The Virtual Woman: A Woman's
Weekly Guide To Cyberspace
Lots of you have written in asking me about how to find free stuff online.
So many people in fact, that I've decided to dedicate this whole column to
talking about a few of my favorite websites on this topic. But first, let me
tell you a quick story. When I was just a little girl my mother would sit me
down on her knee and say, "Virtual Woman, ain't nothin', no where in this
world that's free." Then she'd stroke my wrist where it ached from too much
keyboarding and say, "And remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it
probably is." I tried to correct her--to let her know that the Internet is
packed with tons of free stuff but my Mom was traditional and, well, I was
virtual. Granted, my childhood was odd (you try growing up with a name like
Virtual Woman) and I never quite agreed with my mother. So Mom, if you're
reading this week's column, listen up! And for all of my readers, answering
your questions is my job so keep 'em coming (contact information for The
Virtual Woman can be found at the end of the column).First off, there are so many things you can get for free online that there are loads of sites that boast huge collections of links dedicated exclusively to helping you find this free stuff. Some deliver. Many do not. One of my favorites that absolutely delivers is a site called Freaky Freddie's Free Funhouse of Free Stuff (try saying that five times fast). It gets you to tons of free stuff and very quickly. Located at http://www.dlcwest.com/~jgood/freak.htm Freaky Freddie has a well organized and extensive collection of all sorts of free goodies. There are categories for things like free samples, free contests, free magazines and free gifts. And yes, there’s even a category for free money! (Hold on a minute though--before you run to your computer to access your free million, what Freddie means by free money is that this category is for those interested in coupons, incentive and rewards types of programs). When you click on most of the categories in Freaky Freddie’s site, you'll find long lists of places to go to get a large variety of free samples. I found offers for items like free fish food, free aspirin, free orange juice, free pantyhose, free lifesavers, free coffee and free cereal. Freddie also lists lots of 800 phone numbers too--it's not just exclusively web focused.
Another very extensive site jammed with free stuff as well as coupons is The Internet Coupon Directory (http://www.coupondirectory.com). This site is also very well organized, updated and loaded with deals. And although the name of the site would lead you to believe you would find lots of coupons there, I found the site to primarily be a place to find free stuff (not that I'm complaining!)
One of my favorites that is just a little too entertaining to resist is a site called, "What would you do for a Free T-shirt?" Located at http://idealist.com/free-shirt/index.phtml this site is also known as, "101+ ways to win, earn, mooch, or otherwise snag a free shirt." The folks here spend hours and hours scouring the web looking for every single way you can clothe yourself on the cheap. They think this is blast (but keep in mind, they also think watching paint dry is 4 star entertainment).
Generally, most of the avenues for getting a free t-shirt do involve you having to give up a bit of information about yourself or at least spending some time being creative and clever (okay Mom, maybe you're right on this one). For example, the site has a link to a site running a free t-shirt contest but here's the catch: in order to get your shirt you have to help them find the ugliest lamp on the planet. Yes. You must visit them and then send in a picture of an ugly lamp. If that doesn't appeal (can't see how it wouldn't but there's one in every crowd), try the carp fishing site where, if you write three articles on your carp fishing experiences, you'll get a free CarpNet t-shirt (enough to make even the Virtual Woman get out her hip boots!) You get the picture. The site is a lot of fun and it might even inspire you to enter a contest or two (or three).
A site called SuperMarkets.Com (http://www.supermarkets.com) intrigued me and also ended up delivering. While this site does not exactly get you free groceries, it does allow you to get "Web Bucks" from your local grocery store. You simply go to the site, plug in your zip code and bang, up comes a list of local stores. Choose a store and bang again, up comes a list of items on sale and the Web Bucks associated with them. You earn Web Bucks when you buy any of the items on sale that week. Each item is associated with a Web Buck amount (usually about $.50 - $1.00). You print out the page, go to the store, and when you are checking out you show the cashier your printout. In my case, I earned $7.90 in Web Bucks. This money can be used as a credit at my next visit to the store on *any* items I buy. If you would prefer your weekly Web Bucks specials be sent to you rather than you having to go to SuperMarkets.Com to get them, you can sign up to receive the weekly Web Bucks list through your email.
Well, I'm off to do some carp fishing now--I'm determined to get my CarpNet t-shirt by next month. Pop me an email and let me know what you think of your free stuff experiences at these sites. And remember what I always say: There's plenty of free stops on the super information highway--you just need ask The Virtual Woman for directions!
Happy Surfing!
Find these links and more at WWWomen.Com (http://www.wwwomen.com) the web's largest search directory of topics for women online. Email the Virtual Woman with your Internet questions or send snailmail to: WWWomen.Com, Attn: Virtual Woman, 3701 Geary Blvd., #325, S.F., CA 94118. Copyright, 1998. WWWomen, Inc. All rights reserved.
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