Cheap is Good, FREE is Better; Freebies & More

What is FREE? The definition of FREE has become fuzzy and confused by marketers using it to catch a consumer's attention. Is it FREE if you are required to give something in return, like shipping and handling fees or an email address?

Is a eBook, FREE, if you are required to give your email address? You can get a ton of free digital stuff for just giving an email address.

Is something free if you have to pay for shipping and handling? And with shipping and handling fees, they get your name, address, email address and phone number because you charged the fee to your credit card. And don't think that somebody won't telephone you trying to get to you to purchase something else. I know first hand.

What about situations where you know that shipping and handling fees cover the cost of something plus a profit? I have had offers presented to me for a free CD of an eBook or audio for the $8.00 to $10.00 claiming to be shipping and handling fees. I know that you can outsource the creation and fulfillment for the CD, printing and CD case for about $3 - $4. Mailing media through USPS for a CD at this time would be less than $2.50 for the first pound. Therefore everything above the amount of about $6.50 would be profit to the giver (the person with the free offer). I suppose that one could argue that the remaining fees go to things like royalty fees, overhead, handling advertising and the list could go on.

Some food for thought.

What are you willing to give up to get something for free?

Follow these links


Free Stuff from Wal-Mart


This is the page where all the free stuff is listed.

I just stumbled across the craziest news...

... Derek Gehl, an internet marketing guru is giving
away his $297 "Internet Millionaire's Protege
Bootcamp" DVDs for FREE!

This means you can get 7 hours of professional online
business training in the comfort of your very own home --
and all YOU have to pay is the cost of shipping the
package to your door!

But apparently there are only 121 copies of Derek's
world-class training DVDs left...

...So to claim your free 7-hour DVD training system now,
go to:

Click Here NOW!!!

The are many other places where you can get free stuff. Some of this stuff, you may not want but some peoples trash are other peoples treasures. Some people have stuff they not longer want and do not want to spend the effort to sell it, or donate it, so they attempt to give it away for free. But is it really free. You have to manage someway to transport the stuff to where you want it and store the stuff until you need it.

In some areas, there is a written/unwritten rule/law where anything left on the curb is free for the taking. Some people patrol areas on the trash pick-up day looking for things to acquire. This costs time and gas money but may be worth persuing.

Sunday Morning, a CBS news mixed with human interest show, recently had a clip about our materialistic disposable society. The clip host drives around his neighborhood on trash collection day and is able to find all sorts of still valuable things from electric fans to furniture and computers. The slant of this segment was toward recycling the still useful items. The host commented that many charities will send someone to pickup these types of unwanted goods.

This type of collection behavior has a term "dumpster diving". Some people have written manual or formed groups devoted to dumpster diving and even become full time dumpster diving.

NOTE: A really good place to dumpster dive is college dorms and apartments when school is closing in the spring. College kids will throw stuff out rather than trying to get it home or store it.

A less expensive way to find free stuff is on the internet. In many areas there is a Freecycle.org website where people post about things they are willing to give away. Whether there is a freecycle site for your area is predicated by population and demand.

Some, because I have not seen all, on-line classified ad sites, have a free and wanted sections. Craigslist.com, the largest on-line classified ad site, has some very active free and wanted sections. Craigslist is organized by area and currently has over 300 for the United States. As you can imagine, some areas are more active than others, such as Los Angeles is more active than say El Paso, Texas. You could assume that you would have better luck in Los Angeles than El Paso for obtaining worthwhile free stuff.

What can you do with all this stuff you have found? Use it, Sell it, Donate it, Trash it.

Today, May 17, USA Weekend ran an article "America, Land of the Freebie" travel guide.

http://www.usaweekend.com/09_issues/090517/090517travel-freebies.html

On the list is the Celestial Seasoning factory tour in Boulder Colorado. This is a terrific tour. I would suggest that you not go on the weekend because the factory is not in operation, but then sometimes you can not control those things. Also at Celestial is a well stock factory store. I find factory stores better because they attempt to carry everything whereas you can only find a portion of the offerings in a local retail establishment. They also have a cafe that is open to the public and free tastings of their teas. A first class operation.

