6 Simple Ways to Score Free Stuff

You know the saying: One man's trash is another man's treasure.

That's especially true on swap sites. Jeff Yeager, the author of "The Cheapskate Next Door," likes Freecycle.org, which lists free items in your area. "It's a good source for building and landscaping materials since people have leftover supplies from home improvement projects," he says. Craigslist is another option. There's a tab for free stuff in the "for sale" section.

Swapping stuff like clothes, shoes, accessories and even DVDs is also catching on. Swapstyle.com, a free fashion swap site, has more than 47,000 members. You can also swap books, movies and other items at Swap.com.

Rebates, once widespread for high-tech devices, are still available. On FatWallet.com, click on the Hot Deals tab on the Forums page for the best free-after-rebate offers.

"Members rate the posts on Fatwallet's forums and verify the legitimacy of the offers," says Shelton. "Consumers help each other out."

The key to success is exactly following rebate directions. "That way, it's smooth," he says. Otherwise, you could be rejected.

Freenology.com, which gets updated several times daily, also lists items such as antivirus software that are free after rebate. The site links to other free stuff besides rebates, including coupons, contests and deals.

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