The Thrifty, Frugal Mom: Ways to Save: Samples

Product samples are one of the fun ways that I have discovered that help us save a little. You see, there are many companies out there that are willing to let you try their product free- all you need to do is request it. There are samples available for everything from food to toothpaste to shampoo to pampers. You simply fill out the request form, submit it, and then, several weeks later you can be surprised with a little sample package in your mailbox! Because by this time you have forgotten that you even signed up for the sample. Oh and another neat thing? You almost always get a coupon for the product with the sample, which of course can make for some nice savings later.

One of the great things about samples is that they allow you to try out many different products. Some of the samples I have tried I loved and knew that if I had the chance I would buy the product in a heartbeat. Others? Well, I was glad that I never had to spend the money to find out that the item was definitely not worth buying!

I have gotten lots of shampoo and body wash samples and these are great to save for traveling because they are just the perfect size. I joke to my husband that we will never have to buy feminine hygiene products again because I get so many samples free. My favorite though, are the food samples. I frequently get cereal and granola bar samples which we love. And just recently we got a coupon for free hot dogs and yogurt. How cool is that?

So how do I find all these samples? Well, first of all, I signed up for different e-newsletters. When I receive these I simply skim over them and see if they contain any coupon or sample offers and then typically delete them. Another place that is usually full of samples is the Walmart.com website. I check this from time to time to see what they have added. And of course I rely on my blogging friends. Often when I am reading a blog I will come across a post about a new sample offer.

One tool I highly recommend, especially for doing sample request forms, is Roboform. This little tool is free to download and really speeds up filling out forms. You simply download it, plug in all your information, and then when you come to a form that requires say, your name, address, date of birth, and gender, it will automatically fill it out for you and save you the time it takes to type it in. I used to sort of inwardly sigh a bit when I went to fill out sample request forms, but now I just click my Roboform button and sigh with relief because it's as simple as that.

Below are some of the latest offers around. I plan to try to keep this site updated with new samples as I find them too, so keep checking back!