies run constantly and change from week to week. You can often get a free gift with purchase that is worth more than the required spending amount, like the current offer at Ulta.com for two free hurricane style candle holders ($50 value) when you spend only $30 on fragrance. Use your purchase as two separate gifts, or to make one gift extra special. Some other juicy free gift with purchase deals running right now include the free gift with $10 purchase at Bath & Body Works, the free scarf with sweater purchase at Victoria's Secret, the free six-piece Glamour Goddess gift with $45 purchase or the Restorative Treats six-piece gift with $45 purchase at Borghese, the BOGO free on bath items at e.l.f. Cosmetics, the free Metallic Flower Clutch and eight samples with $25 purchase or the free Harajuku Lovers Alarm Clock with Harajuku Lovers Solid Coffret purchase at Sephora, the free Estée Lauder gift ($200 value) with $55 purchase at Saks Fifth Avenue and your choice of free gift with any purchase at Yves Rocher. These are a few of the current free gifts with purchase. They change frequently, so be sure to check the FREE Today section weekly to keep up with the newest additions.
FREE PHOTOGRAPHY PACKAGE: You should check the expiration date on these, but printing off the coupon and including it in an early Christmas/Holiday card is a nice idea for family members, or as secret Santa and white elephant gifts. We have two of these running currently. The first is a fantastic deal that lasts until December 31 for a free session plus a free 10x13 wall portrait at Sears Portrait Studio. You'll save $44.97 with this impressive package. The second is a free set of 15 portrait gift tags with a new portrait session at Picture People. This package you'd definitely want to take advantage of early so it could be used in time for Christmas, plus the expiration date is December 26. But portrait gift tags are a fun and unique way to put your family's stamp on gift-giving this holiday season.
FREE VIRTUAL GIFTS: Virtual Christmas gifts are great for online friendships. Internet-based friendships are a part of the modern age...with many of these friendships, you don't have the person's postal address but you still want to send holiday cheer. Sending an eCard or holiday email with a link to a free service or download is a great way to spread Christmas spirit without having to spend extra money. You can also add links when your filling out your Christmas cards, so your friends and family get an extra bonus.
Barnes & Noble Free eReader: Do you have a friend that is attached to their iPhone or Blackberry constantly? Send them a link to the Barnes & Noble free eReader that they can download onto their device (it can also be downloaded to a PC or Mac). The eReader comes with six free books automatically, plus gives them access to hundreds of free books they can download on the Barnes & Noble site. They can also purchase many books at reduced prices.
25 Free iTunes Downloads on LSTN #7 at Urban Outfitters: Free music downloads are an excellent idea and this link gives you 25 different tracks featuring artists like the Vivian Girls, Darlings, No Age, the Dodos, the Very Best and more.
Free Virtual Makeover Tool at E.L.F.: This one is great for your female friends. With this online tool, they can download a picture of themselves and then try out new hairstyles and makeup styles. This freebie is a great way to save money and avoid a bad haircut!
--Renee
Image courtesy of Dean Morrissey Studio
By
Reneé LaVoie
Friday, November 20, 2009, 07:15 AM
Category:
FREE Today
When economic times get tough, the first thing that usually gets slashed from the budget is entertainment. To that we say : thank goodness for free book downloads! The first Barnes & Noble freebie we picked up on celebrated the 60th anniversary of romance imprint Harlequin with free PDF downloads. You can still download 16 different titles, with offerings from a wide variety of the Harlequin genres including the Nocturne series with mystical vampires and magic warriors, the Blaze series with hot steamy romances or the Romance series with traditional love stories that bring a smile-- just to name a few.
If romance isn't your thing, try the Barnes & Noble eReader. It's free to download and you can use it on your Blackberry, iPhone/iPod Touch or PC/Mac. The download comes with six free eBooks already installed and there are over 100 additional free eBooks to choose from on the Barnes & Noble site. Choose from titles like "Star Wars" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." I tried it out and loved it - it's both easy to read and user-friendly. The Barnes & Noble eReader is a great way to explore new authors, too. Forking over cash for an author you haven't read before can be a game of Russian reading roulette but with free eBooks, you can sample the works of a variety of new literary talent and find the ones you like. There's also a wide selection of eBooks for $5.00 or less; they're not free but it's still a hot deal compared with the list prices for hardcover and paperback books. Now when you're stuck in line or waiting at the doctor's office, you can pull out your Blackberry or iPhone and have something to pass the time!
Another option for eBooks at Barnes & Noble is the Nook. The Nook is not free ($259; available for pre-order here) but once purchased, you can download all the free eBooks and you can sample any eBook for free before buying. It is similar to the Kindle but has wi-fi capabilities, a color touch control screen and extended memory capabilities. After the initial purchase price, you'll find yourself saving money, as eBooks cost much less than hard copies. It would make a great gift from Santa for the avid reader in your household and with all the free samples and free eBooks, it will pay for its self.
--Renee
Image courtesy of Barnes & Noble
By
Reneé LaVoie
Friday, November 13, 2009, 07:15 AM
Category:
FREE Today
Most companies now offer eLists, email messages that let you know when they're having special promotions or includes an occasional coupon. If you have a favorite restaurant, it is definitely worth your time to sign up for their list. But some companies have programs that stand out from the herd, offering free samples, promos and deals on a regular basis.
AERIE A-LIST: Every month, A-list members at Aerie/American Eagle Outfitters receive a freebie that they can pick up in their local store any Thursday of the month. These freebies are quite nice - in the past, they've included underwear, backpacks and makeup brush sets. This month's freebie at Aerie is an Aerie Fragrance of your choice.
RIGHT@HOME BY SC JOHNSON: SC Johnson is the parent company for brands like Glade, Draino, Ziploc and Pledge. Their eClub is named Right@Home and features frequent freebie offers and tons of great coupons to members. Household necessities don't come cheap so this is a great way to get a few bucks off or an occasional freebie.
P&G EVERYDAY SOLUTIONS BY PROCTOR AND GAMBLE: P&G Everyday solutions is Proctor & Gamble's eClub and they do not disappoint. There are new freebies every month, plus great coupons. P&G is the parent company of brands like Oil of Olay, Tide, Febreeze, Downy and Iams.
BETTY CROCKER: Betty is alive and well, and still the queen bee in kitchens everywhere. Members of the Betty Crocker site not only get free and discounted coupons, but a host of other benefits including free recipes, instructional videos, articles and a community message board if you need some cooking advice or want to share ideas. Currently, Betty Crocker is giving away free boxes of General Mills Cereal and only members have a chance to be one of the lucky cereal-munching winners.
COKE REWARDS: I like this one so much I wrote an entire blog about it. If you drink Coke products on a regular basis, you can easily turn your habit into free stuff. Cash in Coke Rewards points for everything from free movie rentals at Blockbuster to one free day at Universal Studios Hollywood.
HONORABLE MENTION
WALMART: It's not a "club" exactly but they are without a doubt the gold mine of all resources when it comes to freebies. Within any given month, you'll usually find four to five Walmart freebies posted on FreeToday. Our current Walmart freebies include DenTek Triple Clean Floss Picks and Huggies Little Movers. I have enjoyed a gazillion Walmart freebies. They always deliver a nice sample and you don't have to wait forever to get them. I am always surprised at how quick they show up.
--Renee
photo courtesy of a3.vox.com