Esavingsblog

Saving Money, Budgeting and Frugal Living

This page holds all of my articles on saving money. If you want to learn all you can on how to save money then you will want to stick around and read as much as you can.

How to Get Free Starbucks

By Leave a Comment

Do you love Starbucks? I’m going to show you how to get FREE Starbucks! And YES it’s legit (in case you were wondering).

Picture of two Starbucks coffee cups with a text overlay that says "How to get Free Starbucks".

HOW TO GET FREE STARBUCKS

First, you’ll want to have a Starbucks account and sign up for Starbucks Rewards. You’ll also want to grab their free app so you can keep track of rewards, freebies, and gift cards (I’ll be showing you how to get free Starbucks gift cards later).

As a Starbucks rewards member you will get a free Starbucks drink birthday reward each and every year automatically! I think the only qualification is that you must have earned at least one star in that year so basically have made one purchase and used your reward card to track it.

Not only do you get your free birthday drink but Starbucks will send you emails with free stuff! Yes, I get free offers in my email and in the app often (see below).

PLAY GAMES

This is my favorite way to get free Starbucks! The best part? You can actually play the games daily free without making a purchase!

Starbucks usually runs a game called “Starbucks for Life” where you can earn gameplays each day by making purchases at Starbucks and completing challenges. BUT did you know you can earn FREE Starbucks for life gameplays each day by using their enter WITHOUT making a purchase option?

Yup just login to the game, scroll all the way to the fine print at the bottom of the page and you will see a link to enter to get free gameplays! You can do this twice a day!

Starbucks free entry instructions on their website
Source: Starbucks Website

If you’re reading this post in real-time then right now they are running a game called Starland where you can also earn free entries twice a day and win some really cool prizes so go enter and get your two free daily entries!

Use Reward Apps to Cash in for Free Starbucks Gift Cards

Another way I get Free Starbucks is to use reward apps and then cash in for Starbucks gift cards. Below are two of my favorite apps when it comes to Starbucks gift cards but there are so many more you can check out here.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is my favorite for Starbucks Gift Cards because it’s fast and easy to get to 500 Swagbucks and earn a $5 Starbucks gift card.

If you want to get a headstart then sign up using my referral link to get a 300 Swagbuck (SB) bonus when you earn 300 Swagbucks. You can grab that bonus here.

Starbucks Gift Card from Swagbucks

Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards is such an easy to use app that I recommend it to everyone. You basically just snap pics of your receipts and get points towards gift cards like Starbucks, Amazon, and more.

You can get 2000 points towards your first gift card by using my link here or downloading the app and using code: ESAVINGS when you sign up.

2000 points on Fetch is equivalent $2 so you will just need to earn 3000 more to get your first gift card! Check out my Fetch Rewards review for more on Fetch.

Starbucks Gift Card in Fetch Rewards App

You can check out my article on How to Get Free Gift Cards for a full list of apps and reward programs I use!

BUYING DISCOUNTED GIFT CARDS

OK so this option you do have to pay something to get something free but it’s a great way to get more Starbucks for your money.

There are a number of ways to get discounted Starbucks gift cards but I will go over some of my favorites.

For example, Groupon often sends me email offers to buy a $10 Starbucks gift card for $5.

Not familiar with Groupon? Groupon is a deal site that gives you discounts at restaurants, spas, man retailers, and more. You can sign up for free here and they will send you emails like the one you see below.

Picture of an email from Groupon for a $10 Starbucks Gift Card for $5.

I’m not a frequent purchaser of Groupons and they still send me great deals like this and also $10 off any purchase emails so it’s a great list to get on for deals. Check them out here and sign up for a free account.

Another great way to get discounted gift cards to Starbucks is with the Fluz app. I just recently started using Fluz and I am loving it so far. Basically, it’s an app that allows you to buy gift cards on the fly when checking out at stores or whenever you like and get cashback for the purchase.

The Fluz App on a phone

The best part? When you sign up using someone’s referral link (you can use mine here) you get 3 vouchers for up to 35% off your first three gift cards. Plus when you refer friends they can get 35% off and you will get three more vouchers as well.

I used my first voucher to get 35% off of a Starbucks gift card! Offers do change but they have tons of retailers you can buy gift cards from. You can sign up for Fluz here and get your three free vouchers.

