Freebies and free stuff

We’re 40 days away from Christmas. Yep, you read that correctly. I’m going to highlight a few services and websites over the coming weeks that might make your life easier during the holidays (and beyond), but remember that there are tens of thousands of Hiffers out there. Every service isn’t going to be best for you, so I’m only focusing on ones that I use or ones that I think most people would find helpful.

You’ve probably heard of Amazon Prime. For $79, you can get free two-day shipping on pretty much every Amazon purchase. It’s awesome. The problem is when you go to buy something on another site, you’re back to paying $6 for shipping that takes a week if you’re lucky. Enter ShopRunner.

ShopRunner is a yearly $79 membership site in the mold of Prime. But instead of being available for just one store, it’s works on over 50 participating stores (with dozens more on the way) that have banded together to offer free two-day shipping. A membership gets you free shipping from NewEgg, Toys and Baby-R-Us, MLB and NFL.com, American Eagle, PetSmart and tons more. Even better, you get free shipping on any returns as well. Because, let’s be honest, we all occasionally make a regrettable 2am drunk purchase.

Aside from the free shipping for yourself, you can also designate up to four fellow household family members to share your account.

Is this for you? I don’t know. I have no idea what your online shopping habits are. However, if you and your family shop even a handful of times online at participating stores, you’ll make your money back through saved shipping costs rather quickly. In fact, ShopRunner is so confident you’ll love them, they’re giving people a free 30 day trial with no strings attached. If you like the service, you can keep it past the trial. If not, you are free to cancel it.

So if you do as much online shopping as myself, give ShopRunner a shot and see how awesome they are.

I come across dozens of fake freebies every day. 99.99% of them quickly die, but like a crazy ex, some hang around and simply refuse to go away. Case in point, the “free Snuggie” offer that popped up in October. I still get an e-mail or two each day suggesting I post it, and while I hate to be the bearer of bad news, there’s no way it’s coming.

However, I thought I could use it to show how I vet freebies when I’m unable to contact the freebie company directly. So if you’re interested in learning more about the process as well as following along while I hunt down who exactly is behind this spreebie (I just made that word up), then please read along. Warning, it’s fairly lengthy.

Let’s review this spam offer!

After making a post about ExpoTV last month, I figure quite a few Hiffers are now signed up with them and earning free prizes in exchange for their reviews. I actually just cashed out an Amazon giftcard with them on Sunday and received an e-mail today with the certificate code! However, I wanted to mention that the letter comes from perks.com and my account actually flagged it as spam. Had I not been looking around in my spam folder, it may have sat there for an extra week or two.

Just thought I’d pass along that info. The full e-mail address of the confirmation letter is OrderConfirmation@perks.com, so you might want to add them to your contacts list if you think you might get a gift certificate through ExpoTV.

Off Topic Sidenote: One of the features Expo has is that it lets you see the first video of anybody you referred to their site. So, I’ve been watching a ton of reviews from Hiffers and they’re all pretty good! It’s nice to see some of the faces of my readers as well

I initially wrote about ExpoTV a little over two years ago when I first discovered it. I was using the site to make some extra cash just for making videos reviewing household objects. I eventually ran out of things to review, but that was a while ago and I decided to have another look at the site. Turns out they recently shifted to a new points format, but the premise is still the same: you set up a camcorder, webcam, or even the video mode of a digital camera and then review any product in your house. In exchange, you earn points that can be redeemed for prizes, giftcards and cash. Kind of like Swagbucks but for video reviews instead of searching. As an example, a $15 Amazon gift certificate costs only 1800 points but you receive 2000 points for uploading your first video!

In addition, they’ve got a new section called Tryology. Basically what this amounts to are free full-sized samples of new products in exchange for promising to make a short video review. Current and recent Tryology product offers include Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs, Honey Bunches of Oats, Herbal Essences, Pantene, Mister Salty Chocolate Pretzels, and more. To find out if you qualify, simply register, fill out your profile, and they will then e-mail you if you qualify.

