You can find thousands of free makeup and beauty tutorials on YouTube, but the problem is that most of these beauty professionals use a myriad of pricey beauty products.

Yes, you want to look your best, but you also don’t want to spend a large portion of your budget on vanity. Here are six ways to get beauty samples and products for free or super cheap.

Ask for Them In-Store

Many stores that have rows of beauty counters, such as Macy’s and Dillards, have many beauty samples for interested shoppers. Other stores like Ulta, MAC, Sephora, and Bare Minerals might also have free samples when a new product launches.

Tell an employee that you are interested in trying a product but wanted to test out a sample first. They might be able to set you up with a small trial item.

Follow Beauty Company Websites and Social Media Pages

Free beauty samples are not always available, but check your favorite brands’ websites and social media pages every so often for offers. You are more likely to score a free sample when a company launches a new product.

Here are a few places to keep bookmarked:

• Garnier
• L’Oreal Paris

Contact Makeup Companies

Send a nice email or letter to a company praising their products, and you might receive coupons or samples. Be sure to let them know that you would love to try out more of their products. Many companies also have phone numbers that might be worth contacting. Here’s how Jim used the Flattery Project to score a few free samples.

Get Free Samples with a Purchase

Many times your makeup and beauty orders will trigger free samples. Sephora, Ulta, and Macy’s all give out two to four free samples with each beauty purchase.

Look for specialized offers that give out deluxe samples with a certain purchase. For example, this $37.50 Elizabeth Arden purchase at Macy’s triggers this free sample bag.

Become a Sephora Beauty Insider

Sephora Beauty Insiders receive free samples periodically, especially on their birthday month.

Sign Up for Affordable Beauty Boxes

You can try your first BirchBox for $1 with coupon code DOLLARBOX.

You can choose your trial kit from Dollar Shave Club for $5.

Your first Macy’s subscription beauty box comes with a $10 off coupon, making the $15 cost worth it.

Walmart offers a Beauty Box for a $5 flat fee.

Target also has a Beauty Box for $7.

Other Ways to Save on Makeup and Beauty

Know the Return Policy

Stores like Clinique and Sephora have a generous return policy on products, even after they have been used. It is a good idea to know what you can and cannot return before purchasing a new product, because sometimes a certain item can clash with your skin. If you can return a used beauty product if the color is wrong or if you have a reaction, you will save money in the long run.

Save with Beauty Boxes

If you aren’t a brand loyalist, you can save through beauty subscription boxes like Ipsy and Boxycharm. Ipsy offers three monthly subscriptions. For $10 a month, you will receive $50 worth of products. For $25 a month for the Glam Plus subscription, you will receive $120 worth of products. Finally, you can receive both of the above choices for $35 a month, and receive products and deluxe samples worth $170.

Similarly, Boxycharm costs $21 a month for 5-6 full-size beauty products worth over $100. Allure’s Beauty Box is $10 for $82 worth of full-sized products, and you know exactly what you get before you buy.

Between these two subscription boxes, you are bound to get products you won’t use, but also ones that you love. Get a $40-50 product you love each month, and you will save $15-29 on your beauty expenses each month.

If your friends also receive monthly subscriptions, you can trade products to make your budget go even further. You can also swap your items with people online through this subscription box swap site.

Use Coupons

Stores like Ulta, Target, and Walmart frequently have deals on popular makeup brands that can be stacked with coupon savings. You will save the most money by stacking a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon. Sometimes you can also stack these coupons on top of a gift card deal, like buy 2 Suave products, receive a $5 Target gift card, or submit your receipt to Shopkick for cashback.

The post How to Get Free and Cheap Beauty Samples appeared first on Best Wallet Hacks.

Are you starting your family or adding some cuteness to your current household?

Congratulations!

After having my third baby girl last year, I can say for certain that babies are expensive. While I think they are worth every penny, I still try to save as much money as possible on diapers, wipes, and formula.

One saving strategy I rely on is requesting and using free baby samples.

Not all baby samples are truly free – some ave shipping charges or require you to sign up for a membership, so be aware of that. However, even with a shipping charge, your freebie can save you more than if you were to buy a similar product in the store.

My favorite 100% free samples come from registry goodie bags and formula companies.