Do you have any tips? How do you get free Starbucks? Let me know in the comments!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here

How to Shop Prime Day Without Paying For Amazon Prime

By Leave a Comment

Amazon Prime Day 2020 starts on October 13th and goes through the 14th! Two days of epic deals included with your prime membership.

But what if you don’t have Prime?

Do you need an Amazon Prime account to shop Prime Day deals? Unfortunately yes you do have to be a Prime member to enjoy Prime Day deals. BUT I have some tips for you to shop Prime Day deals without paying for Prime.

Lady shopping online and a text overlay on photo that says "How to Shop Prime Day without Paying for Prime".

HOW TO SHOP PRIME DAY WITHOUT PRIME

First, you can simply take advantage of their 30-day free trial offer. You can sign up today and your membership will still be good for Prime Day. Plus there are some early deals going on now (I’ll get into those later) that you could take advantage of.

Sign up here.

Are you a college student?? Students can take advantage of a FREE 6 MONTH TRIAL! Then you will pay just $6.49 a month after that if you decide to keep it!

Are you a Medicaid or EBT recipient? You can get discounted Amazon Prime at just $5.99 a month. Check to see if you qualify here.

Is Amazon Prime Worth it? Check out my article on all the benefits and see if it’s worth keeping a membership. Check it out here.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Ok now that I’ve shown you how you can take advantage of Prime Day let’s go into what prime day is. Prime Day is an event exclusively for prime members, lets call it a perk for being a member.

It’s also an attempt by Amazon to get more people to sign up for Amazon.

I’ve been a Prime member forever because I love the two-day shipping, Amazon Prime video (they have great movies), and Amazon music. Plus they have so many other benefits you can check out here.

Basically, it’s like Black Friday for Prime members! By the way, Amazon also does Black Friday deals so having a membership is always great IF you use it and take advantage of all it offers.

AMAZON PRIME DEALS YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RIGHT NOW!

Amazon Prime day starts October 13th, 2020, but there are already some really great deals going on now.

SPEND $10 AT WHOLE FOODS GET $10 TO SPEND ON AMAZON PRIME DAY

This is one I will be taking advantage of!

Spend $10 or more in a single purchase between September 28 and October 14, 2020, in-store or on Whole Foods Market on Amazon.com or Prime Now. Scan your Prime code or use your linked mobile phone number at checkout at a U.S. Whole Foods Market store. You’ll get $10 to spend on Amazon for Prime Day, starting October 13, 2020. Limit one per customer.

You can find out more about this offer here.

Whole Foods Prime Day Deal Displayed on a Laptop Screen

SPEND $10 WITH SELECT SMALL BUSINESSES GET $10 TO SPEND ON PRIME DAY

Purchase $10 of select small business products between September 28, 2020, and October 12, 2020, and earn a $10 credit to use on Prime Day. You’ll get $10 to spend on Amazon for Prime Day, starting October 13, 2020.

There are thousands of products from small businesses on Amazon. You can find out more about this offer here.

I love this deal because I love to support other entrepreneurs.

Amazon Prime Day showing on a laptop

EARLY SHOPPING DEALS

You can also take advantage of some early shopping deals like this All-New Toshiba 43-inch Smart HD 1080p TV – Fire TV Edition or this Fire TV Recast, over-the-air DVR, 500 GB DVR (great for cord-cutters).

Deals and prices will change so visit Amazon for the latest now and up until Prime Day.

Are you shopping Prime Day? Let me know in the comments!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here

The Debt Snowball Method Broken Down

By 1 Comment

What is the Debt Snowball Method?

If you’re following Dave Ramsey or you’ve been researching how to get out of debt then you’ve most likely come across the snowball method for debt.

If you’re struggling with debt the debt snowball method can definitely be your path to debt freedom if you follow it correctly.

No matter how much debt you’ve gotten yourself into, the snowball method could be an effective way out of it. Next, you’ll discover everything you need to know about the debt snowball method and why it’s so popular!

The Debt Snowball Method Printable and Calculator

What is the debt snowball method?

First, let’s go over what is a debt snowball?

When you roll a snowball down a snowy hill, with each roll it gradually starts to get bigger. The more it rolls, the more momentum it develops. By the time it reaches the bottom, it’s now a large boulder rather than the small ball it started out as.

You still with me here?

The debt snowball method works very much in the same way. You start off small, then over time you gain momentum and you end up crushing your largest debt by the time you reach the end.

