Advice on Requesting Free Samples

What sounds better than trying a new product for free with no strings attached? Requesting free samples is an easy way to try something you've been meaning to try out and get a little something for free too. Since I've started requesting free samples, I've received all kinds of goodies in the mail. From trash bags to all natural sweetener to coloring books, you never know what the next sample might be for. I've received stickers, lotion, hair care, vitamins, recipes, feminine hygiene, perfume samples, tea, coffee, valspar paint, a hat, and various sample size beauty products.

There are a couple golden rules when it comes to requesting samples:

1. Set up an additional email account for sampling/couponing ONLY
This is incredibly important unless you want to be inundated with spam every day of your entire life.
Also, never give out your phone number except through a google voice account. You may want to consider setting up a free google voice number that way if a sample requires a phone number, you can give a valid number without giving out your own personal one.

2. Opt Out
ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS opt out. This is where samples will get the unexperienced newbie. Under almost every sample request form there will be a checkbox next to a little phrase that reads something like "If you would like to receive more info on specials, coupons, and other money saving advice from InsertYourCompanyHere, check this box." Chances are this box will be pre-checked so you have to put the extra effort in and uncheck that box unless you want to get 270 emails a month from a company you might not care about.

3. Be Patient and Do a Little Bit Every Day
Sampling, unlike couponing, takes on average 4-6 weeks to see any results. But if you take 30 minutes a week to fill out a bunch of sample forms, you will receive several goodies in the mail a couple months later. Do this every week and you'll see consistent results. I've come to the point where I check the mail and see stuff coming in every couple days/weeks.

4. Enter Online Sweepstakes
So you heard that Loreal is giving away 10,000 boxes of hair color every day for a month on FB. Go check it out. While you're visiting your FB, make sure to take 2 seconds to spin that wheel and see if you win something! I've won hair color, water bottles, and recyclable shopping bags so far.

5. Give Away as Little Information as Possible
If a sample form asks for your phone number, look to see if there is an asterisk next to it. If there's no asterisk, that often means that you don't need to provide that information -so don't! But companies put this on the sample form because chances are, you'll just fill it out anyway simply because it's there. You already followed step 2 so you can be relatively sure that you aren't going to be on anyone's calling list or will be sent any additional information. But you want to be extra sure. Be stingy with giving away personal information.




These are some of the things I've received in the mail so far over the last year or so.

                           

And another picture because I forgot to show you some more of these awesome freebies.

                           

And do keep in mind that while most samples will be "sample-sized," you will also find some samples for full sized products. Keep in mind that all these goodies were received through sample requests; this is not even considering couponing or online savings.