***Question of the Week***
Every Monday I will be starting a new Question of the week discussion!
Do you have any money saving questions you would like answered?!?
Email me!
Do you think its worth buying free items even if you won’t use them?!?
In my opinion yes… its extremely worth it!
The main reason being (which I state in my Couponing 101 post):
“Sometimes you have to buy products you don’t need to get products you do. Now this rule might seem like a hard one to understand. Here is an example- The other day I went to Walgreen’s because they had a great promotion going on. You had to buy 10 Gillette shaving products and you would receive $5 back to use in the store. So I went in and got 10 of the cheapest shaving gels which were $2 a piece for a total of $20. Well Walgreen’s had a store coupon for $1 off each shaving gel which brought the total down to $10. Plus I had 10 $1 off manuf coupons bringing the total down to nothing but tax!!!:) I then used the $5 in another transaction to get 4 FREE newspapers to get more coupons… So I walked out of there with 10 FREE shaving gels that I didn’t need, but 4 FREE newspapers that I did!!”
Here are some ideas to make use of those freebies-
- Make Gift Baskets for friends and relatives. There is so much more thought that goes into making a homemade gift basket. My grandmother received this (pictured above) on her Birthday and loved it. I wrapped up toothbrushes, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, air fresheners and much more. It might seem odd but she thought it was creative and unique. Its also nice to know that your giving others items they will actually use, unlike some gifts!
- Donate the items to a homeless shelter or Women’s shelter. You could also research online and donate to a cause your most passionate about.
- Have a garage sale every couple months. This is a win win situation- You make some money and also help others who don’t “coupon” get a great deal too!
- Make money selling items on EBay. This is a fun hobby to pursue along with “couponing”. When you just can’t resist saying no to a freebie at least you can sell it on EBay!
- Try new things!! For example if you find a free deal on a food item you’ve never tasted then give it a chance. That’s the fun of using coupons… you don’t have to be brand loyal… you can try new things!
I love the cute gift basket idea! Will be doing that soon!:)
Great question. I agree with you in the reason to take home free products. If “buying” them means getting money that can be spent on items needed, then it’s a good deal. I donate the items I’m not going to use to my local food bank. It seems like the school or scouts are gathering items several times a year, and this way I can help them out without going to the store. It’s a win win situation.
I also love passing on items I’ve gotten for free in our area’s freecycle network. People are always SO grateful!
I send my mom (who lives near my aunt and grandmother) a care package (USPS flat rate box) every month with the freebies/cheapies that I can’t use but they can. Since all are on fixed income, it is an economical way for me to help them out.
Stuff that I nor they can use, I donate to a local charity that has a food/toiletry pantry for the homeless.
Another great idea – with graduations coming up, make a “Going Away to College” gift. Use a laundry basket (they have nice ones at the 99 cent store) and then add items from your stockpile like razors, toothpaste, shaving cream, toothbrush, shampoo, laundry detergent, kleenex, etc. Any college-bound student will love it!
I know some people think that hoarding isn’t fair to others because stores run out and there isn’t enough for everyone. Personally, I think that you have to take care of yourself first. Even if you’re hoarding something you don’t need, it’s not like it’s just sitting around. A topic that comes up again and again on money saving blogs is to donate the items to charity or to others that need them. I would much rather know that I can get the good deal from the store, rather than it sitting on the shelf and no one taking advantage of it. If it has the effect of someone else not being able to get the deal, oh well, they didn’t get there soon enough. I’ve missed out on enough good deals too and I don’t hold grudges. The products will get used by somebody. That’s the important thing.
And how many of us teach others how to get the deals too? It’s a give and take.