Free Treadmill Just By Asking Around

My husband recently had knee replacement surgery and is going for Physical Therapy.  It was recommended that he do a little walking now and increase as he heals.  My son wants to exercise by walking but wants to do it in front of the tv.... so we decided we needed to invest in a treadmill.  After shopping online it occurred to me we couldn't afford one.  I work at a school and decided to send an email to all of the teachers from 4th to 8th grade and see if anyone had a treadmill for free or trade for an elliptical.  One teacher was willing to trade, but when I told her the elliptical did not fold for easy storage she said we could just take the treadmill.  My husband and son do not like the elliptical and it is not good for husband at this point. Sometimes all you have to do is ask around for something you need.  I am very appreciative to have received this.  

Free Child's Easel

We found this in front of a home.  My sister has been looking for one for her son.   This is a Little Tykes Step 2 brand.  An easel for two of this brand is over $50.  It cleaned up nicely and is a big savings!

Free Coffee Fridays in October

At Cumberland Farms Convenient Shops they are giving away free coffee any size every Friday in October!  I got mine!

More Free Firewood

My dad was looking on Craigslist and found a listing for free wood.  My husband went and got it. Now that he has a splitter this pile of wood will be a nice addition to our firewood pile for the winter.

Free Christmas Dishes

This entire box of Christmas pattern dishes was free in front of a local house.  There is a complete set of 6 plates, bowls, mugs, saucers, sugar dish, creamer and butter dish.  Sorry I didn't take them all out again to photograph...I should have done that while I had them out.  I may keep them or sell them in my next yard sale.  Maybe $5 for the whole set...which is a great way to profit from free things!

Free Town Concert and Car Show

Yesterday we went to a free concert and car show in a town park.  Many of our local towns have weekly concerts in the park or events that are free.  They are a great way to try something new and enjoy a free day. Bring your own snacks for a picnic lunch or bring a book to read while listening to the music.  Free entertainment is out there if you are open to new things.  

Free Doughnut

         

My husband turned 50 in November and became a member of AARP.  I was able to get a membership as his spouse even though I will not be 50 until this coming November.  Today I used the benefit for the first time.  When you buy a large drink at Dunkin Donuts you get a free Doughnut.  So.....take advantage of being 50 and start getting things free or for cheaper!

                                                                     

Free Flower Arrangement

I came home from work one day and my husband had picked me a wildflower arrangement on his daily walk. This was beautiful and meant more to me than if he had bought flowers for me.  A free sweet romantic gesture!

Free Firewood

The town crews have been cutting back the brush and overgrown trees on the roadsides.  They had been shredding the brush, but my husband talked to them as they were cutting trees on our property line.  He asked if he could have the wood.  They said they would cut it into lengths and leave it there for him.  They also said they would leave the big logs for him for the rest of the length of the road they were doing.  The pictures above are from trees near our house and up the road a bit.  He will check for more as the crews continue.  This will be a lot of firewood we will have for winter.  We like to heat with wood and have never purchased wood!  This, along with a large tree we had to cut down in our front yard will provide enough for next winter.  We are always on the lookout for trees down and you will be surprised that people will give you things if you ask.

Places to Find Free Things

I haven't posted in about a year, but we have found our share of free things during that year. I haven't posted, only because of lack of free time....for some reason that is harder to find than free stuff! I thought I'd share a short list of places you might find free things. 1. The side of the road. 2. Free things at yard sales. 3. Friends, family and co-workers. 4. Freebie websites. If you start thinking about always looking for free things, you will be surprised how they pop up in front of you!

Store Membership and Reward Cards Get You Free Things!

