Because Who Doesn’t Love Free Stuff?

Hey, speaking of free stuff, are you maximizing your freebie-earning capabilities? I’m sure there’s more, but here are some great ways to get free stuff. And who doesn’t love free stuff?!

1. As Trina mentioned, Sephora has a great Beauty Insider program. You earn points for everything you buy at Sephora (in store AND online!), and sometimes earn bonus points. Plus, if you spend I think $250 in a year, you become a V.I.B., and get the chance to score even MORE free stuff. Ahem. Not that I would know… ANYWAY, I’m very much looking forward to visiting next month to get my birthday treat!

2. I don’t shop there as much, because quite frankly I’ve been spoiled by Sephora and they’ve only just recently opened a store near me, but Ulta has an awesome rewards program as well. Works the same as Sephora’s, as far as I can tell.

3. Become an Allure Insider. Back when I subscribed to the magazine, I became an Insider, and every now and then I receive a random free product to try out. So fun! I’ve received shampoos, hair color, body lotions and much more. Then, once you try it they send you a survey to find out what you think of the product. I’m a survey geek anyway, so I’m always happy to do those. 🙂

4. Similarly, the Marie Claire Velvet Rope Club offers product samples and trials. I’ve received depilatory cream, toothpaste and mouthwash from this one.

5. Have you heard of Vocalpoint? It’s Procter & Gamble’s social media forum, and if offers excellent samples and coupons. Now, it’s not all beauty related – you get food, laundry supplies, diapers, etc. thrown into the mix – but I’ve received a full-size jar of Olay Pro-X (you know, the ones that are usually like $25!), plus coupons, so it’s definitely worth looking into. The key to Vocalpoint is participation – open the e-mails they send, participate in the web forums, and you’re more likely to receive better/more goodies. (And, as an aside – their mailings are SO COOL. I looooove getting a Vocalpoint package in the mail!)

6. I’m not completely sold on this one yet, but BzzAgent is another way to try out new products and get coupons. They’re a word-of-mouth marketing company, so the idea is they send you a product and you tell the world how great it is. I signed up and actually received my first product (which you’ll be hearing about soon), but I don’t really “get” how their site works. I could just be old and crotchety, though. Always a possibility.

7. This one kind of goes without saying, but if a store you like A LOT has a credit card and/or rewards program? Sign up for it. My go-to is the Gap family of stores (Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime and Athleta), so I earn points on every purchase I make with my Gap card – sometimes double or even triple rewards! You get a $10 certificate for every 250 points you earn, so it’s a great way to get free or majorly discounted clothes. LOVE.

I know this is just scratching the surface, so tell me: How do you get free stuff?