Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year's Eve!

I usually like to post a Jib Jab video for specific holidays and every year they make a year in review video. However, when I watched this year's video I hesitated for a few reasons. One, it's not as funny as videos made in previous years, two, it's mostly about bad stuff that happened, whereas previous years have had bad and good stuff that happened, so it's not as upbeat, three, I'm always trying to watch the crude humor since I like to keep the site as family friendly as possible. Then, I watched Google's year in review video which seemed to give a much more positive outlook for the year to come. After seeing both, I decided to post both, and let you decide how you will welcome the new year. Are you grateful to get 2011 behind you, or are you ever hopeful for the future?

Family Friendly Warning: Both videos mention controversial issues, they do not necessarily reflect the opinion or philosophy of ActuallyFree.info or the site's staff. They are posted simply as an exercise. The JibJab video has a lot of crude humor, multiple references to sexuality, and one religious exclamation.


(I'd suggest clicking the "full screen" button for the Google video so that you can read some of the descriptions and news headlines if you don't know what some parts are referring to.)

So there you have two different perspectives. Here's wishing you a Happy New Year's Eve (the best night of the year for free kisses)! Despite it being a tough year, may we always learn and grow and keep moving forward into 2012.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Christmas has a way getting people busy and stressed. Now that it's Christmas day I hope we can put off the thoughts of shopping, getting presents and even freebies and remember the greatest Christmas gift of all . . . our Savior, Jesus Christ. The following video is included to help us do just that. These are leaders of the LDS church, but their message is non-denominational.



May your Christmas be full of happy memories and good times with family and friends. And may we all remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

My Christmas Gift to You: Actually Free Videos

Last year at Christmas, ActuallyFree.info presented a new directory of free software. This year, AF's Christmas gift to you is the Actually Free Videos library.
This is the best collection of freebie-related videos online that I know of. It has videos from YouTube, Howcast, eHow and other resources that all deal with the same topics and strategies for getting freebies as the rest of the site. Now, instead of just reading how to get freebies, you can also see how to get freebies by demonstration. The directory is still new. Currently some of the topics only have one video. However, more and more videos will be added as they are submitted or discovered.

Merry Christmas, from ActuallyFree.info!


 

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve from ActuallyFree.info, JibJab, Obama and the GOP. Enjoy the video.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!


Last year's video is still active if you want to see that too.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

How I got over $300 worth of Christmas gifts for FREE!

Its been a fun holiday season filled with freebies, including clothes, toys, the hit Disney/Pixar new release, Cars 2, computer software and accessories! Here's how I got over $300 worth of Christmas gifts for free (well, sort of, keep reading):

Everything in this picture was free (and there is one item that is not pictured.)

The first set of items I received for free were from Cafe Press:
  • Cars 2 Adventure Hut $20
  • Cars Deluxe 10 Car Figurine Play Set $20
  • Rocky Balboa Movie $1
  • 2 USB Wall Chargers $10 ($5 each)
  • USB Car Charger $5
Cafe Press, a leading T-shirt retailer online, didn't exactly give me these gifts directly. I had to do a little work, but not much. Cafe Press has a program for T-shirt designers where the designer creates and uploads a T-shirt design to their site and every time that design sells, the designer gets a commission. There are no costs to the designer. I have uploaded about 20 designs to Cafe Press and received my first commission transfer to PayPal previous to Thanksgiving. I considered this free money because receiving commissions from Cafe Press is a form of passive income. Once the designs are uploaded, they are available in the Cafe Press marketplace for anyone to purchase at any time. I do nothing to sell them. Cafe Press does all the work of selling, printing the shirt, packing it, and shipping it to the customer. I also used completely free resources to create the designs that I submitted, including free graphics that did not violate copyrights or trademarks. It just took a little time to create the designs and upload them to Cafe Press (certainly less than an hour per design), and they now continue to make money for me. I've even seen an increase in sales between Black Friday and the time this article was posted. For more information on making money by creating T-shirt designs, read the Design and Sell T-Shirts page. You'll also find a directory of resources to help you create your designs.



All the items above sell at retail for higher prices than those listed. They were all on sale for Black Friday. The Cars 2 adventure hut was purchased at Wal-Mart. The 10 piece Cars 2 deluxe figurine set was purchased at the Disney Store Online with free shipping. The USB wall chargers and car charger were purchased from Newegg.com, and the $1 Rocky Balboa movie (not in the second picture) was purchased at Best Buy online. I probably would not have purchased the movie if it had cost any more than $1, but I figured I would have rented it from RedBox for $1.20 so I might as well own it for less. All items ordered online had free shipping.