     When store rewards and membership cards first started, I was resistant. I thought it was not fair to get a discount just because I had the card.  I thought that if the stores could afford to give the lower prices to some people, then they should just lower their prices and sell at that price to everyone.  Well, I have learned that it is smarter to get the cards than to avoid them.  I still really hate them for the reason mentioned, and I also hate how many I have to carry. They require a huge wallet and a separate case to hold them.  My son is actually more annoyed than me because his wallet is bursting with cards from the pet store, movie theater, Subway, and more.  It is also almost impossible to keep them organized.  I will ALWAYS have the card out and with my payment method BEFORE I get into a store.  I refuse to be embarassed at a checkout while searching for a card. 

   Now for the positive side of having these cards....they get you free things! I used my local convenient store "milk card" to get a free half-gallon of milk today. You get a free half-gallon after buying 5 gallons.        

     We go to only one restaurant when we go out.  We earn points and after several visits we earn enough points to cover a free lunch for two! Most of the reward cards are free and you just have to have them scanned with your purchase to build rewards. There are cards for grocery stores that give you coupons.

    I currently have over 20 membership/reward cards.  The only one I pay for is Barnes and Noble.  The $25/year is worth the savings per purchase I make. 

   If the stores or restaurants you use have a membership or rewards card, it is only a minor inconvenience to carry them for the rewards you get.  If you want free things or discounts, they are a very easy way to get them!       

Get Free Samples!

    

     The big trend of  extreme couponing is well known.  I use coupons but I do not go to the extremes that the "professionals" do.  I would like to, but I just don't have the time that is needed to organize the extreme savings.   I do like to get free things though.  I have started a "sample stash" with the things I can get for free from companies.  I think I will see how many I can get between now and the end of August and have myself a "Sample September."   

     One of the best  sites I have found is http://www.pgeveryday.com/ .  This is one of the companies that puts coupons in the Sunday papers. They are reputable.  Their website allows you to request free samples one time each quarter.  You can request all of the samples and coupons they offer each time.  I have done this twice so far.  It is so exciting to get my sample package in the mail.  One came today! The picture contains the samples from this site plus a few I got from other sources. Take some time to search online for other sources of freebies.
     Be sure to look for samples wherever you go too. One source for free samples is your Doctor's office!  At the dermatologist, we got some lotion samples.  At the dentist we got dental floss and toothpaste samples. Grocery stores also often have samples of food .  If you time it right, the samples can fill you up in place of a lunch!
     Be on the lookout and challenge yourself to find a free sample of something each week. 

Roller Blades for Free

We drove to the Adirondack Mountains today. On our way past a neighbor, my husband noticed roller blade wheels sticking out of a 5 gallon bucket with a "FREE" sign on it.  After we passed, he thought that he should have picked them up because he could probably use the wheels for something.  After our day out, they were still there.  He picked them up and discovered there were also a set of knee and wrist pads in the bucket.  These are in great shape and he decided that maybe I should sell them instead! I will update this post later if we do sell.

Yard Sale Freebies

While driving to the bookstore to look at the magazines for free rather than subscribing, we passed a roadside yard sale.  There were two piles. One said 'free" and one said "make offer."  Above is a picture of what we picked from the free pile. One shovel in excellent condition, two fishing poles, one unopened package with 5 rolls of Christmas paper, 2 brand new lights that we will use to replace the old lights on our front and back porch, and 3 bottles of brake fluid in a little bin.  We think back on it and we should have taken a couple more of the things that we didn't really want and try to resell them.

Free Stove

On Thanksgiving Day 2009 my flat top stove died with a turkey in it. We were able to use an old stove my husband had in his garage (that he had planned to start using to powder coat metal) to salvage the day. After that day I spent two full years without a stove. The one in the garage was not fit for the house. We did not have the cash for a new stove and we did not want to add to our credit card debt. I got creative and actually enjoyed using the microwave, slow cooker, toaster oven and grill. After two years my father said he knew someone who was remodeling and they were getting a new stove to go with the new decor. Their current stove was free for the taking. There was nothing wrong with it and it was clean. We said we would take it. He did neglect to tell me that it was from the 1980s!  Since it was free, I didn't complain. It has been working fine. I guess it is easier to use the stove, but I have tried to keep creative with the other appliances too.

