Taking Frugal Freebies on the Road - For Free!

Stock photo by jvelcro
When I was posting about the free Bob Evans breakfast this morning - I thought, I should sign up and we could use the coupon on our trip to Florida this winter. Unfortunately when the coupon arrived in my email, it expires on September 16th, so that wouldn't work.

Then I thought - I should start saving all the US coupons I have been finding for free stuff in the US to take with us!

So I posted about this idea on the Frugal Freebies forum today - and we started brainstorming - and I thought I would share that conversation with you and you can see where this idea began - of taking Frugal Freebies on a road-trip to Florida for free!

Some great ideas were posted, and I hope that some of you will use these ideas for your traveling too. I really loved the idea of getting paid to drive an RV to Florida - but after checking into it, I don't think it would be appropriate with two dogs along. But what a great idea! We will just have to come up with something else.

So we have a few months to plan - share your ideas, help us met this challenge!

I posted:
FREEBIE IDEA! We are thinking of driving from Ontario to Florida this winter - I told my husband we should print off a bunch of US freebie coupons and go freebie shopping & free meals in restaurants all the way to Florida & back! LOL

Susan Roshau: Sounds like something I would do.

Charlene Ann Sieffert: ‎& make a movie of it & send it to OPRAH she would love such an adventure!!!!

Stephanie Ebeling Miesmer: At every rest stop there are these mags that have a tone of deals in them! we just did that trip From Windsor Ontario to Fort Myers beach and we had a blast even thought our a/c died half way down!

Frugal Freebies: ‎@Charleen - I love the idea of making a movie! :D And if Oprah was interested that would be amazing! LOL

Rhonda Windsor Morris: and don't forget to get coupons from restaurants.com for the different areas

Karen Doucet: geez that would be amazing..altho everyone I know who went last winter were not impressed with the weather...but just NOT having snow would please me LOL

Netty Beason: sounds like a good challenge..go for it!

Heather Phillips: Go to the Groupon websites and see what groupons you can use on your journey.

Charlene Ann Sieffert: it's her (Oprah's) last season - who knows???

Kathy Rodgers Evans: Sounds Fun!!!! Not to mention the amount of money you could save!

Frugal Freebies: All we would need then would be places to spend the night for free - stopping to visit one friend in NC and staying with family in Florida. And maybe some free gas coupons! LOL Do you think we could make the trip almost free? What an adventure that would be!

Susan Fox: Brilliant notion! I must remember to collect CDN freebies for an Ontario trip I want to make later in the year too, thanks for the idea.

Sarah Owen: sounds like fun!! that would be interesting to see just how many restaurants, hotels, gas stations etc have coupons or special deals .. if you come back saying you spent nothing i would be so jealous! hahaha

Charlene Ann Sieffert: why not? write ahead to radio stations and tell them your idea in each state... and mention that you are CRAZY CANUCKS all americans think canadians are NUTS lmao

Frugal Freebies: If we could did it for nothing - my husband would be seriously impressed!! :D

Heather Phillips: Groupon has things for hotels, restaurants and attractions in larger cities in the US

Frugal Freebies: Great idea Charleen - I wonder if I could really pull this off?? :D

Violet Smith: I thought of doing the same thing, but wasn't sure where to start.

Tanya Beckel Redfield: Check with some VALID mystery shopping companies to see if they need anything done in the areas you are going. But never, ever pay to do mystery shopping. Real companies pay YOU. You'll generally have to pay up front, and you'd have to have internet access to fill out the forms the same day, but you can get reimbursed and sometimes even paid a little extra to eat out, stay in hotels, etc...

Krista Cromwell: LOL, I am married to one!! a crazy canuck that is!! We live in Florida, we enjoyed the winter weather this year, it was a little cooler than usual!

Violet Smith: For the Gas Stations there, you have to pay in advance or put on Credit Card at the pump. Found this frustrating at times

Frugal Freebies: ‎@Violet - I agree - it seems a bit overwhelming to think about! It would definitely put my organizational skills to the test! But I could post each day where we are - and how much we spend and you could all follow me on our travels virtually!

Violet Smith: Use a lot of your miles points etc to get free nights at hotels.

Charlene Ann Sieffert: Hey F.F. - all radio stations have EMAIL lol why not? I won once to go on a talk show ALL EXPENSES paid!!!! Limo, penthouse and MORE!!!

Tanya Beckel Redfield: Of course, if you do all this it's going to be a lot more like a JOB instead of a vacation. Although there is a huge satisfaction in getting things for free. :)

Krista Cromwell: We drove from florida to canada straight through a few years ago, with four children and a dog. We had a lot of fun!!

Frugal Freebies: ‎@Violet - do you mean Air Miles? Good idea!

Tanya Beckel Redfield: Oh, also check with RV companies...sometimes they will pay people to move RV's from one spot to another. The only downfall is you can't actually USE the RV, but you'd have free transportation. Maybe they'd pay to fly you back home.

Ashley Howard: I'm an American dating a Canuck maybe i should use the same idea if i drive out to see him lol

Frugal Freebies: ‎@Tanya - wow, I love that idea! My SIL does that here in Canada - I will ask her more about that.

Violet Smith: Air Mile, Aeroplan, Hotel points collected for being a memeber and staying any and all I went to Long Island last year and got a free weekend using points

Heather Phillips: Look up LIVE OFF GROUPON on Facebook. This guy is going across the US with no cash, just groupons. He has been alot of interesting places. Hes had to trade a few groupons for services but for the most part, thats all he has lived on the last few months. I would love to be able to do this for a year! He is always posting about food places and attractions each place he visits.

Frugal Freebies: So many good ideas everyone!! Keep them coming! We will be traveling with my son and two dogs.
@Tanya - Yes, it would be more like a job, you are right. But then I don't vacation very well, so having something exciting to work on works for me! LOL And I love FREE! :D
Guess it's time to work on a press release! ;)

Diana Lynch: I did it when I went to NY.. and it worked beautifully!! We only spent $40 bucks on food for a week!! Also.. make sure to book hotels with free breakfast (and stock up on a few snacks for the road!!)

Cynthia Richardson: good idea

Diana Lynch: Also.. hit up a few key stops and find free and cheap things to do for entertainment.. we did a one week trip from Northwest FL--> to DC--> to NY --> to Lancaster, PA --> to Hershey PA --> to Dayton OH --> to Chattanooga TN --> and back to FL for $600 (Gas, hotels, food, and entertainment for ONE WEEK for 3 people!

- This was posted by Catherine on September 2, 2010 -

Category: travel, travel for free