The next set of items were all Free After Rebate (FAR) from Fry's Electronics and Newegg.com. I also got the Cars 2 DVD/Blue Ray combo pack for free after rebate from newspaper coupon inserts (I don't recall if it was Red Plum or SmartSource, but the rebates were also available online).
  • AVG Anti-Virus (the paid version, not the Free Version) $40
  • Digital TV for PC 2 $25
  • Corel PDF Fusion $40
  • WordPerfect Office X5 $50
  • Electronic Cleaning Wipes pack of 2 $5
  • USB 4 port Hub $4
  • Samsung Bluetooth headset $20
  • HDMI Cables $1.50
  • Ergonomic Wireless Optical Mouse $10
  • Laptop Cooling Fan $10
  • Cars 2 DVD/Blue Ray combo $10

Fry's Electronics and Newegg.com have become my favorite retailers this season. Week after week and often on the weekends they have had sale after sale which have included free after rebate deals. All of these items were purchased on Black Friday, but I could have purchased many, many more for FAR. The items purchased from Newegg.com could only be purchased online since Newegg is an online-only store; but they all came with free shipping. Fry's Electronics also only has limited locations in select states. I just happen to live by one. I am still waiting for the rebates in the mail since they take 6-8 weeks to arrive, though I've received many notifications by email that they are being processed.

These items were all free after rebate, but I actually ended up paying between $10-$15 when combining sales tax, envelopes and postage (Items purchased at Newegg didn't have sales tax, since I don't reside in the same state where Newegg operates). Also some of the rebates will come in the form of a Visa gift card which has some restrictions and even fees if not used within the first 6 months. I'm hoping/guessing, that I can use them for gas or groceries. One of the points I make with any promotion is to be sure the promotion isn't tricking the customer into spending more money. These were all items I needed or wanted before the FAR promotion and the Visa gift card(s) will be used on items I plan to pay for in my regular monthly budget. For more tips on benefiting from FAR deals and avoiding unwanted costs, read the Free After Rebate page.


If you couldn't tell already, my son loves Pixar Cars. The Cars 2 DVD/Blue Ray combo (not seen in the first picture) also wasn't actually free after rebate. I bought it for $10 at Wal-Mart by price matching with a Sam's Club Black Friday ad. That alone was a steal since a Disney/Pixar new release DVD/Blue Ray combo pack usually sells for $25-$30. There were/are at least three rebate offers available with this item.

The rebate my wife and I used was good for $10 when the movie combo pack and $20-worth of Kimberly-Clark products were purchased. We happened to have already purchased $19 worth of diapers, so all we had to do was purchase a Kleenex box at the dollar store to make up the difference. I considered the movie to be free since I got it for $10 and the rebate was worth $10; and the other products I had to purchase were purchased anyway. It was at least a freebie for my Christmas budget, even though it wasn't completely free for my grocery budget. Again, this promotion did not trick me into spending more money. Even the Kleenex box for $1 was a good deal and something we needed.

As a bonus, I could still possibly take advantage of the other two rebates because the Cars 2 combo pack has 3 proofs of purchase including the bar code. Rebate forms require that the proof of purchase be included and products usually only have 1 proof of purchase. Since the movie has another two proofs of purchase and I know of at least two other rebate offers, I can still possibly get some more freebies. If I'm able to find a sale of Rayovac 10 pack batteries for $5 or less, and Johnson & Johnson products for $10, then I will consider those to be freebies for my grocery budget. For more grocery rebates and deals, read the Free With Coupons page.

On a side note: Blockbuster video is giving away a pack of 2 Rayovac batteries (either AA or AAA) on Christmas day. So if you want to interrupt your regular Christmas routine to get some free batteries, you can. Additional 2-packs are available for 99 cents each. However this may not help much for the rebate offer that I'm trying to complete. I'll have to review the terms of the rebate again.

The last set of freebies were received from Sears Outlet on Free Apparel Tuesdays.
  • Dress shirt $10
  • T-shirt $7
  • Shorts $10

These three items of clothing were given to me by Sears Outlet free of charge; they didn't even charge sales tax. Sears Outlet is/was having a promotion where rewards members could pick one free article of clothing every Tuesday in December. It was free to join the rewards program. One point I make with rewards programs is to avoid getting multiple credit cards since that can affect your credit score. This is a simple rewards program without a credit card. For more tips on rewards programs read the Rewards Programs page.

The Free Apparel Tuesdays promotion was/is only available at Sears Clothing Outlets, not Sears, Sears Appliance Outlets, K-mart or other Sears-owned stores. Sears Clothing Outlets are limited in number and locations. I just happen to drive close enough to one in my daily commute to work. Unfortunately, it's too far away from where I live to make the trip worth it for my wife to go. Otherwise we would have received 6 articles of clothing. The Tuesday after Christmas we will both be close to a Sears Outlet when visiting family. So between the two of us we will get another 2 articles of clothing. The promotion doesn't include outerwear, coats or Levi jeans, but I still could have picked clothing that was worth more. This just happened to be what I needed. I was cautious not to buy any sweaters because one little defect in the knitting would mean a quick end to the sweater. Clothes outlets are usually filled with cast-off clothing, off season items, and clothes with defects in the sewing. I had to sift through a lot of these to find clothes that I liked, but every time I was able to find at least 6 articles of clothing that were acceptable. This promotion almost tricked me into spending money that I would not have spent otherwise, but I resisted.

