how to make freebie offers and giveaways work for you

I read a lot of different blogs about saving money.  I've "liked" a lot of them on Facebook so that I can get updates quickly, and when a company is giving away something for free I get bombarded with posts about it.  I used to think "oh, I don't want to get signed up for junk mail so I'll skip it" or "geez, I don't even USE that product, why would I want it for free?" and I'd just pass on by.  But as it turns out, these offers can turn into "moneymakers" at drugstores or supermarkets, if you know how to work them the right way!

Let's take an example from a giveaway I posted about on Facebook a couple of days ago:  a coupon for a free box of John Freida hair color.  When I get this coupon in the mail, I'll keep my eye out for any promotions at Rite Aid, Walgreens, CVS, or my local supermarkets that allow you to earn rewards on John Frieda products.  Take CVS: it's possible they'll run a promotion where you buy a box of this hair color and earn $2 ECB back.  They're not counting on you having a coupon to get a free box!  You can use your freebie coupon to turn your free hair dye into a moneymaker- and then, if you don't use hair dye, just give the box to someone else or donate it to a women's shelter.

I suggest you create an email account to use when signing up for offers like this- a spam email box, per se- so your real email box doesn't get clogged up with promotional emails.  I also like to sign up for mailed freebies using my maiden name.  I know it's not affording me any privacy, but I feel like I'm not selling my real name to advertising firms.

Have you ever made a freebie work for you?  I'd love to hear about it!