You won’t make millions with ExpoTV, but it is a fun way to make a little extra cash as well as try out new products for free!

Oh my gosh freebie people! It’s me, Shaynon, your freebie reviewer guru! Remember me? Well I am back and I’ve missed you all so much! I have been MIA for way too long, but you’re not here for that, right? You’re here for a FREEBIE REVIEW! Well, my friends, you are in luck because I am starting off my return with a current freebie that was recently posted – coupons for Dove Go Fresh Body Mists and Dove Cream Oil Body Lotion.

Read more of this freebie review!

If you binged or still are binging on Christmas goodies, like I am, then this healthy freebie review is for you! I figure between now and Valentine’s I will eat nothing but good stuff because once the chocolate candy hits the store shelves…look out! So today I am reviewing Orville Redenbacher’s 100 Calorie Smart Cakes that were on HIF on October 16th.

The cakes were a Walmart freebie, the best kind of course! I got mine on October 30th, so they came pretty fast. Two kinds were offered: Cheese and Caramel. If you’re a smart freebie getter, you just put in two different emails or used your middle name as your first like I did. I received both samples!!

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As 2008 draws to a close, it’s nice to look back at some of the awesome freebies that were offered during the year. I’ll be making a post closer to New Years recapping some of the great freebies I got (we’re even chatting about it on the forums), but in the mean time I’ve got a question for ya. Do you think you’re the biggest freebie addict out there?

I ask because friend of the site Alyssa is holding a Freebie Idol 2008 and is looking for freebie addicts! She’s looking for whoever thinks they are the biggest freebie addict to do anything creative: sing a song about freebies, write a poem, review a sample you have received, take a photo of all of your freebies, or anything else you can think of! Submissions are open until December 31 and prizes will be handed out soon thereafter.

So if you’re snowed in up north or need a little break from all the friends and family that might be swarming around your house right now, get a little creative and have some fun with this! I know I’ll certainly be entering.

Dear Freebie Friends,

If anyone ever tells you chocolate is bad for you, laugh in their face then go on eating your chocolate dream covered/filled/dipped whatever.

Love,
Shaynon

So yes, today we are reviewing something so chocolaty and so yummy I don’t even know where to begin. If you have not received your free Turtle Chex Mix Bar yet, you have my deepest sympathies. If you’ve already signed up for this freebie, you are gonna love it! And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?!

This sinfully goodness comes from the people over at the Betty Crocker website. You have to sign up for their email newsletter, but if you have in the past before just use a different email address. Now I got this freebie really fast – I signed up for it on November 1st and got it on the 8th. (ed: Hooray for freebies that come fast!) I was very surprised at the quickness.

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Hi my favorite freebie friends! Welcome to another yummy freebie review, this time being a yummy little treat with a funny little name – free Bear Naked Fruit and Nuts granola.

This freebie was posted on September 17th and said it would come sometime in December. But as I opened the mail today, there it was! So hopefully if you ordered this sample when it was posted you will get yours soon too.

I was so excited and as I was sitting down to inspect the little bag I noticed something. One of the ingredients listed was COCONUT. I am deathly allergic to it, but why should that keep you from a review? And no, before you become concerned that I took one for the team and got all covered with hives while reviewing this, I didn’t! My stand in and friend Chloey is going to give us her thoughts on this freebie.

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EDIT: The original freebie is no longer available, but this freebie review is still a fun read

Hello all my wonderfully fabulous Freebie Friends! I hope the end of your October is going great! Since we are getting on to Halloween in a mere five days, I thought I would spare you another sugary product review. Now we know that too much chocolate or sugar is supposed to cause breakouts. Some people claim it doesn’t, but honestly, I’m gonna eat my chocolate either way. But if you care about your face, which I am hoping you do, you could try this free Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub cleanser. It’s an oil-free acne wash for your face and it’s a great freebie!

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