HIghway sign that says Debt Free Just Ahead

How does the debt snowball work?

Using the debt snowball method is really easy. You simply pay off your smaller debts first, leaving the larger ones until last. You don’t pay attention to the interest rates of the debts (more on this later). Instead, you look at the overall amount due, listing the debts from smallest to largest.

You’ll then focus all of your attention on clearing the smallest debt first (this will give you the quick win needed to keep going). You do this by making just the minimum repayments on all of your debts EXCEPT the smallest one. Throw as much money at the smaller debt as you can each month until it’s cleared. 

Once that smallest debt has been paid off, it leaves you with more available cash to start paying off the second smallest debt. As each debt gets paid off, it leaves you with more available cash to throw at the larger debts.

Keep using this method until all of your debts have been cleared. Let’s break it down even further and give you an example.

DEBT SNOWBALL STEPS BROKEN DOWN

1. List your debts from the smallest balance to the largest balance regardless of the interest rate. Don’t be concerned with interest rates, unless two debts have a similar payoff balance. In that case, list the one with the higher interest rate first.

2. Make minimum payments on all your debts except the smallest. Attack that smallest debt by paying as much on it as you possibly can. Once you pay one debt off, take the money you were paying on that one and add it to the minimum payment of the next debt. As the snowball rolls over, it picks up more snow. Get it?

3. Every time you pay off a debt, cross the debt off. You will start to feel how close you’re getting to becoming debt-free!

Debt Snowball Printable on a Desk

THE DEBT SNOWBALL IN ACTION

To give you the best idea of how it works, let’s look at a quick example:

Maria has built up the following debts over the years:

DEBTBALANCEMIN PAYMENT
CREDIT CARD #1$300$20
CREDIT CARD #2$2000$75
CAR LOAN$6000$225
STUDENT LOAN$15,000$300

To use the snowball method, she will continue to make minimum repayments on the student loan, the car, and credit card #2.

She’ll then throw every spare dollar she has each month at the first credit card bill. As of right now, she is paying $620 in minimum payments towards debt each month.

After creating a household budget she manages to free up an additional $130 in her budget each month to put towards her first debt. This has her first debt paid off in just about two months!

DEBTBALANCEMIN PAYMENTSNOWBALL PAYMENT
CREDIT CARD #1$300$20$150 ($20 + $130 XTRA)
CREDIT CARD #2$2000$75$75
CARLOAN$6000$225$225
STUDENT LOAN$15,000$300$300

TIP: If you don’t know where to find extra money to pay off your debt check out: How to Pay off Debt When You Have No Money.

She then focuses her attention on the second credit card, paying all of the money she would have had to pay on the first one towards the second one. Once that one was paid off she took the same amount of money and added it to the minimum payment of the next account and so on until all of her debts were paid off.

DEBTBALANCEMIN PAYMENTSNOWBALL PAYMENT
CREDIT CARD #1$300$20$150 ($20 + $130 XTRA)
CREDIT CARD #2$2000$75$225 ($75 + $150 XTRA)
CARLOAN$6000$225$225
STUDENT LOAN$15,000$300$300
Debt snowball printable on a desk with debts crossed out.
Debt snowball printable available in my shop

As you can see, the snowball debt method is very simple to follow and allows you to see progress along the way so that you stay motivated.

Is the Debt Snowball Effective?

The main reason the debt snowball method works so well is that it enables you to see consistent results with quick wins. You can see the debt going down, which in turn boosts your motivation to continue.

When you’re trying to pay off a larger debt first, it can take months to start seeing a major difference. This can leave you feeling like you aren’t really getting anywhere, draining your motivation to continue.

Once you see that first debt wiped off, it gives you a “high” you won’t forget in a hurry. This pushes you on to work to pay off your next debt, keeping the high feeling going.

TIPS ON Mastering the Snowball Debt Method

Before you start, I wanted to go over some tips on how best to master this method. In order for it to work there are some do’s and don’ts.

MAKE SURE YOUR DEBTS ARE ORGANIZED

This has to be the first step before you even start to plan your debt snowball. You’re going to find it pretty tough to use the snowball method effectively if you don’t organize your debts. You need to know exactly how many debts you have and how much they total.

From there, you can work out your smallest debt and begin the snowball effect. This is one of the steps many people struggle with. It can be daunting and let’s face it, depressing, writing down everything you owe, and actually seeing it there in front of you. However, by doing so, you’re actually taking control over your finances, rather than letting them control you.

