Personal Finance Advice

Can you get something for nothing? It has long been debated that there is no such thing as a free lunch, and to some degree that is usually true. You may not have to pay for your free lunch, but you have to sit through a marketing spiel, or promise to pick up the check the next time, or maybe just show a little gratitude. In other words, you may not have to pay for your lunch, but the person buying you lunch is getting something out of it nonetheless.

Yes, you can get something for “nothing” as long as your definition of “nothing” is no monetary obligation. It all depends on how much effort you are prepared to invest in getting free stuff. You may not know this, but there are plenty of entities out there ready to give you free stuff as long as you are ready to either tell them what you think about that free stuff, or to tell the people around you about how great the free stuff is. It’s a marketing tactic that has become much easier to employ with the widespread usage of the Internet, where information about any product is merely a click away. These companies want you to blog about their products, write in online forums about their products, or in some cases, want you to spark conversations about the products in a face to face conversation with people you know.

In this instance, the something for nothing becomes something for little. You don’t have to pay for the product, but you have to try the product and in some cases you have to report back about the product or fill out a lengthy questionnaire. 

Since managing your personal finances can be a little easier when you’re getting a bunch of free stuff instead of having to pay for it, below are a few of the best (and legitimate!) websites which give you free stuff in return for something.

Start Sampling: This site offers free samples with no further obligation. Some of the best samples offered on this site include full year subscriptions to select magazines and snack samples. You must register for this site to gain access to the samples.

BzzAgent: This site offers full-size products completely free of charge. After you receive the product you try it and then submit a report to the site. You will usually be sent sample sizes and coupons for the same product to share with your friends and you are expected to submit reports about your friends’ reactions. You must apply to register for this site, but there is never a charge associated with this site.

SheSpeaks: This site is similar to BzzAgent, but is geared specifically towards women. Register for this site and based on your survey responses you may get offered free products to try and then share your opinion. This site also occasionally offers surveys that are not connected to a certain product, but upon completion you receive a gift card in the mail.

House Party: This site is probably the most fun of all the sites listed here. Apply for registration, and upon approval, you get to peruse the list of house parties offered by the site. A “house party” is a marketing campaign where a company sends you a box full of products which you then turn around and share at a party with your friends. Your only obligation after the party is to fill out a survey and post some pictures from your party to the site. Past parties included Fisher Price parties where hosts were sent boxes full of new toys, Maybeline parties where hosts received makeup sets, popcorn and a DVD of a popular show to watch, and an Oscar Mayer party where the host was sent a variety of themed party favors and enough coupons for free hot dogs to feed a huge party.

All of the sites listed above are legitimate, do not charge a fee for membership, and are a lot of fun. Stay active on these sites and you may find yourself getting things for free that you would usually pay for.