Wednesday Freebies

Since today is Tax Day, I thought everyone would appreciate some ideas for freebies today.

Have something you want to get rid of? If it's something you either can't give to charity (because they won't take it), or something you can't sell (because of the nature of the item or the hassle of posting it for sale), then try offering it on Freecycle. It's free and there are groups specific for each region of the US, there are a few rules about postings being appropriate for all ages and some common sense regulations for the protection and safety of everyone using the site. It works like the free section of Craigslist, but since this site is specifically geared for all things being given away free, there is no "bait and switch" or upsell tactic here. All postings are free, so you can list for free then put up a notice that it was taken. Of course if you are looking for free stuff, you can also browse the listings to see if anyone is giving away anything you might want from CD cases to couches.

Another freebie that everyone should take advantage of every year is their Annual Credit Report. This used to be offered through the FTC.gov site but they are now working with this site and since there are MANY sites with very similar names which charge fees, make sure you go to this government sanctioned site for your report. You will know you are at the correct URL because this site DOES NOT ASK FOR YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER to get your free reports (unless you want to buy something else, like your FICO score); they verify you identity through questions about your current or past car payments, mortgage payments and addresses, because after all, only you know if you ever lived in Chicago and if your car payment is made out to Bank of America or GMAC. They will give you reports from the three big reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union, along with all the information on how to correct or dispute anything that shows up. You can get your report online or in the mail, and you are allowed one free report a year. The site has clear instructions on how to dispute items or correct information, and if you want to know your rights as a consumer the FTC site still has all the legalese.

It's a good idea to get a physical once a year, so get a credit check up once a year too; especially when it's free.