What’s better than finding something you wanted on sale?  Finding it for free, of course!  It can be as simple as knowing where to look, and you can find more than just free samples without having to take a survey or review a product.  Ready, set, go!

• Ah, Craigslist.  If you haven’t met Craigslist, it’s time you two were introduced.  Not only can you find jobs, gigs, and items for sale, you can find free stuff.  And it’s not simply people’s broken junk.  If you’re searching at the right time, you might hit the jackpot.  For example, one day I found a listing from someone in my area that had an entire garage full of stuff that he was giving away—for free.  This turned out to include many things that were in great condition that he probably could have sold for a decent amount of money, but he was moving and simply wanted it all gone!  Many times, you need to act quickly before someone else snatches up the free stuff.  Not finding what you’re looking for?  You can post a “wanted” ad or look under “barter” if you have something you’re willing to swap.
• Freecycle.org.  Here you can save perfectly good items from being dumped in a landfill.  You can find furniture, toys, appliances, etc. that might otherwise be thrown away but are in good or salvageable condition.  You’ll help the environment and gain something for free!
• Swaptree.com.  Let’s face it: CD’s, DVD’s, books, and videogames (especially videogames!) can be pretty expensive when bought new.  And if you have an item in one of these categories that you just don’t care for anymore, the resale value is pretty low.  At swaptree.com, you can literally swap your old item for one that you want, and it’s completely free!  How’s that for a good deal?
• Swapstyle.com.  Are you ready for this one?  I’m pretty excited!  At swapstyle.com, you can swap clothes for free!  Resale value on clothes is just as low as your videogames and DVD’s, and unless you’re shopping strictly on the clearance racks, new clothes are almost always overpriced.  So what do you do if you no longer wear something or you’ve lost weight and you’re in the market for a wardrobe overhaul?  I’m going to swapstyle.com.  This is completely free; you can become “address verified” for $10 if you desire, though.  Address verification is used to help members feel more secure with their transactions.
• Couchsurfing.org.  If you’re a traveler and you’re looking to spend as little as possible, you might want to check out this website.  Think of it as crashing at a friend’s house for free while you’re on a road trip…anywhere in the world.  You find people to stay with in the area you’re traveling to, and you stay for free.  You might be thinking that it doesn’t sound safe to sleep in a complete stranger’s home in a different state or country, but you select who you want to stay with and have every opportunity to check them out beforehand.  The site describes itself as having a “neighborhood watch” program; you can check members’ references and verification, as well as their friends before requesting to stay with them.

Another way to stumble upon your free treasure is to do an internet search and type “free” and the item you’re looking for.  On other websites, you may have to fill out a survey or ensure pop-up ads in order to get the free stuff; if you’re comfortable with that, go for it.  You’ve found what you wanted, and the price is right!