Plus, you’ll soon start to feel much better when you put the snowball method into effect and you see those debts coming down.

Avoid getting into further debt

When you’re saving all of your money to pay towards your debts, it can be tempting to continue using your credit cards for the things you want and need. However, by continuing to use your lines of credit, you’re only getting yourself into further debt.

In order for the snowball method to work, you need to be focused solely on getting the debts down. So, avoid getting into further debt no matter how tempting it might be to spend on your card “just this once”.

Focus on one debt at a time

OK, so this may sound obvious, but it can be really tempting to try and pay off two or three debts using the snowball method. Surely if you were to pay off half of the money you save onto one debt and half onto another, that’s going to eliminate two debts quicker than just one? Well, it will get them down, but it won’t be quicker.

It’s important to focus solely on one debt at a time. You’ll get there much quicker that way than you would be trying to focus on 2-3 debts.  

CREATE A HOUSEHOLD BUDGET

If you want to make the snowball method really work, it’s important to set a household budget. This lets you see exactly how much you can spend on things such as groceries and essentials and this is also where you will find the extra money to put toward your snowball!

TIP: Grab my FREE BUDGET PRINTABLES at the end of this article!

While you could budget for entertainment too, the best way to tackle the snowball method is to really cut back on luxuries. It’s tough to do but cutting back on eating out and going to the movies, for example, is going to free up a lot of money to put towards your debts. The more money you can throw at your debt, the faster you’ll be free of it. Then, you’ll have lots of money to spend on the luxuries you desire (paying cash of course).

So, create a household budget and stick to it. Just remember to keep your eye on the bigger goal and that once you pay off your debt you will free up so much money in your monthly budget to put towards the future and towards fun! 

Monthly Budget Printable Being FIlled out on a Desk
Sign up to get my free budget printables at the end of this article!

The Pros and Cons of Using the Debt Snowball Method

Now that you know what the debt snowball method is and why it’s effective, let’s look at some of the pros and cons.

While it’s touted as the most effective way to get yourself out of debt, like everything, there are still a few downsides you need to be aware of. By comparing the pros and cons below, you’ll be able to make a much better decision about whether the snowball method is right for you.

The pros

Let’s start with the pros of snowballing your debt:

FASTER RESULTS

The first benefit is that you’ll start to see results really quickly. This is KEY to why this method works.

Obviously, you’ll want to get out of debt as quickly as possible. So, when you start seeing fast results, it shows you that you could be debt-free much sooner than you thought you would be. If you’re looking for the fastest way out of debt, this is definitely a method to consider.

Psychological benefits

Another pro of this method is the fact it makes you feel good. As you blast your way through your debts, you’ll start to feel much happier, more in control and a lot less stressed.

You’ll find it easy to stick to

When you’re in a lot of debt, it’s easy to give up. However, with the snowball method, your motivation is consistently high as you see results pretty quickly. So, if you’re looking for a debt reduction method you can stick to, the snowball method is the perfect option.

These are some pretty great benefits, but before you decide whether or not it’s right for you, let’s take a look at some of the cons of the snowball debt method. 

The cons

Although the snowball method definitely has a lot of advantages, it’s not without its potential drawbacks. They include:

It may be difficult to acquire credit in future

If you follow the debt snowball method strictly, its creator Dave Ramsey, recommends closing down your credit card accounts once they’ve been paid off. While this will stop you from falling victim to the same debt trap, it could make it more difficult to generate the credit you need in the future.

This is because, the fewer credit cards and loans you have, the worse your credit score becomes. It doesn’t sound logical does it, but provided you are making more than the minimum repayments, it builds up your borrowing history, showing lenders you can be trusted to pay the money back.

Although Dave Ramsey would yell at me for saying this (SORRY DAVE!) but an option would be to keep a credit card and use it to pay a utility bill on autopilot each month and pay it off in full each month automatically. This would give you the usage but you won’t have to carry the card with you and be tempted to use it anywhere. The key here is to automate this!

Also, keep in mind this would only be useful if you’re needing credit in the future to say buy a home or get a job. Otherwise, if you’re planning on living a debt-free life then a credit score won’t be as important.

You could end up paying more overall

As the smallest debt is targeted first, if your largest debt has a high-interest rate, you could end up paying a lot more back over time in interest. So, mathematically it may not make financial sense to follow this method until the higher debts have been significantly lowered.

