The Global Myopia Awareness Coalition is offering a free Screen Staycation kit for families or guardians while supplies last. It looks like this will include sunscreen and a pair of sunglasses.
I have a feeling we'll HIF within hours.
Outdoors
Request free outdoor samples and freebies for your garden, hike, or next trip to the park. Common freebies include sunscreen, seeds, park admission, and more!
Send Your Name to Mars
This cool offer from NASA has returned once again!
You can once again sign up to have your name sent to Mars on the next robotic rover. According to their FAQs, our names will fly on a future NASA mission to Mars in the mid-2020's.
Some Hiffers sent our names on the 2017 InSight rover and/or the Mars 2020 rover. According to my Galactic Law Degree, that means we already have squatters rights on Mars. I call dibs on that hill over there!
While this is cool and all, I hope to be making posts for free trips to Mars before all is said and done.
Free Cigarette Butt Pouches
Marlboro isn't the only tobacco company giving away freebies! American Spirit is once again offering free cigarette butt pouches to help keep from littering the Earth with your used butts. Annnnnnd now I'm giggling like an 8 year old.
These portable litter receptacles help keep the environment clean while letting you smoke on the go without leaving a trace behind. Each mailing comes with three heavy-duty yet extremely lightweight cigarette waste pouches. These disposable pocket ashtrays have a fireproof inner foil packaging to contain smoked butts and an outer plastic packaging that strongly seals the butts and smell inside.
In addition to smoked butts, they can also contain all types of cigarette litter, including plastic wrapping, loose tobacco, foil pack liners, rolling paper, and even ash. Once full, smokers can either dispose of the pouch or recycle them for free through the TerraCycle Cigarette Waste Recycling Program. With funding from Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, the waste collected through this program is recycled into a variety of industrial products, such as plastic pallets, and any remaining tobacco is recycled as compost. For every pound of cigarette waste you send, TerraCycle also donates $1 to Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention.
The best thing is you can request these freebies every two weeks! They'll typically send coupons as well.
To get started, you'll need to register and be over 21 years of age. You only have to do this once, then simply log into American Spirits every two weeks to request more freebies. Once logged in, select the “Butt Pouches” link near the top. You should now see a “GET FREE BUT POUCHES” link.
If you've already logged in, the offer should appear directly here as well.
These free pouches were originally available in celebration of Earth Day, but they became so popular that they continued giving them away throughout the year.
6 Free Gold Sparklers at Phantom Fireworks
If you have a nearby Phantom Fireworks Showroom and plan on celebrating our nation's birthday by blowing stuff up, then be sure to check out one of the oldest freebies still alive. All you have to do is use this coupon code TXT1 good for 6 free 14″ Gold Sparklers and light up the night during your 4th of July celebrations.
Phantom has showroom locations in the following states: FL, GA, IN, KY, ME, MI, MO, NH, NM, NV, OH, PA, SC, WI, and WY
Free State Maps & Travel Guides
Below you'll find a full list of free state maps available from most state tourism departments. As a backup, I've also linked to any state Department of Transportation that give away free maps, both online or physically mailed to your house.
Almost every state offers a full map in their visitor's guide. For the DOT links, virtually all of them offer multiple free, highly detailed online .pdfs of their highways, roads, and other travel methods.
On top of that, many DOTS (I'd guesstimate 40ish) also have some sort of “click here to order a physical map” link. If you're looking for a highway map you can stash in your car's glovebox, this is the link you want to look for on your state's DOT site. You might have to click “highway map” or “road map” before the order form will appear. You might even want to click “Maps” in the menu bar and do a fresh search, because like I said, it's an option for most states!
If you manage to find a dot map or order form that I missed, please let me know. Here's to never getting lost again!
Free Alabama State Map – This is the first .travel website I've ever seen. Cool story, huh? (al dot map)
Free Alaska State Map – Here's the first case of “so, does this come with a map?” (ak dot map)
Free Arizona State Map – Their site promotes “Old West activities.” The heck is that? Like riding around on a horse and shooting pistols in the air? If so, then Arizona here I come! (az dot map)
Free Arkansas State Map – They have a plethora of travel brochures and even a Living in Arkansas guide for those considering moving there. Wait, where are you going? (ar dot map)
Free California State Map – It's no wonder they offer a free map given how many freaking tourism commercial they run! (ca dot map)
Free Colorado State Map – Their site tagline is “come to life.” Sounds like they're reanimating the dead out there. (co dot map)
Free Connecticut State Map – They don't update their site too often, but at least they finally offer a free map with their tourism guide. (ct dot map)
Free Delaware State Map – The only thing I know about Delaware is that President Biden is from there and it's the only state that sometimes loses commercial air travel.
