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Is everyone ready for another edition of Monday Mailbox? The freebies were a little scarce this past week. I did get a really nice freebie from Klout! I am still expecting another nice Klout perk soon. If you are a fan of Thrifty Momma Rambling facebook fan page, you would have seen a free sample to Softlips. I did not get to it in time as their servers had crashed, and I had to bring my son to his appointment. Oh well. You win some and you lose some. I hope everyone else was able to snag a sample that tried.
Here is what came in my mailbox this past week.
Not great but I received a free movie which was awesome! My son has been wanting to watch it since it came out last year. If you are wondering what Klout is and a perk, then please <a href=”https://thriftymommaramblings.com/2012/03/klout-perk-free-tintin-dvd-movie-purina-dog-chow/”>read this post </a>which will explain.
Today’s thrifty living tip is to take an inventory of purchased gifts. This is the time of the year I take advantage of clearance sales by purchasing gifts now to give throughout the year. I like to have a stockpile of gifts for teachers, last minute gifts, kid birthday parties, or gifts you know a certain person would love. You aren’t saving money if you forget you have Aunt Sally’s gift sitting in the closet so go out to buy her another one. What if no one else on your list likes poodles? Then you’re either stuck with it or donate it to charity.
I like to keep a list either on my smartphone or computer with all the gifts I have purchased. I know what I have in my gift closet, and I know who is getting what. I do make changes if I find something else during the year, but I make sure to change it on my list. This keeps me organized and on budget. I also have a special closet where I store all the gifts. Lately I have started storing them in a chest, and I keep an extra list taped to the inside lid. I have my list in two spots. Do you have a system to keep you organized for extra gifts? I have also created a gift list that is printable for anyone to use. I would appreciate a link back to my blog if you decide to post it on your blog or website. Just save the picture and then you can print. Enjoy the free printable gift list.
Today’s thrifty tip is bring samples on vacation. Why carry all those full size containers of toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, shaving cream, shampoo, and such? It would be much easier to bring the smaller travel sized samples. Unless you have a coupon to make it either free or under 50ยข cents, then don’t buy the travel size items in the store.
Just spend a little time daily requesting free samples. Look through my FREEBIE LIST HERE to find many samples to request. I post new ones daily.
You also get great coupons that you can buy again for later. Some coupons do have the wording “not good on travel or certain size items” so do read the fine print.
If you bring the smaller items, then you will have more room for your souvenirs. Less chance of having something leaking in your suitcase. If you leave behind a travel size item then you won’t be so upset compared to leaving behind a $5 or more item.
I have recently found a great freebie site called Free Stuff. They have featured freebies daily that change. Some of them are from Walmart but some aren’t. You can check freebies by a certain category and even post some great coupons to print. You should check them out by clicking on the link.
I love opening my mailbox daily and instead of seeing piles of bills, I get lots of free samples and coupons. It’s like getting a little present in my mail. I know it seems a little silly but getting free samples is a good way for me to try new products without having to purchase it first, some samples come with coupons, and I use some of them when I travel. I also like to put the small tubes of lotion in my purse and some samples (mainly the ones that come in tubes or small jars) can last me a few months esp lotions. It’s funny but I tend to use it sparingly compared to the huge bottles. I like the challenge of seeing how long I can make it last.
Another thing I like to do with some free samples is to keep them for gift bags. Every Christmas I get gift bags, baskets, and other ways to put many kinds of health and beauty products and fill them up. I make them decorative esp the the baskets but it’s fun putting big bottles along with small bottles of lotions, body washes, and shaving creams along with razors. My nieces (teenagers) love the bags full of goodies. My sister-in-law also loves them esp body washes and bubble bath. I usually spend less than $5 and they are always amazed at how many items are in the gifts. I’ll get into more detail with this on another post but I shop all year long and collect samples all year as well. I also donate samples along with full size products to my Church, local women’s shelter or the troops overseas. I like to send a care package at least twice a year to the soldiers. I also send one just for the females. You can pack a lot of stuff in those flat rate boxes.
Now I will share some sites that I regularly visit to get my samples. If you know of any sites that aren’t listed then please let me know in a comment. Thanks and I’m always looking for great sites.
Walmart
Big Big Forums
MyCoupons Just Freebies Shopping Board
Fat Wallet
Start Sampling (you must join as a member)