10 Tips for Living Cheap in College | A Guide to Freebs

Good morning class! Today I’d like to give you some tips on how to get anything for free at college. If you are a frequent reader you will know how much my friends and I value FREEBS (anything that is free to the public like pens, candy, tee shirts, etc). There are so many events on campus that give out said freebs, my friends and I have become professional at obtaining the loot and I’d like to share some tips.

1. Look at flyer boards. They will tell you everything you need to know. Where an event is, what time, what food will be there. Raid the flyer board for free events.

2. If you go to BYU, the Tanner Building has the best freebs. My guess is because they are a business college so all the rich business men donate. Just last week I went to a business event where they served Papa John’s pizza! That is high up on the free pizza scale, colleges like science usually only serve Little Caesars.

3. Ward events. Stake events. Church anything. There is bound to be free food. While looking at a flyers board I noticed a flyer for a stake that was having a party at an ice skating rink. Free ice skating, free hot chocolate, free soup, free cookies. You know I’ll be going to that stake party!

4. Career Fairs. Companies just love to give you things with their logo on it. The trick is to first get a bag, companies hand them out all the time. Next you take your swag bag and go trick or treat around the fair. Don’t be greedy, only take one piece of candy from a booth. And one pen. And maybe a t-shirt, water bottle, key ring, compass, flashlight, sunglasses, etc. Be friendly, you need to act like you’re a little interested just to soften the blow of taking the freebs. At the BYU career fair I got all of the above mentioned AND an iphone case, 10 gift card, free socks, stress ball, back scratcher, shoe horn, and 3 king sized candy bars. It was a good day in the freebs department.

5. Travel in small packs. Don’t draw attention to yourself, you want to be unseen for the most part.

6. Hit up Sample Saturday. We like to go to Costco every Saturday because the samples are amazing! You can get a whole meal practicably. Just wait your turn and be polite, there is nothing worse than someone cutting you off for your sample of a hot and spicy tyson chicken wing. (you know who you are)

7. Most people don’t get what they want because they’re too afraid to ask. Sometimes you need to be bold. Ask if you can have a sample of that new makeup product or ice cream flavor. Be bold = get gold!

8. Write letters to companies. I love Skinny Cow ice cream (I’m convinced it comes from the heavens) so I wrote them an email to show my appreciation and what did I get? A coupon for a FREE skinny cow product. Booyah! Write to all your favorite companies expressing your love, they will appreciate it and maybe give you a little somethin’ somethin’.

9. Dates. Not only do dates buy you food, but going on freeb dates tend to be a blast! Some of my favorite dates have costed absolutely nothing. Nada. Zero. We’ve just gone to events that campus puts on like First Fridays at the Museum of Art. Every first Friday of the month they have a party celebrating a new exhibit and you can bet there will be mocktails. One time my friend Jared and I went to 4 different events in one week that all served mocktails. It was a blast!

10. Sundance Film Festival. This is a whole post in its own. It is amazing.

I know I have a million more freebs tips but my mind is blanking right now! Yesterday I went to the Housing Fair where I made bank. No really, I made 31 dollars in one of those cash boxes where the money just flies around you frantically. After an hour of working the housing fair with my roomies, I came home with a crepe, ice cream, survival kit, t shirt, 3 candy bars, a cookie, a cake bite, a tootsie pop, softlips chapstick, a spa gift certificate, a pen, a bag, and 31 dollars in cash. 

Oh how I love Freebs

Guys I’m telling you, living cheap in college is not that hard. You just need to be creative! Gentleman you no longer have an excuse for not taking girls out on dates because you are poor. I love my cheap dates! So go out, explore your campus, tell me about the freebs you find, and stay tuned for more freeb tips.

Much love,

Lena