Double Dipping - My Approach For Freebies

I like free stuff as much as the next person. However, I generally won't do something just to get free stuff - e.g. opening several accounts for the bonus money. I try to get free stuff for something that is a good deal and I was already planning to do. That way I expend very little extra effort to get the bonus.

Here are some recent examples of getting free stuff for activities I was already planning to do:

Opening new financial accounts - Opening separate accounts for My Wealth Builder resulted in $125 of bonuses for checking, savings, and credit cards. Opening a UTMA account for our daughter qualified us for a free IPod Nano.

Attending investment presentations - I have just started to look at investment property in lake, mountain or beach communities. Many of these have free dinners or discounted lodging. I just attended a presentation for a mountain community.

Also, several reputable financial advisors in my area offer no obligation free dinner seminars, in the hopes of attracting future clients. I attend the ones that are of interest to me.

Test driving a car - I enjoy test driving cars periodically, because I like cars and want to keep up with prices. Mazda is offering a $25 gift card for a test drive.

Shopping at Costco - I regularly shop at Costco. On weekends, they have free food samples throughout the afternoon. I get free snacks and Costco gets my discretionary spending:-)

One of the best sample deals I enjoyed was at an Italian grocery store. The were serving samples of wine and liquor. It was a free happy hour:-)

These are just a few examples of the double dipping for freebies since starting My Wealth Builder.

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This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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