Free Floundering

You don't find much free stuff anymore.? Oh yeah, the word free is plastered all over the place these days...with an asterisk next to it.? What does that little inkblot mean?? NOT free.? There's a price for free these days.? "Get a free?iPod!" ...after you join about a bajillion newsletters and of-the-month clubs. Free stuff sites abound, but I found that they're usually just a niched search engine report with TONS of Google advertising.

Hey, I'm all for free.? But refdesk defines free as "Costing nothing; gratuitous."? I'm diggin' here, guys - no luck yet.? Let's check "Free Stuff for Teachers."? After I scroll past two sets of Google ads and the same "Order these Free samples!" (I thought you only ordered? things that you were paying for....hmm - first clue you're getting had) ad that's on every single page, I find a list of a whopping?eight articles.? I stop after I scan the first four.? Great ideas about how using free stuff can help teachers, students, the economy, hey, the whole world.? There's a vital piece missing though: where is all this free stuff???? Oh, yeah, well, you have to go find it yourself.

Wait, this is just a site with a bunch of adverticles, but no actual free stuff?

What a waste of time.

Okay, that's a bust.? Let's move on to "Free Stuff for Babies."? Those little darlings are expensive.? Mama could use some baby freebies.? Let's see, here...This looks promising: "New Parents Will Receive $500 in Baby Supplies For Free."? Cool!? Ah, wait... "Enter your email to see if this offer is available in your area."? Since when do you track your area with your e-mail?? Second clue.

I like to think I'm a fair person.? I'll give it?one more shot.? "Free Food Stuff."? Can't go wrong with free food.? Open the page and discover "Free Food and Candy" - now you're talkin'!? Well, hot dog!? I found something!? I've actually done this one, so I know it's free:? Kraft Food and Family Magazine and Calendar.? Register with the site so you can get all kinds of recipes online (you get an optional e-mail newsletter once a month, I think), and they send you a magazine chock-full of recipes every other month and a calendar with a new recipe for every month.

So, is it worth it to trudge through the adverticles for it?? Nah, just go to Kraft.com?and save yourself a bunch of time.

And check back here from time to time.? I'll list really free stuff that you can get and?where to get it.