Pay attention to your local newspaper and television for upcoming trade shows and expos. If admission is not free, it still may be worth going. If it is $10 to get in the door of a good trade show, you can easily offset that fee by all the great freebies you will get.

Bring a something to carry your freebies in. I’ve seen people bring rolling suitcases just so they can fill them up with free loot. Be prepared to carry your treasures back to your car.

After you get into the show, visit all the trade show exhibits, even if they don’t really interest you. Their freebie might be a coupon for another item, or they might be handing out a neat promotional item that you can use – like a coffee mug or a nice pen. Some companies give away food or beverages.

Enter giveaways, drawings, and contests for prizes. Advertisers are collecting names for their mailing list so be aware of that. You may win a prize at the trade show or get coupons or free offers in the mail.

Take the time to complete or participate in surveys or focus groups. Some will give you with a gift card or free item in exchange for your time. Yes, this is bribery. I have scored some nice gift cards for spending five minutes taking a survey.

If you go to baby or childrens expos, take the kids. The vendors will have a kids area with fun things for kids to do. Trade show exhibitors love handing out things to kids.

Some card companies pay you back for using their card when you purchase merchandise or services. Rewards can be points, free gift cards, discounts at specific retailers, plane tickets, or merchandise.

To take advantage of business credit card rewards, you’ll need to do some detective work. Look closely at your statement and cardholder agreement and find out if you are earning rewards. The rewards can come in many shapes and sizes:

1) Cash back applied to your balance. (The most attractive option.)

2) A check mailed to you monthly or quarterly.

3) Gift cards. You can do several things with gift cards including give them as gifts, use them yourself for merchandise, or sell them on eBay or Amazon. Gift cards typically sell on eBay and Amazon for 90-95% of the face value.

So pay attention to your business credit card rewards and use them to your advantage.

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How to Get Free Gift Cards

I love this site. Over the past few months, I have been redeeming my points for the Starbucks gift cards, selling them on eBay, and making some nice cash. (Click here for my strategy on selling gift cards on eBay – they sell for 95% of the face value.) Now I have moved on to getting free groceries.

You can get a $25 Amazon gift card using only 315 points. I get the Amazon gift card, and then shop for groceries, pet food, health and beauty product, or other consumables that my family normally uses. You want to make sure the price is fair and not more than you will pay at the grocery store. Also, ALWAYS choose items with free super saver shipping. You don’t want to waste your valuable points on shipping charges.