free samples
If you want to save money when shopping, you can do this, for example, with free samples. It does not matter whether it is a beauty product such as a face cream or food such as a pack of fish fingers. With free samples, manufacturers hope that the consumer will like the product so much that it will end up in the shopping cart the next time they make a purchase. If this is the case, it is a win-win situation between manufacturer and customer, explains the blog Taubenschlag. If the tested product was not very convincing, you can already look around for the next free sample.
cashback promotions
Similar to free samples, cashback campaigns are special campaigns by manufacturers that allow customers to test products for free, explains Taubenschlag. The difference, however, is that as a tester you first have to buy the product and thus pay in advance. After purchasing the product, you need the receipt, which you send to the manufacturer either via app or post. If the receipt has been checked by the manufacturer, you will receive the money for the promotional product back into your own account. Sometimes it is possible to use cashback promotions several times, in other cases participation is only allowed once. However, there are also promotions where you only get the money refunded in case of dissatisfaction.
collect points
Another method to get products for free is by earning points. With points systems such as PayBack or DeutschlandCard, you get a certain number of points credited to your account for every euro spent in participating supermarkets. However, product groups such as telephone cards, vouchers or cigarettes are often excluded from the point system, explains Taubenschlag. With enough points, it is then finally possible to activate the points and use them to pay for your purchase. “And another special feature: Collecting points and cashback can be combined with each other. Imagine you buy a certain product for which you will later get the money back. When you buy it, you still pay for the product and thus you receive points for it. The will not be deducted from you retrospectively, because you paid for it,” says Taubenschlag.
The blog Groschenhexe also points out that it is often possible to get used goods for free in “free shops”. In such shops you can sell what you no longer need and take what you need with you. If you would like to find out about free items, cashback campaigns and product samples, you can do so on the website www.kostenlos.de. This page lists promotions from different manufacturers by category and expiry date.
E. Schmal / Editor finanzen.net
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