I'd rather be heard...

Thursday, February 8, 2007

A Little Help For The Independent

Sometimes I wonder how it is that twentysomethings and single parents can survive on a small salary, especially at minimum wage. After recently reading an article about a woman in her fifties that was laid off and now moonlights at 3 jobs my eyes have been opened to a few oportunities that not everyone may know about. This woman, without giving specifics, told how she searches out freebies and only purchases what is absolutely neccessary. This instigated my decision to seek out such services. She proclaimed that she hadn't paid for toothpaste, shampoo, or perfume in years. I wondered how this could be done untill I came across a website that is a blessing for every deal searcher in existance. The website is aptly called DealTaker. It is a collection of member-gathered coupons, sales, and freebies. I love browsing the forums to read about the latest find. I've already attacked the Freebie section head on and started receiving some of my samples. Most of the links are to name brand websites we are all familiar with and I didn't feel nervous about entering my address. There are links to websites of products I already use or have been wanting to try and they offer free samples and coupons with no strings. I've already received free address labels, Aquafresh toothpaste, and a giftcard from the American Gem Society. I'm anxious to see what else comes. I've already signed up for free shampoo, perfume, soap, and cleaning samples. They also have coupons for several dollars off and free products as well as coupons for online stores that I usually purchase from. I now know that while many can afford to choose what shampoos they like and what toothpaste they prefer, for those that are really on a budget these things seem trivial. What they don't spend because of these helpful sites can aid in stretching out their paychecks to cover rent which has skyrocketed in most larger cities. This can truely be the deciding factor of whether or not a person can continue to survive independently in this time.