(Update: It turns out that the Sears Outlet by our relative's home is a Sears Appliance Outlet, not a Sears Clothing Outlet, so my wife and I won't be getting any free clothing this Tuesday. I was thoroughly bummed to find this out)

When you add the prices of all items above they come out to $298.50. These were all sale prices so I think it's safe to assume that they are worth over $300. They may have been worth close to $500 in retail or more. There were a couple items that I tried to get but wasn't able to. Fry's Electronics had a 10 piece USB adapter set that sold out before I got there. Victoria Secret was also giving away a free pair of panties which sold out before my wife got there (not for me to wear but definitely for me to enjoy, if you know what I mean. I wouldn't go into any more details since this is a family friendly site. Part of me is actually glad we didn't get that freebie because I think Victoria Secret is contributing to the moral decay of our society with excessive, open, inappropriate advertising in public places and on TV time slots that are seen too often by kids, teens, and men who should keep their eyes on the prize of their own wives. Wow, way off the topic of freebies).

If I had decided to be really ambitious, I could have received over $1,000 or more in products this Christmas season. There were many other free samples, free services, and free products after rebate that were available. I didn't take advantage of them because I didn't need them. But if I had made the effort to get them, I could have sold them online for a significant profit. The most notable deals were for free after rebate software and computer accessories at Fry's Electronics and Newegg.com. Those who are interested in software and computer accessories should continue to pay attention to these stores (as well as Office Depot and Staples) well into January, since I understand computers and electronics have better sales after Christmas. I expect that rebate offers will continue to be made available.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Christmas Countdown Videos and More Freebies

Only 5 days until Christmas. This post has some funny videos below to help add to the anticipation. But first, here are some more freebies:

Newegg.com has a few items that are free after rebate. Since Newegg.com is an online only store, these items probably wouldn't arrive before Christmas (but they're still free). Be sure to read the fine print on the rebate form before making the purchase.

Fry's Electronics has a sale every week and every sale they've had since the week of Black Friday they've had at least one item (not including software) that was free after rebate. Check the ads on the top right corner of their home page (frys.com). Fry's Electronics has locations in Georgia, Arizona, California, Indiana, Nevada, Texas, Washington, Illinois and Oregon. They also ship for purchases online but shipping is not usually free for sale items. Here are this week's freebies:
Fry's Electronics is also advertising may other software titles as "free" after rebate but they are only free upgrades (meaning you must have a proof of purchase for the previous version of the software) or they are only free if you purchase advertised tax software.

Remember free after rebate sales may still include some charges, like sales tax. Read the Free After Rebate page for more details. Most of the links on this page are time-sensitive and will probably change or expire by this Friday.

Bass Pro Shops is still having free photos with Santa and free activities and games for kids until Dec 24.

Sears Outlet is having Free Apparel Days on every Tuesday of December (including today and the Tuesday after Christmas) All you have to do is join their Rewards Program, which has free membership, then visit a Sears Outlet and pick one item of clothing (except outerwear and Levis), with no strings attached, no sales tax, absolutely no charge. The rewards program is good for all Sears locations, K-mart and other Sears-owned stores, however the free apparel Tuesdays are only available at Sears Outlet.

Hopefully these freebies will make your Christmas more merry! Here are the Christmas countdown videos:





Visit this blog again within the next 5 days for more funny Christmas videos from Jib Jab and a special post on Christmas.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Cyber Monday Freebies

Some ads have already surfaced for Cyber Monday, including ads for freebies which are Free After Rebate. Some cyber "Monday" deals start on Sunday. This post will be updated if/as new freebies are found. If you know of any please submit them so that it can be posted and everyone can benefit.

Office Depot (Sunday and Monday, all Free After Rebate, these deals available in store only)

Drive Scrubber Software
Craft Artist Software
Draw Plus X5
Food recipe manager
Free PC Tune-up (boost starup and shutdown speed, remove unwanted files, scan for viruses)


Staples (Sunday and Monday, all Free After Rebate, available in store and online, when you order online there is no shipping since you download immediately, if they offer the boxed CD-rom then it will also be free shipping since everything has free shipping this weekend)

Norton Internet Security 2012 - 1 PC
QuickBooks Online Simple Start 2012
McAfee Total Protection 2012 - 3 PCs
Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 - 1 PC
Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security - 3 users
Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security - 1 user


UPDATE (Sun, Nov 27)

Fry's Electronics (Sunday - Thurs, all Free After Rebate shipping is free on some items, not free on others, all items available in store) NOTE: Some software that is Free After Rebate is only completely free as an upgrade; this means you must have a proof of purchase for an earlier version of the software. The more notable titles are Norton and Nitro PDF.

