Who says you can't get something for nothing?
Who says you can’t get something for nothing?
Seasoned bargain hunters are sharing their tips for getting free stuff – both online and in stores – with INSIDE EDITION.
The last time Jillian Milhorn bought a bottle of shampoo or tube of toothpaste was three years ago, and she says she’s saved hundreds of dollars in total.
Her trick? Taking 15 minutes out of every day to sign up for promotional giveaways online.
She visits websites including FreebieShark.com and Hip2Save.com.
“Some weeks I get free stuff every single day,” she told IE. “You just fill out a short form… and you start getting stuff in the mail.”
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But sometimes you can also get freebies the old fashioned way: coupons.
Joanie Demer created TheKrazyCouponLady.com to share her talent for coupon cutting.
Her trick? Printing coupons at home and then pairing them with sales at the store.
At Target, she showed IE how she found bottles of shampoo that were on sale by the store. She was then able to discount them further with coupons from the product itself. She also used an in-store promotion to get gift cards.
“I’m paying $6 out of pocket and I'm getting $10 in gift cards back,” she said. “That means I'm getting paid $4 for five bottles of shampoo.”
At CVS, she used in-store discounts on body wash, detergent, mouthwash and razors.
“I just got $70 worth of stuff and not only did I get it for free, I actually got paid $11 to take it out of the store,” she said.
Lee Breslouer, a reporter for Thrillist.com, got free stuff without even leaving his house.
His trick? He wrote to 26 of his favorite brands just to see if any of the companies would reply. Fifteen did.
Many responded with gift cards and coupons. The best came from snack company, Tastykake.
“The CEO wrote me back and it wasn't a form letter,” he told IE. “I could tell he read my letter, and he sent me back a box of some of my favorite candy and snack foods growing up.”
But one couple really took the cake – by flying aboard a private jet for free.
Their trick? They used their travel deal website, GodSaveThePoints.com, and found a promotion for a charter plane service.
“Next thing you know, wheels up, 40,000 feet on a private jet,” Gilbert Ott said.
To get started, check out these websites, recommended by our experts:
TheKrazyCouponLady, which shares printable coupons and deals for stores including Target, Walmart, CVS and Walgreens.
FreebieShark, a money-saving blog that provides updates about freebies, coupons and deals.
Hip2Save, which also posts new deals, coupons and freebies throughout the day.
Jillian's YouTube channel, where she gives tips for how to score savings.
To find out how to write to companies to get free stuff, read Lee Breslouer's article.
For travel discounts, GodSaveThePoints, FareCompare and ThePointsGuy.
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