Six ways to get vegan freebies

Eloise Best provides six ways to get your hands on shiny new vegan products for free.

Being vegan can feel expensive at times, if you want to try out every new vegan product that’s released. Veganism doesn’t need to cost a lot, though, and there are loads of opportunities to get freebies. 

Don’t believe me? Since going vegan, I’ve received tons of free recipe sheets, two vegan T-shirts, a set of vegan coffee syrups, vegan cheese, vegan cleaning products, and even an entire vegan cake - all for free!

I’ve shared six ways you can get your hands on some freebies of your own below. Most of these tips don’t even require you to leave your home, so what are you waiting for?

Sign up for free information packs

There are loads of organisations that offer really helpful free information packs, full of resources to help you go and stay vegan. All you need to do is enter a few details, and you’ll be sent loads of useful recipes, tips and advice. A simple Google search for ‘free vegan starter kit’ brings up loads of results. Some resources are online, while others are physical copies you’ll be sent in the post. Online versions include The Vegan Society’s 30 Day Vegan Pledge and the vegan starter kit from Veganuary: both include meal plans, an accidentally vegan product list, a baking guide and tips for eating out.

Enter vegan competitions

Competitions are an excellent way to get your hands on something for nothing. If you’ve not had much luck in the past, you might be pleasantly surprised when you start entering competitions for vegan goodies. Since vegans make up 1% of the population, your odds of winning contests are vastly increased. 

Your chance of winning also goes up when you enter competitions that are run by a new/small company, involve several steps to enter, or require you to do something (like write a story, make up a caption, or answer a tricky question). Challenge yourself to enter at least one vegan competition every week: you’ll never win if you don’t try. The Vegan Society’s competitions page is a great place to start.

Go to vegan festivals

Vegan fairs and festivals are one of the best places to try out lots of free samples. Many events are free to enter, particularly if they’re small and locally-organised. Most stands will be full of free testers, and this is a great chance to try products out before spending money on them. Products like vegan cheese can divide opinion, so it’s really hard to know what to splash out on without trying it for yourself. Some events also give out free goodie bags, often to the first people through the doors, so it pays to arrive early.

Start a blog reviewing vegan products

Do you love trying new vegan products and sharing your thoughts on them? If so, consider starting a review blog. Once you’ve built up a following by providing useful reviews, you’ll find that companies start reaching out to offer you free samples in return for an honest review. 

You get to enjoy freebies, the company benefits from publicity on your blog, and your readers get to learn about a new product: it’s a win-win. Don’t be afraid to reach out to companies and offer to review their products. Most will be thrilled to have the opportunity, especially if they’re newly-launched.

Follow your favourite vegan brands on social media

Many brands run giveaways on their social media pages. These usually involve liking posts or following accounts, so are easier to enter than full competitions. Giveaways like this don’t usually run for long, so make sure you’re following all of your favourite brands to avoid missing out. There are sometimes to chances to enter multiple times, so make sure you read the details to maximise your chances.

Ask companies to contribute products to your event

Are you running a vegan event? Whether it’s a vegan cheese and wine night, a charity picnic or a vegan movie night, it’s worth contacting companies to ask if they’d be interested in contributing some of their products for your event. If you’re promoting the event online or in print, you could offer to display their company’s logo on your materials, giving them exposure in return for their contribution.

Try these tips for getting vegan freebies while supporting your favourite vegan brands and organizations today. Who doesn’t love free stuff?

By Eloise Best

Eloise Best is a vegan freelance writer based in the UK. 

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