Service: Free virus scan and hardware checkup

Software

Quicken Simplify and Organize your Money
McAfee Total Protection 2012 - 3 users (free shipping when you order online)
AVG Anti-Virus 2012 - 3 users
Webroot Secure Anywhere Complete 2012 - 3 users ($2.99 shipping when you order online)
Bitdefender Internet Security 2012 - 3 users, 2 year coverage (free shipping when you order online)
Trend Micro Titanium Internet Seucrity 2012 - 1 user (free shipping when you order online)
Avanquest System Suite 12 - 5 users
Lapling PC Mover Ultimate (includes transfer cable)
susteen Datapilot Tether
ilio System Mechanic Professional
Avanquest Driver Genius (free shipping when you order online)
PC Matic - 5 users
Avanquest Fix-it Utilities 12 Professional - 5 users
Corel Videostudio Pro X4 (includes 3D glasses) (free shipping when you order online)
Smith Micro Digital TV for PC 2 (free shipping when you order online)
IMSI Design Clip Art & More 3.5 million
Imsi TurboCAD Designer 2D version 17
Berlitz Spanish Premier (6 languages available) (free shipping when you order online for all 6 languages)
Serif Pageplus Essentials ($2.99 shipping when you order online, may be available for instore pickup)
Avanquest Willcreator Deluxe
Corel WordPerfect Office X5 Home & Student
Sony Acid Musci Studio 8
Nova Scrapbook Factory Deluxe 5
individual Slidshow Expressions 2
Broderbund Mavis Beacon Typing Platinum
Photoimpact Pro 13 (free shipping when you order online)
Datapilot Tethering for Select Mobile Phones (free shipping when you order online)
Norton Triple Bundle 2012 - 3 users (free shipping when you order online)
Kaspersky Internet Security - 3 users (free shipping when you order online)
Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum (shipping is NOT free when you order online)
Corel Paintshop Photo Pro X4 (free shipping when you order online)
Norton Antiviurs 2012 TechBench - 3 users (free shipping when you order online)
Nitro PDF Professional 6 (free shipping when you order online)
Typing Instructor for Kids Platinum 5.0 (mac) ($2.99 shipping when you order online)

Hardware

Retrak 10' USB 2.0 Universal Cable Kit
Hornet Tek Black Box Portable SATA to USB 2.0 Enclosure

Fry's Electronics has locations in Georgia, Arizona, California, Indiana, Nevada, Texas, Washington, Illinois and Oregon.

Bass Pro Shops - Free 4x6 photo with Santa and other events for kids until Dec 24. Check your local calendar.

Newegg.com still has some Black Friday deals available (all items have free shipping)


Samsung Bluetooth Headset 1 cent after rebate.


Software Free After Rebate.
Panda Security Global Protection 2012 - 3 users
Kaspersky Lab Internet Security 2012 - 3 users
Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security - 3 users
ilio System Mechanic Preimium
McAfee Total Protection 2012 - 3 users

UPDATE (Mon, Nov 28)

Newegg.com is no longer offering the items above since they were part of the Black Friday promotion and they have a separate new promotion for Cyber Monday. Here are the Cyber Monday freebies:

(software)
McAfee Internet Security 2012 - 3 users
Corel WinDVD Pro 2011
Corel PDF Fusion
Kaspersky lab Anti-virus 2012 - 3 users
Symantec Norton Ghost 15.0 - 1 user

For more possible Free After Rebate deals at Newegg.com, see their Rebate Center, click on "shipping" so that it shows you the items with Free Shipping first and then scan the pages to find rebates that match the price of the items (this will be a long process, there are hundreds of pages of rebates, just not all free after rebate)

Fry's Electronics is having a sale just for Cyber "Monday" (which is actually valid Monday and Tuesday), the deals listed above are also available until Thursday. NOTE: Some software that is Free After Rebate is only a completely free upgrade, this means you must have a proof of purchase for an earlier version. The more notable titles are Norton and Nitro PDF.

Hardware

Antec Landboard Computer Transport
Retrak 10' USB 2.0 Universal Cable Kit
Hornet Tek Black Box Portable SATA to USB 2.0 Enclosure

Software

Norton Triple Bundle 2012
Nitro PDF Professional 6
Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum
McAfee Total Protection 2012 - 3 users
AVG Anti-virus 2012
Webroot Secure Anywhere Essentials 2012
Serif Pageplus X5
Pinnacle Studio HD Ultimate version 15
Kaspersky Internet Security 2012
Berlitz Spanish Premier (6 langauges available)
bitdefender Internet Security 2012
IMSI Design Clip Art & More 3.5 million
Corel Videostudio Pro X4
Corel WordPerfect Office X5 Home & Student
Over 30 Free Software Titles (This link is only accurate today, Monday, Nov 28. Any day after today the link will show a different advertisement if it shows anything at all)


Geeks.com - These aren't actually free since they're 5 cents each, but I thought they were close enough and they don't even require a rebate. Enter the code: FREESHIP to get free shipping, today only.


Geeks.com also has many other items today for under $1; items for 20 cents, 50 cents, etc.

Saturday After Thanksgiving Freebies

More sales are making more freebies available on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The Black Friday Freebies for Newegg.com and Office Depot are still available Saturday while supplies last, including the Samsung bluetooth headset for 1 cent (as of this posting) and much of the other hardware and software at both stores. The Bass Pro Shops freebies listed on Black Friday are available until Dec. 27.

Fry's Electronics Saturday Sale (all Free After Rebate)

Hardware:

Mini Bluetooth Dongle USB 2.0
1 Million Candle-power spotlight
8 AA or 8 AAA Rayovac Alkaline Batteries
Asus Notebook Earbuds
USB 2.0 Card Reader
10" Neoprene Netbook Sleeve
Nugiant Surger Power Protector
Powerling Emergency Battery Pack with 2 GB pen drive for iPod and iPhone
256 CD/DVD Wallet
Solid Case for iPad 2
Cooler Master AMD AM2/AM3 Heatsink
Cooler Master 80 mm Blue LED case fan
Iocell 2.5" Portable Hard Drive External Enclosure
Bytecc 3.5" Aluminum Black USB 3.0 Hard Drive Enclosure
Wagan Tech DC Splitter with USB
Rhino Mini DC to USB Adapter
LifeSource Digital Pedometer XL15
Citynet International All-in-One 2.0 USB Card Reader
Antec Soundscience Bias Lighting


