Kid's Clubs

My last post was about joining clubs to receive freebies and information relevant to what you are interested in. This one is similar but dedicated to children. I know many of my readers are parents (I know this as most are my family and friends in the USA) so I thought I’d give you tips about getting stuff free for your kids.

I have joined my two girls up to many kid's clubs over the years. Some have been online memberships only (access to fun sites and games) and others have been memberships to certain stores or eateries. But all have been free and allow my kids to receive or do fun stuff.

Just last week I signed them up for the Video Ezy kids club and they each received a coupon for a free new release video (valued at $8). It didn’t cost me anything and only took a few minutes of my time. Now they will “get awesome offers every time you come to Video Ezy.” There is even a secret code to access a Kids’ Club page on the Video Ezy website “for loads of cool stuff including competitions, new movies and gossip about your favourite movie stars!”

Wow! Isn’t the internet incredible? All this free stuff and entertainment only a click away. I wish I had this cool tool when I was a kid. However, there is almost too much to choose from these days. My kids are members of so many internet sites that they can’t possible visit them all in one sitting. They usually have a look and a play on a website when they first sign up and then forget about it for a while – at least until they receive an email from the site wishing them a happy birthday or reminding them about a competition.

Other clubs they are members of allow them free meals or snacks, birthday gifts, discounts, competition entries, free products, free downloads, online games, and the list goes on. It’s a great time to be a kid!

Here’s a list of some of the clubs my kids are members of and (where applicable) a shortcut to the site so you can sign your kids up as well. I make sure the websites are appropriate for my children’s age and keep an eye on them when they are online.

1. Westfield – kids get a free gift for their birthday (this year it is a child’s movie ticket)
2. Spotlight – kids get an introductory package which includes pencils, a colouring book, stickers, and craft tips
3. Agent Ani – environmental website with “agent” assignments for the kids to complete to earn points for freebies and competitions (membership is open worldwide)
4. Cookie Bear Club – online “clubhouse” with lots of fun activities and competitions
5. WhatNow – TV2 program site with lots of interesting things and competitions
6. Valentines – kids eat free with an adult and competitions
7. Denny’s – kids eat free with a paying adult
8. Nick TV – online site for the Nickelodeon TV channel with interesting stuff and competitions
9. Texta Kids Club – get a free gift when you join and lots of creative ideas
10. Raxi Maxi Kids Club – This “Gardening Mates Club” is for children who are interested in growing things

This is just a few of the many clubs that kids can join. Most child-friendly websites have some sort of club for kids. Looking at my daughters’ list of Favourites on Internet Explorer I see Disney, Barbie, Yu-Gi-Oh, Neopets, Trollz, Cocopops, Treehouse Fun, Funky Friends, Noodolbot, Tamatown, Winx Club, That’s the Story, Holly Hobbie, Runescape, and Polly Pocket.

That’s just a handful of the many different clubs that kids can join. So the next time your child is Bored or wants something for free, just sign them up for a kid’s club. It won’t cost you anything and the benefits are unbelievable!

Free Clubs and Newsletters

Along with entering competitions I have become addicted to joining free clubs and newsletters. Many of the comps I enter require you to subscribe to their email newsletter or have an option to tick whether you want to join.

I find many of these newsletters quite useful for letting me know about upcoming events and sales. I even receive the odd discount or freebie through them.

Most times I join a club that interests me or offers something free for joining. It doesn’t take much of my time to join – simply filling out a form – and since it is free I’ve got nothing to lose.

Some of the benefits I’ve received from being in a club or joining a newsletter list are:

1. Birthday gifts or discounts
2. Free sample products, such as coffee or snacks
3. Discount coupons
4. Everyday VIP discounts when I show my membership card
5. Special events like member’s only nights or first option to purchase products
6. Competitions
7. Earning free products

I have joined many clubs over the years and I still enjoy benefits from most of them. Those that I lost interest in, or didn’t receive the benefits I wanted, I simply opted out. That can be as easy as an email or phone call to cancel the membership.

The free clubs I am currently enjoying benefits from are:

• Foodtown OneCard
• Whitcoulls
• ITM Priority Card
• The Film Squad
• Spotlight VIP Club
• Doubleday Book Club VIP
• Kidspot
• Whiskas
• The Craft Depot
• OurFreeStuff
• View Auckland
• Mitre 10

If you have particular interests try searching the web to find a club to join. You may find VIP memberships at many of the places you regularly shop. If not, try asking the manager if there is a newsletter to keep you up to date.

New clubs spring up all the time so keep your eyes open and let me know what you find.

Freebies

There are many ways to get things for free. No, I’m not talking about stealing! I mean getting products for nothing, zip, nada, zero. Freebies come in many shapes and sizes – samples, free trials, cash-back, borrowing, giveaways, vouchers, and of course prizes (I mentioned competitions in my last post).

Stay tuned to my blog for tips and stories about getting things for nothing. As the saying goes . . . the best things in life are free . . . and I can show you how true that is!

I sign-up for many different website newsletters so that I can be informed of discounts, freebies, and competitions as well as things of interest – like kid’s school holiday programmes. There are hundreds of thousands of freebies and competitions available online, but only a few are relevant for New Zealand. Being a member of these sites takes the work out of trying to find new comps and wade through the huge lists which appear when using a search engine.

Generally it is free to sign up for a newsletter or online clubs. It is usually very easy to unsubscribe to them as well if you don’t want any more contact with the company. Simply send an email or change your preferences on their website – check the bottom of their email newsletter for details. Just make sure you do it after you receive your freebie, sample or the end of a competition!

I have listed some freebie websites on my blog (to the right) and I will continue to update that link area as I find more sites of interest. Most of the sites listed are New Zealand or Australian, but many times you can find a counterpart for your country. It may be as simple as changing the end of the URL from NZ to COM.

If you come across any more sites of interest for me and my readers let me know in a comment or email. Thanks!