During four periods since 1990, Delaware has been the only U.S. state without any scheduled airline flights: from 1993 through 1998, again from 2000 to 2006, from April 2008 until June 30, 2013, and between April 2015 and February 2021.
No wonder people are looking for highway maps here! (de dot map)
Free Florida State Map – When I first made this list in 2009, there was an “Authentic Florida Expert” everywhere on the site. She looked like a stereotypical grandma, but now she's nowhere to be seen. Uh oh, you know what that means… (fl dot map)
Free Georgia State Map – If I know Georgia, they'll also send you a peach. (ga dot map)
Free Hawaii State Map – Screw the map, their site has some cool pictures of volcanoes and lava! (hi dot map)
Free Idaho State Map – Not only do they have free maps, but Idaho even offers a free children's brochure. It's just a single page that says “hope you like potatoes,” but at least it's something. (id dot map)
Free Illinois State Map – Every time I visit Illinois, I lean into their state name and always drop the S at the end of words. It drives my friends bananas. (il dot map)
Free Indiana State Map – Indiana earns the distinction of being the first state site I've seen with a prominently displayed “free things to do here!” section. I guess that's what it takes to get people to come to anywhere in Indiana outside of Pawnee. (in dot map)
Free Iowa State Map – Just the place to go if you're really excited Presidential elections a full year ahead of time. (ia dot map)
Free Kansas State Map – Quick, can you name three cities in Kansas?! Neither could I. (ks dot map)
Free Kentucky State Map – Their state logo is by far the best I've seen yet. (ky dot map)
Free Louisiana State Map – I have nothing bad to say about Louisiana because New Orleans lets you walk around with alcohol TO GO. (la dot map)
Free Maine State Map – While signing up they want you to “be sure to indicate which regions of Maine and activities interest you.” Uhhh, does eating lobster and telling people I've been to Maine count as interests? (me dot map)
Free Maryland State Map – I can't tell you the number of times the state of Maryland has screwed me over, so visit with caution. I hated Baltimore years before The Wire ever aired. (md dot map)
Free Massachusetts State Map – I've still yet to ever correctly spell this state's name. It's the only item on my Bucket List I doubt I'll ever accomplish. (ma dot map)
Free Michigan State Map – Michigan's page has a section called “Air Zoo.” We can finally see when pigs fly! (mi dot map)
Free Minnesota State Map – Minnesota has over 11,000 lakes. I want maps for each and every one of them. (mn dot map)
Free Mississippi State Map – I always forget how to spell this state. What comes after the M again? (ms dot maps)
Free Missouri State Map – Their site advertises that internships are available. For the whole state? (mo dot maps)
Free Montana State Map – They offer a free winter guide in addition to the state map, but I can give you said guide right here. Step 1: stay inside. Step 2: go outside once spring arrives. (mt dot map)
Free Nebraska State Map – Nebraska wants us to “share the road trip.” See, even their own tourism board thinks the best part of Nebraska is driving away from it! (ne dot map)
Free Nevada State Map – Fill out the form you'll get a free state maps for the price of none! (nv dot map)
Free New Hampshire State Map – Their phone number is 800-FUN-IN-NH. I wonder how many people call it looking for 800-DUNG-ON-I. (nh dot map)
Free New Jersey State Map – “It's never too early to begin planning your next New Jersey getaway vacation!” Really? Fine, I want to book a room for August 10-12, 2081. (nj dot map)
Free New Mexico State Map – NM should capitalize on Breaking Bad and change their slogan to “Come for the meth. Stay for nature.” (nm dot map)
Free New York State Map – I always thought the “I Heart NY” campaign was for the city, not the state. Shows what I know. (ny dot map)
Free North Carolina State Map – They offer a free winery and Civil War travel guide. It's as if they were targeting me alone. (nc dot map)
Free North Dakota State Map – I heard North Dakota exists, guess it's not a myth! (nd dot map)
Free Ohio State Map – Their website used to be called DiscoverOhio.com. But then Ohio 2 was discovered and they've been awfully quiet ever since. (oh dot map)
Free Oklahoma State Map – I'm kind of interested in their additional “Agritourism Map.” Is this a tourist industry that Oklahoma made up? (ok dot map)
Free Oregon State Map – I love that they also offer an official kid's guide to Oregon. Like it's that complicated. “Hey kids! Are your parents coming here? Then so are you! Now shut it.” (or dot map)
Free Pennsylvania State Map – The last time I drove through PA, I paid around $12 trillion dollars in tolls. This is me right now thinking about my next road trip through the state. (pa dot map)
Free Rhode Island State Map – Their site says “put down that spreadsheet, tear yourself away from your inbox for a second, and fill out this form.” Uhhh … RUN, THEY'RE WATCHING US THROUGH OUR COMPUTERS!! (dot maps)
