Savings Mom: Get Free Goods Online
Sept. 26, 2006 — -- If you've ever surfed the Web, you've probably seen hundreds of advertisements touting unbelievable free offers -- often for a weeklong vacation or a $1,000 gift card.
Of course, once you click on the offer and read the fine print, it doesn't take long to realize that the word "free" is really open to interpretation.
Still, it can be worth digging a little deeper to learn more about the free services that creative Web sites provide.
Many sites provide free services we typically have to buy.
In most cases, the only payment required is tolerating a short commercial or advertising message.
Sometimes, there's no advertising at all.
Here are a few of my favorite Web freebies:
Free directory assistance
I remember the days of being able to simply dial "0" to get any phone number I needed instantly. Now I find myself scrounging for a phone book or using a search engine to find a phone number. By calling 800-FREE-411 (1-800-3733-411), I can easily get any number I need. All I have to do for this luxury is listen to a 10-second commercial.
Free museum admission
Get free admission to hundreds of museums on Free Museum Day. As part of an effort by the Smithsonian Institution, museums across the country have volunteered to let visitors in for free admission on Sept. 30. Find participating museums and details, and download a free admission pass at smithsonianmagazine.com.
Free classified ads
Get free classified advertising from Craigslist.org. This is one of the most valuable freebies around if you need to advertise an item you would like to sell, trade or buy. If you are in the market for anything, you can find a wide selection of things because tons of people advertise their bargains at no cost on Craig's List. As the seventh busiest Web site in the United States with 10 million visitors a month, it must be doing something right.
Free credit report
Get a free credit report from annualcreditreport.com. Smart consumers know that they should check their credit report regularly. Everyone is eligible to get one free credit report a year.
