Is Free For Me?

So when I first discovered coupon blogs, I also discovered that companies do a lot of PR via Facebook, websites and Twitter.  And often give away freebies.  I signed up for every little thing I could find.  From hair care to laundry to perfume samples.  You name it, I waited eagerly by my mailbox for it to arrive.

So now 15 months after I started couponing, I have more samples than I know what to do with.

I took some time last fall to re-organize pretty much everything and at that time, I also had some sample realizations.  First, I never ever use the perfume samples.  So I stopped requesting those.  And put all that I had into my donate box for the rescue mission.  Second, I do use hair care samples but only for specific brands.  So I have stopped requesting samples unless it is for one of the few brands I know I will actually use.  Third, I LOVE baby samples.  I do not have a baby but I do donate every baby product I can get my hands on every month to the Regional Food Bank via the Junior League of Albany.  I think it is absolutely awesome to make a big donation of truly needed things such as diapers and formula that were free for me.  Fourth, I LOVE laundry samples.  I've actually come to love a lot of new-to-me brands via those samples.  See companies, the samples are actually working as marketing.  I love free magazines and will only subscribe if it is completely free actually.  I've been doing that for about four years- well before my super couponing.  But for a few years, I was signing up for any subscription just because it was free.  As a result, I was tossing mags straight into the recycle bin each month.  That paper waste just kills me.  So now I only sign up for the magazines that I know I will love reading.  And finally, even though it's so fun to get free products in the mail, if I am not going to use it, it's a waste for everyone involved.  I don't want to waste a product by not using it.

This doesn't mean I won't get back to posting fun freebies when I also get back to posting about coupon deals.  I will.  Because just because something isn't what I am looking for, it doesn't mean you might not really love perfume samples.

Have you found yourself overflowing in free samples at some point?  Have you cut back anywhere?