These are the main two cons to be aware of. For most debts, the snowball method does work well. However, if you do have higher debts with a high-interest rate, you may want to consider a different method such as the debt avalanche (more on this in the next section) until you can get them down.

Snowball or Avalanche Method – Which is Right for You?

You’ve learned about the debt snowball method, but did you know there’s a debt avalanche method to paying off debt as well?

Both have their pros and cons and can help you to become debt-free. However, as they work in totally different ways, it’s important to look at which one is most likely going to work for you.

What is the debt avalanche method?

The debt avalanche method works differently to the debt snowball method. Instead of focusing on the smallest debt, it requires you to focus on paying off the debt with the highest interest rate.

While paying off the highest interest rate, you’ll continue to make the minimum repayments on your other debts. So, say you have debts with 17%, 12%, 5.3%, and 3%, you’ll start by focusing on the 17% interest rate debt.

Once that one has been cleared, you’ll move on to the 12% interest debt. So, it’s not about how much you owe in total, it’s about eliminating the high-interest loans first and in turn saving you the most in interest.

Which method saves you the most money?

If you’re looking to save the most money while paying off your debts, the avalanche method will work better IN MOST CASES. This is because, by eliminating the highest interest debt first, you’ll end up paying less back in the long term.

However, there are some instances where the snowball method could save you more money. It’s best to use an online debt calculator (Ex. UNDEBT Calculator) tool to determine exactly how much you could save with each method.

UnDebt Debt Payoff Calculator

Which will get you out of debt faster?

This really depends upon a number of factors. If you find it easy to stick to things and stay focused in the long-term, the avalanche method could help you to eliminate your debt quicker. However, it will also depend upon how many debts you actually have and how much the debts are.

If the highest interest loan is also the largest loan you have, it’s going to take a significant amount of time to pay it off. So, you’ll save money, but it will feel like it’s taking longer to eliminate your debts as the smaller ones won’t be going down.

With the snowball debt method, you see much faster progress and the smaller debts get paid off quickly. This can make it feel like you’re getting out of debt faster and it also helps to keep up motivation levels.

If we go back to the example of Maria, it would take her a really long time to pay off her second credit card if that was the one with the higher interest rate and the smallest one would linger on longer with just the $20 minimum payment. So paying off that first card using the snowball method would make more sense psychologically and again give you that quick win to keep going!

Choosing the best method to fit you

So, which method is right for you?

If you have lots of debts, the snowball method is likely going to suit you better than the avalanche method. This is because it delivers consistent results which can help to keep you motivated. With the avalanche method, you’ll typically be clearing the debt much slower than you would with the snowball method, so if you have lots of debts this could prove problematic. 

So, in order to decide which method is right for you, it helps to keep the above information in mind. As you can see, there are benefits to both methods and the end result is the same – you’ll enjoy being debt-free. You just need to ensure that you’re following the right path to get you there.

COMBINING THE TWO METHODS

One thing I recommend doing for those who are undecided about which method to choose is to combine the two methods.

You can combine the two methods by listing your debts in order smallest to largest first and then look at debts and their balances. If there are debts with close balances then go ahead and list those by higher interest rate first.

This way you are saving on interest but still getting quick wins as well.

TAKE ACTION AND BECOME DEBT FREE

My main tip here is to take action on your debt! Start by grabbing my FREE BUDGET PRINTABLES below and get on my list where I send you all kinds of money-saving tips as well as freebies to help you with your money journey.

Questions? Comments? Leave them below! Be sure to also share this article and save it in your bookmarks or PIN IT to Pinterest for later.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here

How to Get Free Clothes

By Leave a Comment

No money for clothes? I will show you all the ways I know to get free clothes in this article.

Whether you’re living on a low or fixed income or you’re cutting clothing out of your budget because you’re trying to pay off debt, clothes will still be needed.

This is why I wanted to share with you how you can get free clothes and not have to worry as much about affording them when needed.

It’s going to be a big list so make sure to browse through all of the options and find the one that fits best for you and your family. I’d suggest trying multiple options as some do take time to earn free clothes and some are more instant and will get you free clothes faster.

Image of clothing on a rack with a text overlay that says "How to Get Free Clothes".