Free Coffee at McDonalds

Free small coffee at McDonalds from September 23-29th. I just found out yesterday, but I got mine today. I didn't even have to pay the tax on it. Great deal and now I have a to-go cup as well.  That will get at least 1 more use I am sure!

Wildflower Arrangements

I love having flowers in my house, but I refuse to buy them. During the spring, summer and fall I will pick flowers from around our property. I have lilacs, tiger lillies, black eyed susans, daisys, and some that I don't know the names of. I have made arrangements with cattails, branches, greens and pine boughs too. If you have none on your property, buy a packet of mixed wildflower seeds and sprinkle them in an area you don't mow. If you can't do that, sometimes a walk or a drive will take you to a place to gather your arrangements. Just be sure not to pick on property that you shouldn't.

Fun Free Finds from Walks and Scrounging

Ed goes on walks in back of our property and around the neighbor's old farm property. These are a few of the things he has brought back from these walks. He found the old dump that was used through the years by the farm.

Free Pallets

Our local Agway has pallets free for the taking! My husband will often stop in and pick up 8 to 10 at a time.  He got 8 last week and 9 today. We use them for firewood at the campfire and in the house woodstove and for projects. There are sites all over the internet with projects made from pallets. Some of the ones he gets are in very good condition. He just has to cut them apart a bit, but free firewood is a great find and saves money.

Beautiful Huge Cabinet

We got this for free from my cousin and his partner. They have another one just like it. He manages a mall and has access to a lot of things when a store goes out of business and just discards things.  This is a beautiful and huge cabinet. It is 6 feet 7 inches long, 31 inches wide and 26 inches tall. We are not sure what it will be used for in the end, but for now it is out of the weather on our back porch. We used it as a food buffet table for my son's graduation party!

Free from Dad

We often get things free from our parents....it's what parents do. They give us their cast off thing as sort of a first option. I often think it's just so they don't have to worry about getting rid of it. I would rather it be that way though. Our parents usually give us some great stuff. This haul was from a forced clean-out.  This week I helped my dad clean out his closet and dressers. Most of this stuff I will be getting rid of, but I took it off his hands first. The following is a list of what wound up in my car: dress shoes, small rotary tool, 3 coats, 1 flannel shirt, 1 winter scarf, 1 winter hood, 3 pair of jeans, over a dozen vintage ties, several old belts, two brand new pairs of socks, 1 turtleneck shirt, 1 after-shower terrycloth wrap, a box of unused Christmas cards, Louis Lamour books on tape, fishing vest, a few rags, and a luggage cart (not pictured).  After distributing the things we will keep around our house and garage, I will sell or donate the rest.

Free Finds from a December, 2009 Clean-Out

The pictures that follow are most of the items that came from an old garage. My dad knew someone who was selling their house and needed to clean out their garage. For doing a little labor, my husband could keep whatever he wanted. Looking back, he wishes he took more.

Vintage Singer Sewing Machine on stand, vintage push mower and two old cabinets. The stand was made into a table, the cabinets were hung in the garage, the push mower is waiting for a place to be displayed and the sewing maching top is being cleaned up for display.

 Nine boxes of various tiles. These are waiting for project ideas to be used.

This table was cleaned up and is being used in one of our outdoor sitting areas.

 This sink was used along with a piece of countertop (obtained free from my parents when they did a kitchen remodel). It is now part of our chicken butchering setup that is used outdoors at butchering time.

 This tall stool is being used in the garage and the short bench is a nice outdoor fireside table.

                        We made seats for these chairs and they are being used in our gardenside cabin.

 These windows are being stored in one section of our barn with many others we have obtained roadside. We pick through them as we come up with projects.

 The entire back of the truck was filled with these fence posts which my husband used to make a white picket fence by my garage for a wild flower garden.

Three old breadboxes. My husband cleaned up and painted the green one and we use it in our kitchen.

 More windows to add to my collection.