AARP Hearing Center
Summer Freebies and Other Perks for the Savvy Shopper
Take advantage of summer passes to all kinds of events and cash in with brands and services
Paul Spella
We’ve all heard the phrase “you can’t win if you don’t play.” This is true in the world of freebies, perks and relationships with retailers. Freebies are businesses’ way of building a relationship and cultivating brand loyalty with you with the promise that you’ll be rewarded for it.
So why not take advantage of those free concerts, national park passes, birthday giveaways, movies, devices and skin care samples?
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Concerts
Warm, sunny days and balmy nights are all it takes to set the scene for a great if not romantic outdoor free concert experience. Often a quick Google search for “free concerts” is all you need,. or you can find local concert venues easily using websites like BandsInTown, which also supports an excellent phone app.
Most communities have local entertainment guides that list free concerts, particularly if the concerts are sponsored by your city government. Online event guides like Eventbrite, Meetup, Facebook Groups and local venue calendars list options, particularly when you search with the magic phrase “free concerts.” But one of my favorite ways to enjoy a free concert is to sign-up as an event volunteer.
Some of my best concert memories were from the times I volunteered at the annual WXPN xPoNential outdoor folk music festival. It was a great experience meeting happy music lovers enjoying the festivities while also enjoying great music. Volunteer ticket collectors and ushers can also enjoy the show as compensation for their contributions. Volunteering is also a great way to meet new friends.
National parks and museums
Free and discounted passes are available to access national parks and Smithsonian exhibits. Significant older-adult discounts are also available for passes and tickets where fees apply. Older-adult annual passes for entry at multiples sites are available for $20, while lifetime passes to multiple sites are priced at $80 starting at age 62.
Samples
Interested in free makeup and skin care samples? Become a product tester and give a review. Brands that offer some of the more generous free sample packages are Aveda, L’Oreal Paris, Garnier, Clinique, Estee Lauder, La Roche, Posay, Versed, Mario Badescu, Kiehls, CaraVe, Olay, and Vichy Laboratories. Sign up for your favorite brand rewards program for additional perks. Check out Freefly for a list of free stuff. Other free sample directories include MySavings and SweetFreeStuff.
You can also join and participate in review communities like Influenster and BzzAgent.
Eight Saints offers a “Discovery Skin Care Kit” that includes eight of their bestselling products for free.
Birthday perks
Subscribing to newsletters and promotions and using phone apps with your favorite food, products and services stores is a great way to engage and build relationships with the brands you love most. Often, you’ll receive more than a warm birthday wish. Many stores will offer gift cards and freebies on your special day, just for you. Some good examples of birthday perks include the following:
- Ulta: Membership is free. Earn 1 point for every $1 you spend. Earn double points on your birthday and receive a free birthday gift. Groupon is another great option you can use to enhance your free rewards with Ulta.
- Sephora: Celebrate your birthday with a gift from Sephora Beauty Insider.
- Dennys: Get a free everyday grand slam breakfast on your birthday. Denny’s offers AARP members 15 percent off their entire guest check.
- Krispy Kreme: Freebie-Depot explains how to get a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts as a free birthday gift.
The list of free birthday offerings is endless, which is why I recommend quick searches combining your favorite merchant with the phrase “free birthday reward.” You may be surprised by what you find.
Other ways to cash in
If you enjoy exploring the web, watching videos and completing paid surveys, you can use a service like Swagbucks to earn points to get freebies and earn cash. In fact, some of the most popular paid survey sites will yield unexpected earnings. They include the following:
- Freecash: One of the highest-paying websites to make money online, with Paypal payouts starting at $5 and Bitcoin as low as 50 cents.
- Branded surveys: Well-established members earn cash from home for completing surveys that help businesses better serve their customers. Pays cash, Amazon, and iTunes gift cards.
- TellWut: In addition to surveys, you can also earn cash by engaging on social media. Pays by gift cards, movie vouchers, merchandise and gift cards.
- National Consumer Panel: Get paid for the products you buy from stores. The site pays you with gift cards, prepaid debit and credit cards, and merchandise.
- Pinecone Research: Improve products by testing and evaluating them from home. Get paid by cash, check, gift card, prepaid debit and credit cards, merchandise and movie vouchers.
A word to the wise: Protecting your privacy without limiting access to freebies is important. Dedicate a shopper identity for yourself by creating an account with Google or Microsoft, and use these credentials when shopping, surveying, subscribing and engaging with phone apps, forum discussions and meetup event groups. This is no different than when traveling abroad. It’s best to use a temporary debit card rather than your main credit card when shopping, wining and dining.
Share your experience: Where do you go to get steep discounts or free tickets to local events? Leave us your tips in the comments section.
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