Nothing delights my 8-year-old daughter more than collecting free samples. She covets pint-sized lotion samples, lipstick, eye shadow, and blush, as well as free vials of perfume. However, nothing lights her free sample fire more than those disposable shampoo, conditioner and hair gel packets that are handed out by the fistful at our local salon.
Free health and beauty products are fun to collect regardless of your economic status. In addition to being able to try new products without spending a dime, you can often score money-saving coupons to use on future purchases. Many major manufacturers provide free samples of deodorant, cosmetics and hair care products, especially when they are introducing a new scent, shade or style. Don’t be afraid to ask employees at your local health and beauty store for any available freebies.
Another way to score fun free stuff is to go online. The Internet is teeming with free items for the entire family. For example, if your daughter is into magazines, don’t spend big bucks paying for a year’s subscription. Rather, consider registering your email address and getting the latest articles sent to you for free. Your daughter can then read the featured postings at your discretion. Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Discovery Girls, Girls Life and American Girl all feature articles online, so girls can keep up with fun fads, get lifestyle tips and view hot fashion trends at no cost.
Finally, you don’t have to be a girly girl to love watching movies. Fortunately, there are a slew of websites that allow you to stream or download feature-length flicks for free. Movieflix has a vast collection of films in an array of different genres including romance, comedy, documentaries and thrillers. Likewise, you can view free movies at Hulu.com. The reputable website boasts thousands of titles, though most are interrupted by short commercial breaks. Still, a little interruption is a small price to pay to watch popular films for free.