Free South Carolina State Map – Home state, represent! Don't be fooled by the domain name, it's legit. We're a sneaky bunch, just ask Major Robert Anderson. (sc dot map)
Free South Dakota State Map – Ok, wait a minute here. South Carolina's slogan: Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places. South Dakota's slogan: Great Faces, Great Places. It's like South Dakota wasn't even trying! (sd dot map)
Free Tennessee State Map – I doubt their slogan of “we're playing your song” is accurate. I didn't hear any polka music being played. (tn dot map)
Free Texas State Map – Their travel guide is 272 freaking pages long! That's not a guide, it's a book. (tx dot map page)
Free Utah State Map – I'm extremely disappointed Utah removed the separate checkbox for German visitors, as it completely ruined my Utah being a vacation mecca for Germans joke. Their DOT only has a high-res map to view, but you can still get a highway map from the first link. (ut dot map)
Free Vermont State Map – I'm not sure how all the seasonal maps differ from each other, but it's nice knowing that I have so many options with them. (vt dot map)
Free Virginia State Map – I once living in Virginia. It was as exciting as this story. (va dot map)
Free Washington D.C. Map – Our nation's capital isn't quite a state (even though it should be!), but you can get a free map via their visitor's guide. (dc dot map)
Free Washington State Map – As a Mariners fan and frequent traveler to the Pacific Northwest, I must say I absolutely love this section of the world. (wa dot map)
Free West Virginia State Map – I image WV looking like a scene from Justified but with more coal and moonshine. (wv dot map)
Free Wisconsin State Map – I spent some time in Wisconsin once. Believe the hype. They've got some good cheese. (wi dot map)
Free Wyoming State Map I updated their slogan to “Wyoming: Forever west. Until continental drift takes care of that.” (wy dot map)
Free National Park Maps – This website has over 1,600 high-res scans of national parks! You can search by state or alphabetically, as well as download many of them.
That took a lot longer than I thought it would. I need a vacation.
Free National Park Pass for 4th Graders worth $80!
In addition to the free National Park Admission Days scattered throughout the year, did you know that 4th graders can get a free entrance pass worth $80 as well? Even better, these freebie passes work for the entire family!
Simply sign up here and then use your pass at any national park this summer. This pass will grant free entrance to 3 adults and all children under 16, as long as you're all traveling in the same car with your 4th grader.
You'll need to print your pass and bring it in the car when you visit a park. Electronic copies aren't accepted and each pass has a unique code, which means you can't share it.
Don't forget you can also request free national park trip planning kits for select parks around the country.
2022 Free Fishing Days
The free 2022 fishing days have been announced for all 50 states and DC! On these specific days, unique to each state, you are allowed to fish without a fishing license. Most of the 2022 dates seem to fall around early June, but there are plenty of May, July, and August dates on there as well.
Most freebie sites only list the dates, but I've put in the extra work and found all the corresponding links & announcements to back them up. Below are all 50 states free fishing dates along with links for proof!
Make sure to check your state's official website for extra details. Some states actually offer free fishing rods, tackle, and bait during their free fishing weekends!
On a related note, I learned about the existence of fishing licenses the hard way. I was grateful the game warden took pity on me when he saw I not only failed catching a single fish, but was also tangled in the fishing line when he pulled up.
Saved by my own ineptitude!
Kids Fishing Rod Deals
SaleBestseller No. 2
SaleBestseller No. 3
State's Free Fishing Days 2022
| State | Free Days |
|---|---|
| Alabama | June 11 |
| Alaska | All year for people under 16 or over 60 years of age! |
| Arizona | June 4 |
| Arkansas | June 11 - 13 |
| California | July 2 September 3 |
| Colorado | June 4 & 5 |
| Connecticut | May 7 June 19 August 6 |
| DC | June 4 - June 12 |
| Delaware | June 4 & 5 |
| Florida | April 2 & 3 (freshwater) June 11 & 12 (freshwater) June 4 & 5 (saltwater) September 3 (saltwater) November 26 (saltwater) |
| Georgia | June 4 June 11 September 24 |
| Hawaii | All 365 days a year! (marine) |
| Idaho | June 11 |
| Illinois | June 17 - 20 |
| Indiana | May 1 June 4 & 5 September 24 |
| Iowa | June 4 & 5 |
| Kansas | June 4 & 5 |
| Kentucky | June 4 & 5 |
| Louisiana | June 11 & 12 |
| Maine | February 19 & 20 June 4 & 5 |
| Maryland | June 4 June 11 July 4 |
| Massachusetts | June 4 & 5 (freshwater) June 18 & 19 (saltwater) |
| Michigan | February 19 & 20 June 11 & 12 |