Find or host a Clothing Swap

Yes, clothing swaps are actually a thing! This can be done both online and offline but I’d start with searching in your own community with a quick Google search.

First, what is a clothing swap? A clothing swap is a get-together where you and each of your attendees bring an agreed-upon amount of clothing and accessories to the event. All of the items are fair game, so you can trade, barter, and donate clothes to your friends and neighbors while snagging some new stuff for yourself.

Where do you find a clothing swap?

Well, the easiest way like I mentioned earlier is to Google clothing swaps in your area. You can also host one yourself and invite people in your community as well as family and friends.

Have a Facebook account? Search right on Facebook for local clothing swap events and groups where you can swap items. This would also be a great place to promote a clothing swap you may want to host.

You can also check out websites like Rehash Clothes and Freecycle.

Freecycle is an entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns and neighborhoods. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. It’s a great place to browse and search for local groups in your area.

Rehash Clothes is an online option that lets you swap your clothes with other members, so you’ll get a new wardrobe and pass on the clothes you no longer want.

laptop on a desk displaying the freecyle.org website

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SIGN UP & REFERRAL CREDIT WEBSITES

There are many clothing websites out there that will give you free credits to shop just for signing up and more referral credits to shop when you refer friends.

One website you can check out is Schoola.

Schoola is an online thrift website that offers quality clothing at up to 70% off retail with 40% of proceeds benefiting kids. When you sign up using a referral link (here is mine) you get $10 to spend for free!

Then if you want, you can refer friends and get $10 for you and $10 for your friend! The more you share, the more you receive. I love it because you can share this great offer with friends and get credits to shop more.

Get $10 when you use my referral link 🙂. Sign up for Schoola.

Want more info? A wrote a whole blog article about websites that give referral credits you can check out as well (keep in mind that right now during the pandemic many sites have stopped or paused their referral programs but please bookmark for later).

Check Craigslist and Other Sites

Most people are familiar with Craig’s list but there are also websites and apps like Letgo, Offerup, and Facebook Marketplace that have free sections where people post free items.

Out of these options, I prefer Facebook Marketplace because you will see more current and available options. Also, Offerup and Letgo allow people to bid and make offers on items so when searching for $0 items you will get a bunch of items that say free but are just looking for offers.

TIP: Instead of doing a search using the price range of $0, go directly to the “free” section or category of the website to get more accurate free matches. As you can see in the screenshot below on Letgo, they have a “Free Stuff” option you can click on.

Picture of the Letgo website and their free stuff option.

The key with these options is to always be looking and to not wait because free items go fast.

I see a lot of items are listed free after garage sales or moving sales and the person posting will leave items on the lawn or sidewalk for pickup or you can set up a time and place to meet (a highly populated public place would be my suggestion).

As with anything always read the descriptions on the listing posts and always be safe when going to get your items. Also, beware of scammers who may live in another state (or locally) and create fake accounts or ask for personal information. Look at the poster’s ratings and Facebook account if they’re on Facebook.

JOIN Loyalty & REWARD programs

I love loyalty programs and usually sign up for all of them since most are free. Even if you don’t often shop at a store, signing up for their loyalty or rewards program will get you many perks including free stuff!

If you don’t want to deal with tons of sales email, I suggest creating a separate email account just for reward programs and only use that to sign up.

Kohls for example often sends me $5 to $10 to spend at their store with no minimum purchase. I get this reward via email as well as through the regular mail so make sure they have your address.

JCPenney also often sends out coupons and rewards as well as does events where they hand out coupons worth $10 or more if you wait in line in the morning.

These are just a couple of examples but there are so many more out there!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Want free stuff on your birthday? Check out Places that Give You Free Stuff on Your Birthday.

Find Free Clothing Closets in Your Area

If you’re really struggling financially, there are clothing banks that give away free clothes.

Low-income families can find free clothes, including shoes, winter jackets, school supplies, work uniforms, and more from clothing closets in their area.

These charities operate in most major cities and towns. While the exact types of items or financial assistance provided by each charity will vary, in general, a clothing bank or closet is a low cost or free store where qualified customers can both browse and shop for needed items.

Do a Google search for clothing closets in your area or check out Needhelppayingbills.com for a list.

FIND A NONPROFIT IN YOUR AREA

Another great option is to check non-profit organizations like the Salvation Army and Operation Warm, which have been providing over 2 million coats to children in need since 1998. Keep in mind that some organizations may require you to fill out paperwork before receiving items so that they can determine your need.