If you are in the area, may I also suggest the Coors Brewery Tour in Golden Colorado or the Budwieser Brewery Tour in Fort Collins Colorado, both of these are free and free samples to adults. And if you are into beer, there are a half a dozen micro-breweries along the front range from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs that may have tours or tasting rooms (many have a small fee for a sampling)..

Enjoy

Quiznos has $4 Torpedo Sandwiches

T.G.I. Fridays has nine new salads and sandwiches for $6 - $11

Chili's is not to be left out with 10 deals for under $7

Subway continues to have it $5 Footling Sub, which was about the price of a 6 inch sandwich

McDonald's is pushing it's premium coffee which is cheaper than Starbucks along with it's well known Dollar Menu

Starbucks is countering with its recent roll out of "Breakfast Pairings" - Coffee plus sandwich/oatmeal/pastry for $3.95

Taco Bell breaks through the $1 barrier with its Volcano Menus

Wendy's is not to be left out with 99 cent sandwiches, Frosty Coffee Treats

Domino's has $5 subs when packaged with other sandwiches or medium pizzas

Golden Corral is touting its 7-Day Dinner Cruise priced "around $10"

76 Gasoline is give away FREE tickets to 5 different home games. All you have to do is fill up with 76 Gasoline (minimum of 10 gallons) four (4) times for TWO Free Dodger Tickets.

We all have to buy gasoline right. Ops, some of you out there may have one of those off beat cars that does not run on gasoline. So, Sorry.

These seats are not the greatest seats. They are in the Reserve/Top Deck levels... But you can up grade them to a FIELD BOX seat for $30 per ticket (this is normally $55).

And with the way the Dodgers have started these season, it looks like they will have another good year.

A lot of restaurants and fast food chains have websites. The information on these web sites can run the whole gambit from store locations, to menu items, special menu items, and employment opportunities.

Many of these web sites also allow you to give them information so that they can stay in contact with you. Texas Roadhouse several years ago had a free drawing for a Barbeque. To enter, you filled out a form with your email address. Since then, about every other month, I get an email coupon good for a free Cactus Blossom appetizer with a 2-dinner meal purchase.

UPDATE

I just found a site that has a very complete list of BIRTHDAY FREEBIES. And these freebies are not limited to just RESTRAUNTS, but include places like Disney World, and free movies or bowling.

Check it out!!!

Hey, It's Free! Click HERE

Below is a list of places I have complied. Some ask for a birth dates and will send you a coupon for various items as a birthday gift.

So here is the start of a list that will get you free food. Ad your own discoveries.

100 Free and Useful Open Courseware Classes for Web Workers

By Alisa Miller

As the title says, Alisa Miller has compiled 100 Open Courseware classes for web worker from various universities around the United States. These are not your local free university given by somebody trying to sell something. They are from MIT and the University of California at Berkley.

Click Here for List

The courses are organized into the following categories:

• Web Design
  
• Comparative Media and Media Arts
  
• Photography and Video
  
• Technology
  
• Writing
  
• Communication
  
• Copyright, Law, and Ethics
  
• Marketing
  
• Entrepreneurship
  

The courses were gleaned from the following universities:

• Utah State University
  
• University of California at Irvine
  
• The Open University
  
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  
• Gresham College
  
• Western Governors University
  
• University of California at Berkeley
  
• Western Governors University
  

Who does not remeber that line that the Disney Corporation paid the winning quarterback of the Super Bowl to say after winning that Championship Game.

Well, now through the end of the year, you can sign up and get into either Disneyland in California or Diwney World in Florida for FREE on your birthday.

Yes you can visit the "Happiest Place on Earth". The downside is that you have to get there and you may have to pay for your friends and family to join you.

But here is the link to sign up.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/disneyparks/en_US/WhatWillYouCelebrate/index?name=FreeOnYourBirthdayPage&bhcp=1

Yup, this is the real deal. It really is free with no Gimmicks. They just want to expose you to their merchandise. Only available in the United States.

Free Jewelry!!! No Gimmicks, No Catch, Real Deal

Get your free Million Dollar Bill while they last. Don't know how long
they will last but here it is.

UpdateI applied for my money a while ago, over a month. It has not appeared on my door step.