Free: Some Friendly Advice

As hard as we try, some spam "free samples" surely get through the cracks. So here's nothing more than my two cents.

1. Create a separate email account purely devoted to receiving free samples. It needs to be an account that you can access (since some samples require email confirmation), but also be an account that if it did fill with spam, you wouldn't be heartbroken.

2. Give out your phone number sparingly. If you trust the site and are longing for the sample, then whatever. But if a site looks suspicious, don't list your number--it's not worth it. I learned that the hard way. :)

3. If the product being offered isn't something you're interested in, don't request it. It seems like this would go without saying, but if you're like me, sometimes the thought of "free" is just so irresistible. However, when I received my free book in the mail this week from Gospel for Asia instructing me on how to support evangelical missionaries, reality set in. And now I'm going to have to give it to Goodwill because I feel too guilty to throw it away. All because I was just too greedy!