Getting Anything You Want, FREE!
...And the Art of Being an Honorable FreeLoader
1. Get clear.It doesn’t work to just want “everything” for free. The more specific and precise we are about what we want for free, the more powerful our brain becomes by generating ideas and methods of obtaining that something for free.
Example: I like to party, so instead of just wishing for an abundance of money to spend on partying, I focus on getting free tickets to tons of cool events. More than that, now I get the VIP treatment at most places, feeling more abundant than having financial abundance.
2. Chunk it down.
Sometimes the way to get want we want for free is through stages. It may not be free for us immediately, but working towards a path that gets us that free thing can be extremely rewarding.
Example: Lots of people wish that they didn’t have to make a rent or mortgage payment for the place where they live. Maybe it’s not possible to get that for free today, but what about the possibility of sub-letting, or hosting youth exchange students, as a great way to subsidize our costs?
3. Check your community.Our biggest resource is through the network of people that we know. Chances are there are people within our network that either already have what we want (used and willing to give it away), or know how we can get it.
Example: Furniture, appliances, books, audio programs, DVDs/movies, and admission to shows/events are popular examples of things that people in our community have, and would be more than happy to give away. I’ve saved tens of thousands of dollars on personal development programs through this method.
4. Google it.
It never hearts to Google what we would like for free. Don’t just try one term, but many variations, especially based on varying geography. What may be expensive in one city could be free in another part of the world.
Example: Companies may not give a physical product for free, but offer the digital copy at no cost. We could locate our favorite song/music, find our favorite book in audio format, or maybe the first couple of chapters of the book we want as a PDF, before we decide to spend money on it.
5. Uncover special promotions.Sometimes waiting is the name of the game. Unseasonable times, off-peak hours, or excess inventory, are great opportunities to solicit our freebies. Certain promotions are based on volume, so we can recruit some friends, and get a group discount for everyone else (in addition to our freebie)!
Example: GroupOn, Living Social, and TeamBuy are all great web sites that show us great deals every day. By organizing small groups, our financial portion could be easily taken care of.
6. Explore the competition.
We may have an affinity towards a particular brand, but would settle for the same product/service from the competition -- if it were free! Sometimes the competition uses exactly this ploy to acquire new customers, and we can benefit from that!
Example: And maybe the competition isn’t really the competition. For instance, A.C.N. subcontracts essential home services from brands we know and trust, and offers us the possibility of getting our essential home services (telephone, Internet, wireless, energy, television, security, computer support) for free!
7. Find an equivalent.
We may think we want a particular product, when we’re really looking for a particular functionality. Software, applications, and services are great examples of things we may be paying for now, that we could probably find for free elsewhere.
Example: Microsoft Office costs money, but we get all the equivalent functionality from Star Office, for free! Look for open source and public domain products/services that you want for free.
8. Ask.It can be that simple. Especially if we have a relationship with the merchant we’re asking, or have at least seen or done business with that company over a period of time, a freebie is more probably than we think.
Example: It’s not as simple as “Can I get that for free?” because there’s a science to making an authentic request. Read this article that outlines the three components of a request that is likely to get fulfilled: The 3 C's of Asking -- Make your requests Clear, Concise, and Compelling.
9. Negotiate.
Some people may feel negotiating doesn’t necessarily make something free... Don’t just think monetarily. We can negotiate by offering our products/services in exchange (bartering), offering a testimonial/promotion to our community, or committing to a future order.
Example: When hosting events, I always find venues that forgo all rental fees because I am able to drive a significant amount of traffic through our community into their establishment.
10. Put out feelers.
Our community is great, but social networking actually allows us to get to our communities’ communities. That is, people who we don’t know directly, but can know through a common person. This provides a conduit of trust through association where it is much easier to establish rapport and develop a nourishing relationship than with strangers/cold-calling.
Example: I know lots of friends who have posted their wish for something free on Facebook or Twitter, and got what they were looking from someone they didn’t know. Someone even got money for their cat that needed emergency medical attention.
11. Search government programs.There are lots of government grants and scholarships that we may be eligible for, as a citizen and as an entrepreneur. There are so many programs, that we should not discount any possibility or criteria that we may fall into. Investigate programs based on social/economic or minority status, as well as youth programs, those specific for woman, for the disabled, or those specific for aboriginals.
Example: As a member of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, I get great parks like free transit and admission to galleries/attractions. While many people may qualify, not everyone who qualifies knows about such services. Chris Johnson runs an amazing programs called Free Money University where he specifically shows you how to find and get accepted into these kinds of grants. Tell him Danish Ahmed from Ordinary Words sent you for further discounts/offers.
12. Browse charities, service organizations, and non-profits.
Sometimes these groups can have excess stock, or be willing to give us access to their resources if our work is consistent with their mission. These groups usually have people with great hearts who love to give, so as long as we can provide value to them, they will provide value to us.
Example: Because I love to travel, I found lots of youth and community development programs that allowed me to travel in exchange for my volunteering. There are literally thousands of groups like this...
13. Engage Churches and other local groups.
When people know you, they want to help you. Far more important than free stuff, is compassionate people willing to offer you advice, guidance, and resources to get anything you want. Today, there are lots of spiritual communities, new age clubs, and intentional families that offer similar value.
Example: Whenever I travel, I call networking groups in the city I’m visiting and offer to be a speaker and/or an out-of-town guest. They are usually excited to have me. What do I get out of it? Access to new people in a different market... and I have the ability to network with them in an intimate and trusted space.
14. Become a member of free services.
There are lots of new and innovative services on the Internet that offer tremendous value at no cost. Based on the product/service you want, think of organizations or services that may write reviews for that product/service, or offer free samples of the products/services you are looking for.
Example: Listia.com is an auctioning platform like e-Bay, except instead of using money, we get credits based on the free stuff we provide to others. Freecyle.org is a grassroots moment of people who are giving and getting stuff for free in their own towns. There are lots of free ad services like Kijiji and SwapCity.
15. Upgrade in That Free Thing.
That Free Thing grants us access to a web portal full of thousands of freebies -- with new freebies added every day. Instead of doing all the work above, allow a company to do all the work for us, and pool together the best free stuff into one place. Plus, there are Smart Phone applications (iPhone, Android, Blackberry) which give us instant notifications of freebies under our nose as we walk or travel!
Example: People have received everything from Dairy Queen ice cream to prescription eyeglasses worth hundreds of dollars. More interestingly, there’s a way to make money by sharing these freebies. If you’re already a TFT upgraded member, use this special report to build your organization by changing the end of the URL to your TFT ID.
BONUS! #16. The more we give, the more we get.
Have you heard “under-promise and over-deliver”? If we vibrate energy of giving, being conscious of our abundance and privilege of being generous with others, then others will be attracted to us and want to give to us. Everybody gives on some level already; the question is “can we give more than what you have already been giving?”
Example: If you’ve made it down this far in this special report, then chances are you received some value. Can you re-gift it? Can you share it? Can you take thirty seconds and post it on your Facebook wall? This can be your contribution in creating a world without money.
- Thomas Edison (1847-1931); inventor, businessman
Thank You & Your Re-Distribution Rights.
You are free to repost/blog/submit this special report through any distribution medium, as your own, with your own additions and changes, so long as you make mention of this original at (including all the characters after the question mark). You could also upgrade into That Free Thing and use your own TFT-User-Name as a method to monetize your efforts in contributing to the viral of this special report.
