I recently acquired my yearly supply of contact lenses from my eye doctor. I did not have one of those “free contact lenses” certificates that you can obtain online from various companies, so I just asked if I could have a trial pair of a different type of contact lens than what I was purchasing. I also asked if they had a trial size bottle of contact lens solution. I ended up walking out with an extra pair of contact lenses and a bottle of lens solution for free. So don’t be afraid to ask for samples when you visit your eye doctor. Last year I managed to snag a free pair of “coloured” lenses to try out.
Why not try a few of my other suggestions for gathering freebies. It never hurts to ask!
- Your family doctor will often have trial sizes of various pills like Tylenol, Advil, etc. Ask for some samples while you are there.
- Don’t forget to ask for extra freebies from your dentist next time you go. Mine always gives me a new toothbrush, but I always ask for some floss and a trial size toothpaste and never have any problem getting the extra goodies.
- Buying perfume at the perfume counter? You are probably spending a fortune on a nice bottle of your favourite scent. Don’t forget to ask for other samples they may have kicking around. I bought some cologne the other day and the man at the counter ended up giving me 2 samples of men’s cologne, 2 samples of women’s perfume and a promotional pack of tennis balls. Cosmetics counters at department stores/drug stores often have make up samples you can ask for.
- Staying at a hotel? Leave a note for housekeeping and request extra shampoos/shower gels (etc) next time they clean your room. You will end up leaving with plenty of goodies if you do this each day of your stay. You can often get samples from the front desk if you forget something at home. Also….don’t forget to take that nice pen and paper from the desk/drawer. We can all use those pens and little pads of paper at home. What about the tea and coffee that is left for you? Take those home to enjoy if you don’t use them up in your room. During my visit to the Dominican Republic I was left numerous packages of beautiful Dominican coffee each day of my stay. I piled a whole bunch of packages into my suitcase, took them home, opened them all up and put all the coffee in a coffee tin. I ended up with almost a whole can of coffee to enjoy at home for free (not recommended for the cheap coffee that some hotels leave for you, lol).
- Taking your furry friend to the vet? Ask for food samples (etc). You never know what they may have on hand. My vet always has a pet magazine you can take free of charge as well as the odd sample of pet food/treats.
- Taking a donation to your local Humane Society? Check to see if they have dog/cat food samples for your animals. My shelter receives the food they feed their dogs and cats free from Royal Canin. This company also leaves out samples of the dog and cat food in the lobby for anyone to take. See if a similar program is set up at your shelter next time you are there.
- Taking your car in for servicing? Ask if they have any promotional items kicking around that they would like to give to a good customer (you!). I’ve done this a few times and have ended up with a nice keychain, pens, can opener, ball cap, etc.
- Need a calendar for the new year? Don’t forget to start asking for them (probably by November) when you visit various businesses. Your bank will likely have them as well as various retail shops.
- Do you ask for free refills at fast food restaurants? You should! Most fast food restaurants in Canada will provide you with free refills…you just have to ask. I’ve done this at McDonald’s, Wendy’s & Harveys. Of course…must be on same visit!
- Looking for free Wi-Fi?? Besides Starbucks, McDonalds (etc), did you know that you can usually get free Wi-Fi at your local library? If not, you can usually find a library computer that you can use for a set period of time while at the library. You can also find free Wi-Fi at rest stops in Ontario.
- Going to the bank? Why not ask them if they have any freebies? Banks give away free calendars, promo items, cheque book covers, registers, pens, etc.
Anyone else have good ideas on asking for freebies?
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