Free is really my favourite price, and it's only better when it's delivered direct to my door. Even in these days of austerity you can still get an extra piece of post or two each week.
Long Term Freebies
These are made up of two basic categories: 'try before you buy' samples and ongoing campaigns. The backbone of that first category are DIY products - wallpaper, flooring, fabric swatches. The industry expectation is that you'll be able to request free samples to make a decision on, and most companies will send out swatches free of charge.
The best way to find them, in my experience, is just to google something like 'free wallpaper sample UK'. Not only have these kind of samples helped me decide on colour schemes and fittings, they've also provided excellent scrapbooking paper, tile coasters, and the means to upholster entire sets of doll house furniture. Some ideas of what to search for include:
(Click on the links for pre-curated lists!)
★ Carpet + Artificial Grass
★ Fabric
★ Health (incontinence products, etc)
★ Material (plastic, glass, wood, metal - it'll bring up all sorts)
★ Tiles
★ Wallpaper
The second category can be harder to find as they're aimed at fairly narrow audiences. Examples might include children's club magazines, new baby packs (Bounty), promo pens and stickers, etc.
Short Term Freebies
These are limited offer samples, typically designed to raise awareness or promote a new product. Examples I've had recently include tea bags, perfume samples, dog food, canvas tote bags, and more.
The best way to keep up to date with new offers is to follow freebie sites like Magic Freebies, Wow Free Stuff, and the Money Saving Expert freebie forum. My personal favourite is Latest Deals; not only does it have a steady stream of offers and freebies, you can also build up points through engagement for a free Amazon voucher.
Free Trials and Subscription Boxes
The best way to find free trials is, like with the short term freebies, to check out the freebie sites as the offers tend to be fairly short lived. Just remember to cancel your subscription as soon as your freebie arrives, or you could end up with a hefty charge for a monthly service.
Another option is to look for companies with good refer and earn offers. Just referring one or two people is often enough for you to be able to claim a freebie. Just this week I had a free Japan Candy Box thanks to people using my referral link to get money off their orders; win-win, huh. :)
For a whole load of potential subscriptions, click the picture below:
Competitions
Not a guaranteed way of bagging yourself some post, true, but if you have some spare time you can get a good return on it. Check out my guide to comping for more info.