| Minnesota | May 7 & 8 is "Take a Mom Fishing" weekend June 10 - 12 is "Take a Kid Fishing" weekend January 14-16, 2023 is "Take a Kid Ice Fishing" weekend |
| Mississippi | June 4 & 5 July 4 |
| Missouri | June 11 & 12 |
| Montana | May 7 & 8 June 18 & 19 |
| Nebraska | May 21 |
| Nevada | June 11 |
| New Hampshire | January 14 June 4 |
| New Jersey | June 4 October 22 |
| New Mexico | June 4 September 24 |
| New York | February 19 & 20 June 25 & 26 September 24 November 11 |
| North Dakota | June 4 & 5 December 31 January 1 |
| North Carolina | July 4 |
| Ohio | June 18 & 19 |
| Oklahoma | June 4 & 5 |
| Oregon | February 19 & 20 June 4 & 5 November 25 & 26 |
| Pennsylvania | May 29 July 4 |
| Rhode Island | May 7 & 8 (freshwater) |
| South Carolina | May 31 July 4 |
| South Dakota | May 20 - 22 |
| Tennessee | June 11 for all June 11 - 17 for kids under 16 |
| Texas | June 4 |
| Utah | June 11 |
| Vermont | January 29 June 11 |
| Virginia | June 3 - 5 |
| Washington | June 11 & 12 |
| West Virginia | June 11 & 12 |
| Wisconsin | June 4 & 5 January 21 & 22, 2023 |
| Wyoming | June 4 |
Have fun out there, folks!
Send Your Name Around the Moon
First they sent your face into space. Then they sent your name to the Sun and to Mars (which is still available!)
Now NASA is offering to fly your name around the moon for free. By signing up, your name will be included on a flash drive that will fly aboard Artemis I.
This is a cool little freebie for anybody who loves space.
Lowe’s: Free Plant for Mother’s Day (Must Register Before May 4!)
Now through May 4 only, you can register and get a free plant from Lowes in honor of Mother's Day! After registering and selecting your store, they'll email you redemption code to bring into your local Lowe's store during the following days to pick up your free plant.
- Friday, May 6, from 5-7pm
- Saturday, May 7, from 7-9am
You must register before submissions close on May 4!
Free 2022 National Parks Admission Dates – Next is August 4!
The next free National Parks admission day is right around the corner. These 5 annual freebie go great with our free highway maps list!
So get out there, breathe in some fresh air, and report back to me how relaxing and peaceful it is. Just don't take your family! I went with mine last year and long story short, they left me behind. Unfortunately for them, I'm like one of those cool dogs from a Reader's Digest story and I walked all the way home in just under a week.
2022 Free National Park Admission Dates
- January 17: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- April 16: First day of National Park Week
- August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- August 24: National Park Service Birthday
- September 24: National Public Lands Day
- November 11: Veterans Day
I've written about these free National Park Admission days since they debuted in 2009 and the numbers are finally in. Hiffers love them! Maybe you could even end up like Mikah Meyer and visit all 419 National Parks! It only took him 3 years. 😂
If you can't make it out to your local National Park, you can do the next best thing and read up on some parks! Sure, it's not the same as actually visiting, but it has significantly fewer mosquitoes and poison ivy patches.
Free La Roche-Posay Sunscreen
Here's a new signup form offering free La Roche-Posay sunscreen. The Anthelios Clear Skin oil-free SPF 60 sunscreen is intended for your face, which is super convenient because that's where the sun shines a lot.
They also claim to “help absorb excess oil and reduce shine,” which totally sounds fake. It also has a “powerful antioxidant complex to help protect skin from free radicals caused by UV rays.”
Mmmhmmmm.
I could have used this during my last vacation. Let's just say it's real easy to lose track of time drinking and relaxing while in Portugal 😅 My beard was the only thing that kept my full head from turning bright red by the end of my trip! Luckily, I managed to escape just before the giant heat wave hit.
Free Wildflower Seeds
Airwick has brought back their offer from last year where they'll send free seeds to plant in your yard. I'm guessing they want us to help make the air smell better.
Hey, wait a minute, that's Air Wick's job! 😀
Expired Free Seed Offers
In 2016, Bayer ran a campaign giving away flower seeds so we could help our local bees. That offer has long since expired, but luckily I found a new offer today for free wildflower seeds aiming to help both bees and butterflies!
Choose from either Black-Eyed Susans or Butterfly Milkweed seeds and plant them in your yard. Once grown, they'll help keep your local bees & butterflies find pollinator-friendly plants. It's a tough world out there for bees. First they have to deal with colony collapse disorder, then there was that whole weird Seinfeld movie, and yet now their worst nightmare has come true as they can't find flowers to pollinate!
They also released this little video. It's a bit old now, but it's cute and has upbeat music and isn't that all we really need right now?