Software:

Norton 360 All-in-One security - 3 users
McAfee Total Protection 2012 - 3 users
AVG Anti-virus 2012 - 3 users
Webroot Secure Anywhere Complete 2012 - 3 users
Bitdefender Internet Security 2012 - 3 users, 2 year coverage
Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Secuirty 2012 - 1 user
Avanquest System Suite 12 - 5 user license
Laplink PC Mover Ultimate (includes transfer cable)
Susteen Datapilot Tether
ilio System Mechanic Professional - 3 users
Avanquest Driver Genius
PC Matic - 5 user
Avanquest Fix-it Utilities 12 Professional - 5 users
Corel Videostudio Pro X4 (includes 3D glasses)
Smith Micro Digital TV for PC 2
IMSI Design Clip Art & More 3.5 Million
Imsi TurboCAD Designer 2D version 17
Berlitz Spanish Premier (6 languages available)
Serif Pageplus Essentials
Avanquest WillCreator Delux
Corel WordPerfect Office X5 Home & Student
Sony Acid Music Studio 8
Nova Scrapbook Factory Deluxe 5
Slideshow Expressions 2
Broderbund Mavis Beacon Typing Platinum


Fry's Electronics has locations in Georgia, Arizona, California, Indiana, Nevada, Texas, Washington, Illinois and Oregon.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from ActuallyFree.info and JibJab:

Video warning: some crude humor.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!


Read the post about Black Friday Freebies if you haven't already.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

BLACK FRIDAY FREEBIES!! 2011

We can never overlook one of the biggest days of the year for free stuff; so here is this year's discovered Black Friday Freebies:

All items listed are Free After Rebate:

Office Depot

McAfee Internet Security 3 PCs
QuickBooks
Print Artist Platinum 24
Digital TV for PC 2
Photo Impact Pro 13
MoviePlus X5
Web Plus
System Mechanic Professional Current User Upgrade


Staples

HP everydy gloss photo paper 50 pack
Norton Internet Security 2012 - 1 PC
QuickBooks
Titanium Maximum Security - 3 PCs
Titanium Maximum Security - 1 PC
Kaspersky Internet Security - 1 PC
McAfee Total Protection - 3 PCs



Newegg.com - Get these deals now! They may have more deals on Black Friday which they haven't announced yet (I'd particularly keep my eye open for a Blue Tooth Headset for 1 cent). The follow deals are available online right now (Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011) and they all come with free shipping.


Software
McAfee Total Protection 2012 - 3 PCs
Corel Paintshop Pro X4
Corel WordPerfect Office X5 Home
Corel Winzip Systems Utilities Suite - 3 PCs
Susteen DataPilot Universal Kit with Cables
Kaspersky Lab Internet Security 2012 - 3 PCs
ABBYY PDF Transformer 3.0
Corel VideoStudio Pro X4
TREND MICRO Titanium Maximum Security - 3 PCs
AVG Anti-Virus 2012 - 1 User
SONY MoviEZ HD
Panda Security Global Protection 2012 - 3 User
IMSI TurboCAD Designer V17
Sage Peachtree First Accounting 2012
Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus 1pc
Laplink PC Lock

Hardware
XIGMATEK Cooling System XLF XLF-F2006 200mm LED Blue Case Fan PSU Molex Adapter/extender
XIGMATEK Cooling system XLF XLF-F2004 200mm White LED Black Case Fan PSU Molex
XIGMATEK LED Fan Crystal series CLF-F2005 200mm Purple LED Case Fan Molex Adapter/extender included
XIGMATEK Cooling System XLF XLF-F2003 200mm LED Orange Case Fan PSU Molex Adapter/extender
XIGMATEK Cooling System XLF XLF-F1703 170mm LED Orange Case Fan PSU Molex Adapter/extender
XIGMATEK Colling System Crystal Series CLF-F8251 80mm Blue LED Case Fan PSU Molex
At least 4 other XIGMATEK cooling systems and case fans, probably more
XIGMATEK PTI-G3606 thermal grease

For more possible Free After Rebate deals at Newegg.com, see their Rebate Center, click on "shipping" so that it shows you the items with Free Shipping first and then scan the pages to find rebates that match the price of the items (this will be a long process, there are hundreds of pages of rebates, just not all free after rebate)



UPDATE (Nov 24, 11 pm eastern):

Found more freebies before going out to face the Black Friday mob

Samsung Bluetooth Headset for 1 cent after rebate at Newegg.com.

