Freebie Roundup: $7 in Amazon MP3s, 8x10 photo, Eucerin lotion

Get up to $7 in free music from Amazon.com

Click here and share a post on your Facebook wall and receive a $2 MP3 credit to your Amazon account

Note: this gives Amazon permission to access your Facebook data, so you may want to use (or create) an account without personal information attached.

Fine print: Upon successful completion of the Share & Claim action, a $2 Amazon MP3 credit will be automatically applied to your Amazon account. Promotional credits must be redeemed by 11:59 p.m. PST on November 30, 2012. Amazon MP3 music is available to customers located and with billing addresses in the United States. You must have an Amazon.com account and accept the Amazon MP3 Service Terms of Use to redeem your credit. Limit one promotional credit per customer.

Get a $5 Amazon MP3 credit when you join Scott Shared Values for free, or if you are already a member. Credit expires January 31, 2013

https://www.scottbrand.com/offer/amazon

Free 8×10 photo print at Walgreens

Go to walgreens.com and make an 8×10 print and enter coupon code: TRULYFREE at checkout. Select in store pickup to make it free -Expires Saturday, October 20.

 

Free Cepacol Throat Lozenge Sample

http://www.cepacol.com/free_sample_form.php

Free Eucerin Professional Repair Lotion Sample

http://www.eucerinus.com/products/repair/eucerin-professional-repair-extremely-dry-skin-lotion.html?freeSample=true

Free Eucerin Smoothing Repair Dry Skin Lotion Sample

http://m.eucerinus.com/pledge/index

*Some of the links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here

Freebies in the mail: late August & September

I may have a taken a short break from blogging, but the freebies didn’t stop hitting my mailbox while I was gone. Here are some of the goodies I have received since my last report.

Late August

Woolite Extra Dark Care

Dark and Lovely Anti Reversion Cream Serum

CVS brand travel size sunscreen

September

Another Woolite Extra Dark Care

Bio-true Multi-Purpose Contact Lens Solution

Opti-free Pure Moist Contact Lens Solution—this came from CVS, but I don’t remember signing up for it. I think sometimes they send unsolicited free samples based on past purchases.

Shout Color Catcher

$2 check from Newcastle Brown Ale

$2 rebate check for Lysol Dual Action Wipes

$10 American Express Gift card

My first award redemption—three one-way flights for $7.50

So, I took my first award flight a few months ago. The plan was to fly to Philadelphia (to visit family). I wanted to fly out on Saturday and return home on Tuesday.

I signed up for the AAdvantage credit card in January and was awarded 50,000 miles for spending $3,000 in four months (I did already have a few thousand miles in my account before getting the credit card).

A domestic award ticket in coach on American Airlines is 25,000 miles. Many miles junkies would say that’s not exactly the best use of miles, but that didn’t matter to me. Anyhow, fortunately I didn’t have to use quite that many miles as you will see.

Maybe you remember American’s stopover policy  I previously posted about. I most certainly took advantage (haha) of it since I was planning an international trip this fall (I’ll be posting more on my first European vacation soon).

Here’s how I booked my flights:

Booked one-way flight to PHL (in July) for 12,500 miles and $2.50

Booked a “multi-city” flight from PHL to DFW (in July) and DFW to MAD (in October) for 30,000 miles and $5 ($2.50 per leg).

A couple months later, I booked a one-way return trip to DFW from LHR (in October) for 20,000 miles (more on that soon).

The one caveat is that typically a DFW to MAD award flight in coach after October 15 is 20,000 miles since that date is considered off-peak. However, my trip originated during peak travel time so I had to pay 30,000 miles.

Still, I came out slightly ahead, considering two trips (one domestic, one international) booked separately would have been 65,000 miles. (25,000+40,000) Instead, my two trips came out to 62,500 miles (12,500+30,000+20,000), for a savings of 2,500 miles.

Contrary to popular belief that it’s hard to find availability on award flights, I had no trouble getting direct flights on my dates. I wasn’t too picky about time of the day, so that enabled me to take any available flight. I booked about a month before my trip to PHL (four months before my trip to MAD).

I’m still learning this points and miles stuff, but I’m pleased that basically I got three one-way flights for $7.50 (one of them being an international flight, at that!) Now that’s cheap travel!

Here are a few pics from my short trip to the Philadelphia area.

1,000 Southwest Rapid Reward points—for new enrollments

 

Southwest has a new enrollment promotion that gives Texas Rangers fans new members 500 Bonus Points for enrolling in Rapid Rewards. Opt in to receive both Rapid Rewards e-mail communications (Rapid Rewards Report e-mail summary and The Rapid Rewards E-mail Update), stay subscribed for at least three months, and then 500 Bonus Points will be deposited automatically into your account. Points don’t expire as long as you have flight or partner earning activity every 24 months.

The previous new enrollment offer was for 750 points (250 for enrolling, 500 for email communications).

Southwest's Rapid Rewards program is points-based. You can make the most of your points redemption by selecting a low-priced Wanna Get Away fare (60 points=$1), therefore a $100 would cost 6,000 points. This means there is great value in booking an award flight while Southwest is having a sale or if you are traveling a short (cheap) distance. Of course, Southwest destinations are pretty much limited to domestic travel at this time, but that may change soon.

Click here to check out my ongoing list of free and easy frequent flyer mile offers from all airlines.

I'm back...earn free night with new Club Carlson promo

Well, I'm back from my hiatus. I thought I'd jump right back in with a promo I recently registered for, though not sure if I will take advantage or not.

Radission 1 For 1 promo

The first 50,000 Club Carlson members to register for the Radisson 1 for 1 promotion will be eligible for a Free Night Award at any Radisson or Radisson Blu hotel in the U.S., Canada or Caribbean.

Promo details are as follows:

• Book a qualifying stay online at www.radisson.com or www.clubcarlson.com at any Radisson Blu or Radisson hotel in the US, Canada or Caribbean between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31, 2012.
• Complete your qualifying stay between Oct. 1, 2012 and Dec. 31, 2012.
• When you are ready to book your Free Night Award, log in to your Club Carlson account and then search for your desired location and date. Select the 0 Point rate option in the Gold Points column and click “Book Now.”
• The Free Night Award will be available through your Club Carlson account and will be valid for online reservations at Radisson Blu and Radisson hotels in the U.S., Canada and Caribbean through Dec. 31, 2013.

 Stay More Nights promo

The 1 For 1 promo can be stacked with the Stay More Nights promo, which awards bonus points for every night stayed between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31.


Complete the registration form to earn:

• 2,000 bonus points per night when you stay one to five nights
• 4,000 bonus points per night when you stay six to nine nights
• 6,000 bonus points per night when you stay 10 to 20 nights

Your total award will be calculated and credited to your account early in January 2013.

The 1 For 1 promotion is not nearly as lucrative as the 150,000 points I got from mattress runs over the summer. I most likely won't have a need for a hotel stay between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, though if I can find a good rate, I'll do a mattress run. During the summer promotion, I paid about $75 for my night at the Radisson. Current rates at my local Radisson are almost $100, which is too much for me. The other drawback is that the free night can only be used in the U.S., Canada or Caribbean. The previous promo allowed for worldwide redemption.

Still, it can be a pretty good deal if you can book a sub-$100 rate, then use your free night at a place like the Radisson Blu Aqua in Chicago, where rooms go for $250 to $300 per night.