Here are 30 great baby and mom freebies to check out:

8 Free Formula Samples

• Similac: Similac’s StrongMoms Rewards program sends you a free formula starting kit when your baby is born and $5-10 formula checks each month, which can be used like coupons at most stores.
• Gerber: Gerber usually gives out free formula samples and coupons, but if you don’t receive a free gift from signing up on their website, try calling their customer service line to request free samples: 1 (800) 284-9488.
• Enfamil: Sign up for $400 worth of free items with Enfamil’s welcome gift. This box comes with formula samples and coupons.
• Enfagrow: Receive a free 10-ounce can of toddler formula.
• Nature’s One: This is the formula I used for my second and third babies and loved it. You can request a free sample can to try it.
• Parents Choice Formula: Sign up for a free $8 can of baby formula.
• Nestle Formula: If you are in Canada, you can request a free formula sample from Nestle.
• Any Brand of Formula: You can request a free coupon to try any brand of formula for free. This coupon might not cover the full cost of more expensive brands.

7 Free Baby Accessories

• Free Baby Essentials from The Baby Box Co: Once you sign up for a free Baby Box Co. account, you can earn free rewards like onesies and burp cloths after completing free online parenting classes.
• Free Noobie Box with $6.95 Shipping: The Noobie Box is filled with great samples for pregnant and new moms. The current freebie box contains samples of: Aquaphor baby ointment, Chicco pacifist, Cuties set of 5 diapers, Lansinoh breastfeeding set (nursing pads, milk storage bags and lanolin), UpSpring Milkflow Powder drink mix, WaterWipes baby wipes, and more.
• Free Baby Sling with $12.99 Shipping: Use coupon code MYBABYSLING to make any Seven baby sling $40 and under free.
• Free Nursing Pillow with $14.99 Shipping: Use coupon code LOVEIT40 to get a printed nursing pillow for free.
• Free Nursing Cover with $14.99 Shipping: Use coupon code TRYUDDER to get a cotton nursing cover for free.
• Free Baby Shoes with $14.99 Shipping: Get two free $29.95 pairs of baby shoes and/or moccasins with coupon code. FREEWANDER.
• Free Ruffle Diaper Covers with $14.99 Shipping: Get 3 ruffle diaper covers for free with coupon code FREERB.

6 Free Registry Goodie Bags

• BuyBuy Baby Registry Bag: Includes several samples and coupons. You must register in-store.
• Amazon: I received a full-sized bottle and several samples in my welcome box for completing a registry last year and used both my Amazon coupons to buy baby items.
• Target: My Target registry goodie bag came with samples, a Shutterfly coupon and a free Starbucks drink coupon. It also comes with higher value Target coupons that are not easy to find, such as $3 off the Cloud 9 line.
• Walmart: Walmart’s baby registry comes with a box of free samples.
• Babylist: Create a registry online and earn a free box of baby samples.
• Motherhood Maternity: You don’t have to register at Motherhood Maternity, but expecting moms can receive a bag full of samples and coupons.

4 Free Diapers and Wipes Samples

• Honest Company: Try Honest diapers for free with a sample kit that includes 5 free diapers and 10 free wipes. There is a $5.95 shipping fee, and you will have to cancel your subscription if you don’t want to be charged for more diapers. Right now, the free sample is unavailable, but check back often, since they usually do offer sample kits.
• Dyper: Receive 3 free eco-friendly diapers with $4 shipping.
• Earth Baby Compostable Diapers: If you live in the San Francisco area, you can receive a free sample of Earth Baby’s compostable diapers. Individuals who live in an area that isn’t covered will not be fulfilled.
• Eco by Naty: Receive a trial box of 10 diapers with a shipping fee. The company is based in Sweden, so shipping a sample to the U.S. might vary.

3 Free Baby Activities

• Free Gymboree Class: Gymboree’s Play and Music classes are available for babies and toddlers. You might need to call the location closest to you to request a free class.
• Free Story Time: Barnes and Noble offers weekly free story hours that allow little ones to enjoy songs, books, and coloring. I started taking my first daughter to these storytimes at 15 months, and she loved it.
• Free Baby Song Download: Get a cute song download from Music Together.

2 Free Baby Books and Magazines

• Imagination Library: Sign up to receive a free quality, age-appropriate book each month for your little one from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
• Working Mother Magazine: Free two-year digital subscription to Working Mother Magazine through Mercury Magazines.

If you are still looking for ways to save the most money possible on your new bundle of joy, check out these nine ways expecting families can reduce their costs.

Spoiler alert: you don’t actually need that much baby gear to start off with.

The post 30+ Baby Freebies for New and Expecting Parents appeared first on Best Wallet Hacks.