Fry's Electronics (Free  After Rebate)

Frys Electronics Free Hardware:

20 PK CD Jewel Case
Cooler Master eXtreme 460W Power Supply
Samsung Bluetooth Headset
Logitech Rechargeable S315i Speaker for iPhone AND iPod
Cooler Master ELITE 430
inland Notebook Combination Lock
HD 5450 512MB DDR3
Maxell Wireless Optical Mouse (choice of red, blue, silver, purple)
Notebook Cooler
inland Pro LCD Wall Mount
inland 6' HDMI Cable
Rotating Case for iPad 2
Spider Pocket Speaker for iPhone, iPod
Pro Web Cam 300
Retractable Stereo Earbuds
Cirago Wall Charger for iPod, iPhone, iPad
Kensington Audio Auxiliary Cable for iPhone and iPod
Belkin high spead USB 2.0 4-Port Ultra-Mini (USB) Hub
NuGiant Slim Power Surge Protector
Nand Bluetook class 2 V3.0+EDR Dongle
Cleaning Wipes 2-Pack Bundle

An overall retail value of nearly $400 ($394.3)


Frys Electronics Free Software:

Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 - 3 users
Nitro PDF Professional 6
Studio HD Ultimate 15
Corel Paintshop Pro X4 Ultimate Edition
McAfee Total Protection 2012 - 3 users
AVG Anti-Virus - 3 users
Webroot Secure Anywhere Complete 2012 - 3 users
bitdefender Internet Security 2012 - 3 user license, 2 year coverage
TrendMicro Titanium Maximum Security 2012 - 1 user
Avanquest System Suite 12 - 5 user license
laplink PC Mover Ultimate
susteen Datapilot Tether, Tether your smartphone to your PC
iolo System Mechanic Professional - 3 users
Avanquest Driver Genius
PC Matic - 5 users
Avanquest Fix-it Utilities 12 Professional - 5 users
Corel Videostudio Pro X4, 3D glasses included
SmithMicro Digital TV for PC - 2 users
IMSI Design Clip Art & More 3.5 Million
Imsi Turbocad Designer 2D version 17
Berlitz Spanish Premier
Serif Pageplus Essentials
Avanquest Willcreator Deluxe
Corel WordPerfect Office X5 Home & Student
Sony Acid Music Studio 8
Nova Scrapbook Factory Deluxe 5
individual Slideshow Expressions 2
Broderbund Mavis Beacon Typing Platinum

An overall retail value of $1449.00!


Fry's Electronics has locations in Georgia, Arizona, California, Indiana, Nevada, Texas, Washington, Illinois and Oregon.

Best Buy has free screenings of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at select locations

Bass Pro Shops - Free 4x6 photo with Santa and multiple other free events for kids through December 27. Free crafts, free games and activities. Check your local listings for a calendar of events.

CVS and Walgreens have deals that they are advertising as free which are not actually free, though they might be good deals IF you are already going to buy some of these products. They offer store credit for the same price as the product so its like a hybrid of rewards cards and buy one get one free sales. People who are active in extreme couponing take advantage of these deals often. CVS listed the following items:

Advil Tablets
Pepto-Bismol
iChill Relaxation Shot
Cepacol
Be Koool from Fever Discomfort
Breath Right
CVS Dental Flossers
Listerine Pocketpaks
LA Looks hair gel
excedrin
Finish Quantum
Advil PM
Fiber One
Hershy's King Size chocolate drops
Carmex
Softlips gloss
Balance Bar
Theraflu caplets
Theraflu travel size
Kleenex cool touch
 . .  and others; again these are not actually free, but may be good deals. The key is not to let the promotion trick you into buying something that you wouldn't buy otherwise.

For more possible Free After Rebate deals see the FAR introductory page and the Rebate Directory for tons of rebate resources! Have a Happy Thanksgiving and be safe this Black Friday. If I find Cyber Monday freebies I'll be posting them too.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

VD from New York needs a job that provides free housing and transportation

VD from New York sent the following message to ActuallyFree.info:

"I am almost 19. I want to move out of my house as soon as possible. I basically want a job that provides housing and transportation."

VD, way to take the initiative in an economy where many people are moving back in with their parents. I'm not sure of a specific job, especially a specific job in New York, that provides both housing and transportation. You may be able to get two separate jobs, one providing free housing and one providing transportation. If you get a job as an apartment manager then you would have housing and you should still have time to take another job. If you get a job as a chofer then you might get free housing and transportation. If you become a trucker then you're job will be driving and you will have a place to sleep in the truck (a lot of these new trucks are like small motor homes with a bed and kitchenette). These are just ideas or possibilities to help you get started. If your only criteria is a job that provides housing and transportation, theres always the military which basically provides everything (I hear the Air Force has better benefits than the Army).

Most 19-year-olds only have high school and maybe a year of college under their belt. There are many professions which may compensate you for gas/travel, however they might also require a higher education. I have a friend that works in an accounting firm near New York City. They pay for his transportation, housing, part of his groceries and even movies on the weekend. One thing I can tell you is that you're on the right track looking for a job with perks to help you cover other expenses on your budget.

If you already have your own car, you might be able to get paid to drive it by selling advertising space. This is not something I have tried yet, but I've been meaning to. I have one resource that I've been looking at for a while but haven't submitted my application yet. Check back on this blog to watch for the post that gives the report. You could also try to offer driving cars that people are trying to sell. This gets their "for sale" sign seen in more places. If you want to get any driving job it will probably be required that you have a good driving record.

You could also try starting your own business. If you are able to make it profitable then you can eventually get to the point where the business (not you) pays for your housing and transportation and you get a tax deduction for it. There are many businesses you can start with $0 in start up costs.

Here are some pages on ActuallyFree.info that may help you:

The classified ads directory - search classified ads locally and nationwide to search for jobs which may offer the perks you're looking for.

