If you follow any coupon blog you will find the over excitement about getting travel size for free. I know what you’re thinking, it’s a travel size one travel shampoo on my long, thick hair is one use. But wait there is something sane to the madness. Sure you can get a lot of the travel sizes for free, (most coupons are for $1 off and most travel sizes are $.97) but these little products come in super handy not to mention the minis are just so cute. Sure there is the obvious use for travel size products, like flying, but there are other uses for them. You can take them camping, put them in your gym bag, purse, office and so on. I keep a beauty bag full of travel sizes next to my first aid kit in my car. My daughter keeps certain travel sizes in her locker at school. So what else can you do with these mini products and those samples you get in the mail?
1. Charity- My local church collects these every year during Lent to pass out to those in need. But we also donate them year round to the shelters and donation centers. We have a donate box, when I get samples in the mail I grab the coupon out of them and toss the sample size into the box. When the box is full I bring to my local shelter. Don’t forget your furry friends, we also have a pet donation box, and we do the same as with the other. The humane society will be thankful for your pet samples.
2. Gifts-Teacher appreciation week, Teacher holiday gifts, (If you scored the free ink pens at Target, Staples or Wal-Mart, adding this to teacher gifts are also great.)Stocking stuffers, new neighbors, new baby, and even party favors. If you have ever been in the $1 section at Target you have seen they always have some sort of bucket, basket, bowls, cooking mitts, cups and so on that’s only $1. These are perfect for housing the mini products, add some filler to the bottom, place the products in, add a ribbon and viola you have great gift without breaking the bank!
3. Make a welcome guest basket in your bathroom- Anytime I travel I find that someone forgets something. Thankfully my hotel has thought of this before hand and has the items I need waiting for me in my room when I arrive. You can do the same thing! Take a basket and fill your travel/sample products into it, if your guest needs anything, they can help themselves.
4. Halloween- Okay so this one came from a friend, you could pass out the oral care for Halloween. I think if you work in oral care this is a neat idea, but I am not so sure for the average person. But it’s a use for the travel sizes nonetheless.
5. Add it in with the larger size- I am sure you have seen that you can get the cascade travel size for free; it’s a pack that has 3 tabs in them. What I do is when there is no deal on the larger size and the coupon is about to expire, I head in and pick up these little sizes. When I get home I open them and dump them into a tote along with the other ones. This works perfect on laundry detergent pouches, wet wipes and even pet food. The idea is if you have the larger one at home you just empty the travel size into it. (It could be somewhat time consuming for the shampoos, lotions and so on.) You could also use the Rubbermaid or other plastic storage to put them in. Those free 3 count dishwashing tabs will add up. I personally haven’t bought the full size of Cascade in three months because of the little freebies.
Where to find the little versions? My Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, Rite-Aid, CVS, Walgreens, and my Safeway have them. Chances are so does your store or grocery store. The sample sizes you can normally sign-up for online. They mail to you and most will have a coupon in them!
So the next time you have a coupon about to expire and there is no size restrictions and no deals for the large ones, head to your travel section and pick up the mini version for free or pennies!
Bathroom Basket 
Stocking Stuffer or Party Favor
See getting excited about the free minis doesn’t only make sense; it will save you cents also.