Another great place to check with is your local church. Many churches are involved in charitable giving and will be able to at least direct you to help in your area.

ASK FRIENDS

A lot of people have clothes in their closet that they just don’t wear and probably will never wear (myself included). Don’t be shy to ask friends if they have any unwanted clothing.

It will help you both out because that friend has probably been wanting to clean out their closet or has been meaning to donate clothes for a while but just hasn’t gotten around to it.

They will feel great that their clothes are now getting some use.

Two friends sharing clothes

Save your receipts

Yes, receipts can make you money and gift cards and you can use that money and those gift cards to get free clothes.

Some of my favorite ways to make money with my receipts are through Fetch Rewards and Ibotta.

I write extensively on these two programs because I love them so much.

You can sign up for Fetch Rewards here using code: ESAVINGS and get 2000 points to start (you only need 3000 for your first gift card).

You can sign up for Ibotta here and grab a $10 bonus!

Like the idea of getting money for your receipts? Check out my full article on How to Get Paid for Your Receipts.

Shop through cashback sites and use the cash for free clothes

If you’re doing any shopping especially online, make sure you’re utilizing a cashback program like Rakuten and TopCashBack first.

These are free programs to join and Rakuten will start you off with a free $10 gift card when you sign up via my link here!

TopCashback varies as to what bonuses they give but they are still one of my favorites because of the high cashback amounts.

Check out this list of the cashback sites giving bonuses as of today and I suggest joining a few so when you shop you can go through the one that is offering the best cashback that day and also so you can claim the free bonus money!

Some of them require you to shop through them once to get your bonus so a tip I often share is to shop through each of these sites for your normal monthly purchases like soap, dish liquids, detergents, etc. Do store pickup or delivery at a store like Walmart or Target (they have most of the popular stores listed for cashback) and start getting cashback on your purchases as well as the bonus.

I’m sure you will find something you need to buy anyway and then you will get your free credit to shop plus cashback on that purchase!

Want to learn more about cashback websites? Check out my Top 10 Cashback Websites and see how much I’ve earned and how through each one.

Sell your unwanted stuff & use the cash for clothes

A great way to get free clothes is to sell the ones you have and use that money towards new or used clothing.

Maybe you’ve grown out of clothing or have a different need right now. Not only can you get new clothes this way but you can earn some extra cash.

My two favorite places to sell my clothes are on Poshmark and Mercari. I’ve made over $341 on Poshmark already. Check out my experience and tips for selling on Poshmark.

TIP! Sign up with my referral code: ESAVINGSBLOG to get a $5- $10 bonus (varies depending on when you are reading this) you can use to shop! Sign up here and don’t forget the code to get your bonus.

You can also check out how one woman made over $24K on Mercari and turned selling into a business.

What I love about these two places for selling is that they are super easy to learn and they create the shipping label for you and take care of customer service and more.

You can also sell on Facebook Marketplace, Offerup and Letgo if you prefer. These might be a lot quicker to get things out the door faster.

FREE GIVEAWAYS

A fun option you may want to try is to look for free giveaways. There are always companies giving away free t-shirts.

Greek-Olive.com gives away free sample t-shirts. I just requested one and will post a picture when I get it. You can sign up for one here.

If you’re a nurse, you can request a free nursing tshirt from BoardVitals. Get your BoardVitals Free Nursing T-shirt here.

Free Tshirt sign up page displayed on a computer screen

When doing my research for this article I found that MoneyPantry has a nice big list of how to get free t-shirts you can check out here.

Keep in mind these freebies and giveaways are always subject to stock and can change at any time. If you come across any that you want to add to this list please leave it in the comments and I’ll add it!

Questions? Comments? Leave them below and be sure to share this post with friends!

MISSED ANY PART OF THE FREE STUFF SERIES? CHECK IT OUT BELOW:

Need help with budgeting and saving money? Join my email list below and get money-making and saving tips, promotions, and exclusive freebies sent right to your inbox. Sign up below!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here

Follow me on your favorite platform!

 

Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Terms & Conditions

Check out my most recent posts!

Disclosure:

Many of my posts contain affiliate links.  If you click on an affiliate link and buy something, I may receive a very small commission. I am also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon .com. 

Get Access to My Freebie Library Filled with Printables and Money Saving Resources!GIVE ME ACCESS!
+