Job and Workplace Freebies - Use these tools to help look for a job, build a resume, improve your writting skills for cover letters and learn how to interview. (Currently this page does have resources that can help, but it is being updated too, so check back often)

Free Education - This page lists resources that you can use to increase your knowledge and skills for free.

Free Housing - This page lists the different possible ways to get free housing

Free Transportation - This page lists the different possible ways to get free transportation.

Free Business Solutions - Free tools and information for business owners and entrepreneurs.

Make Money Online and Free Money - These pages list ways to start a business with $0 in start-up costs.

Hope these ideas and resources help. Good luck on your search.

Friday, May 13, 2011

ZN from Australia whats to be a Medical Test Subject

ZN from Australia sent the following message to ActuallyFree.info:

"I would love to become a medical test subject. So where or when can I register."

Australia, wow. Most of the information on ActuallyFree.info is meant for the United States, however, some international information is also available. I have a specific page which describes how to become a medical test subject. You can find it here:

http://actuallyfree.info/BecomeaMedicalTestSubject.aspx

The page was created as one of the many ways to get free money or quick cash. It lists a couple of resources for becoming a medical test subject, but once again, they may only be for residents of the USA, not Australia. I would suggest going to a local hospital or medical school. They should be able to point you in the right direction.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Earth Day Freebies Tomorrow!

If you didn't see the article on Yahoo!, here is a review of some freebies you can get on Earth Day:

  • Free face cleanser from Origins when you trade in 5 empty containers
  • Free organic milkshakes from Evos
  • Free reusable shopping bag from Disney Store when you trade in 5 disposable plastic bags
  • 1 million free trees from Lowes
  • Free admission to National Parks through April 24
  • Free digital download of Yoga Journal

There are also many other discounts, sweepstakes and contests.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Freebies to relieve the stresses of tax day.

Just passing the info along. According to an article on Yahoo! there are lots of freebies and discounts today. Here is a list of some of the freebies mentioned:
  • Free Mini Icecream at MaggieMoo's
  • Two free cinnamon bites at Cinnabon
  • Free chips at California Tortilla
  • A dozzen bagels at Bruegger's (coupon)
  • Kids eat free at IHOP throughout April
  • Free 10-minute massage at Hydromassage (find a location)
  • Free access to HBO and Cinemax through April 18
  • Free work out at Bally Total Fitness
  • Free tax document copying and paper shredding at Office Depot (coupon)
  • Free entrance to national parks all week.

The article also lists discounts to other places.

Article also suggests checking the following resources for more freebies:

Shops not giving discounts or freebies this year.
  • Starbucks
  • Dunkin Donuts
  • Ben & Jerry's
  • Chick-fil-A

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Get a Free Car . . . if you're a celebrity.

I just read an article on Yahoo! about car companies giving cars to celebrities. It makes a lot of sense to me. When a celebrity drives the car, its like getting tons of free publicity. The article is here:

Money for Nothin' and Cars for Free.

If you're not a celebrity however, there is still a chance that you can get free stuff by tapping into company budgets for advertising. If you want free clothes and get paid to wear clothes, then you could sell space on your clothes as a human billboard or brand ambassador. Read more on this page. And if you need a shirt to promote yourself with, you can get one at the Actually Free T-Shirt Store.

I've also heard that you can get paid to drive your car by selling ad space on your car. I haven't tried it yet, but from multiple sources I've seen the company FreeCarMedia.com pop up a few times. Read more on the Get Paid To page.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Free After Rebate deals found at Rite Aid

Found these Free After Rebate deals while browsing through Rite Aid's weekly circular. Don't think they're useful to everyone, but they should be useful to someone.

Free TENA Serenity Ultra Thin Pads after rebate and free Super Poligrip after rebate.



See all of Rite Aid's rebates.

EV from Kentucky needs materials for a new porch on a mobile home

EV from Kentucky has sent the following message to ActuallyFree.info:

"Disabled retiree needs materials for a deck or porch to be put on a mobile home."

EV, I have a couple of suggestions for you. Keep in mind, I don't know what your disability is. If you can build the deck yourself, or get friends and family to help, and you just need the materials, then I would first check with local construction companies to see if they have any surplus materials. They may have older materials that they need to replace, they may be reducing their storage space, or they may be finished with a project that is completely paid for and they have left-overs. You can probably work out a deal with them to make the donation tax-deductable. If you are unable to build the deck yourself, they may also be able to help with labor if they can make it tax-deductable.

Another possibility is to tap into government resources. If the modification to your home can be directly related to your disability (for example, the new deck will include a ramp so you can get into your home in a wheelchair), then that will expand the possibilities of what is available for you. I've replied to a message similar to yours in a previous post. Medicare may even pay for it if it is related to your disability. Your level of income and the amount of money that you have in the bank may also be factors for some programs, but not all of them. You'll want to read the advice on the Government Freebies page. Also, here are some links that may be helpful to you.

HUD.gov information for disabled persons
Homes & Communities: People with diabilities
Home Improvement and Repair programs
Disability.gov/housing
Rural Repair and Rehabilitation Loans and Grants

The third idea is a long shot. You can apply to the TV show Extreme Home Makeover and if you're selected they'll dramatically tear down your house and build a state-of-the-art deck and a new home to go with it. Your property taxes will sky rocket, but hey, at least the home was free. Luckily the more recent houses built on the show have funding to pay off the mortgage. The show usually picks large families that are in very dire situations. This makes the show more interesting since the average joe is usually quite boring for TV whether he needs a home or not.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Actually Free is conducting an experiment

I'm conducting an experiment to test some get-paid-to offers. If they actually pay out, then a report will be published on ActuallyFree.info, but I need help reaching the payout limit. All sites have been checked with McAfee Site Advisor. If you are willing to participate, you can get a free download.

See the description here.

Friday, March 25, 2011

New Ebook Added!

I just added a new ebook to the Actually Free Ebooks page. Its titled 100 of the Best Freebie Resources on the Web. Enjoy!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

SJ from Sacramento, CA wants free housing and free college courses

SJ from Sacramento, CA sent the following message to ActuallyFree.info:

"I want everything that involves free housing and free college courses."

OK, SJ, you got it.

The Free Housing page on Actually Free describes the different ways to get free housing. Much of it can also be thought of as productive housing, or getting paid to live in a certain place and do certain jobs. The only two ways that I know of where you can possibly get completely free housing is through HUD.gov, if you meet the qualifying criteria (low income), or you can try to get free land and live in a tiny house (not tested by Actually Free). See the Free Housing page for more details. My wife and I got free housing by working as apartment managers. All we had to do was collect rent, do some minor repairs and take complaints. The management company did the rest, including major repairs, finding the tenants, etc. This helped our budget tremendously and it was easy to work into our schedule. I've seen many other management jobs offer better perks than we had. Its not uncommon to get free rent, free utilities, free use of laundry room, free internet and a salary. However, some management positions require more work than others, and they always want some kind of previous "management" experience.

There are a couple of options for free college courses. The first is to get scholarships and grants for school. The scholarships directory lists free resources to find scholarships. Second, if you're just interested in learning, and don't need college credit, then there are tons of free educational resources online. Many accredited colleges and universities offer open courseware online. This means you can access videos and text of any classes that they offer for free. You won't get college credit unless you're enrolled (which costs a pretty penny without a scholarship).

Hope this helps. If I ever find any new material they will be added to the Free Housing and Free Education pages.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Free Stock Videos

An ActuallyFree.info reader submitted a unique freebie resource - free stock videos. These videos can be used for personal or commerical use. You can use them to make advertisements, school projects, or for clients. Please follow the terms of use. You can use these videos for your own projects but no type of pass-along or resell rights are granted. Thanks to PB for submitting this. Enjoy.

http://xstockvideo.com/

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Get Free Help to Prepare Your Taxes

It's tax season and I just found an excellent article on Yahoo! which explains where you can get free help to prepare your taxes. The article lists 6 different ways.

Check it out.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Free tote bag

Hey everyone, one of the Actually Free readers sent in a freebie. This has not been tested by ActuallyFree.info, but its here for anyone who wants to try it:

"Sign up for our Let's Talk Tomato Club and get a FREE tote bag...while supplies last.

This offer is only available to residents with a valid CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, PA, RI, VA, VT, DC shipping address."

Here is the link: http://www.redgold.com/redpack/rptote

 

Monday, January 10, 2011

SS from Michigan wants Free Money

SS from Michigan sent the following message to ActuallyFree.info:

How do i get free money? can u help?

Well, SS, it just so happens there is a page on ActuallyFree.info, titled Free Money, which explains 16 different ways to get free money, get cash quickly, and make money online. Any method listed which explains how to make money, either on- or offline, involves zero start up costs. So while some of them take some time, they are considered ways of getting free money because it doesn't cost any money to do it.

The quickest and easiest way to get free money is through bank bonuses. There are two online banks, ING Direct and Virtual Bank, that consistently give bonuses to people who refer their friends to their free services. The only steps their friends have to take for the person referring and the friends to get free money is use the referral link to sign up for a free checking, savings, or money market account and keep a certain amount in that account for a month. For ING Direct, the person referring gets $10 for each referral and the friend gets $25 for signing up for a savings and checking account each, for a total of $50. At Virtual Bank, the person referring gets $20 and the friend gets $20 for signing up for a money market account. If you would like a referral to either of these banks, just send me an email.

Another great way to get free money is through a free website. You can get a free website (the domain name costs money after the first year) through OfficeLive.com.This is the same service that ActuallyFree.info uses. Then once you've created some content worth viewing, you can add an advertising service like Google's Adsense. The amount of money you get will depend on how many visitors you get to your website. Google pays out once you've reached $100.

There are other ways of getting free money, but sometimes it depends on what you're going to do with the money. The government offers grants for multiple reasons or if you have a worthy cause, you can start your own non-profit organization (there is a small registration fee for this). Applying for government grants and starting a non-profit are things you can do on your own, so you don't have to hire anyone or give in to any sales pitches if you're interested in this route.

These are just samples of the information you can find on the Free Money page. As ActuallyFree.info continues to research, content will be added to this page. For now, see what you can do with the 16 suggestions listed and each explained in more detail on their own pages.

Hope this answers your question SS. Good luck on getting free money.