Free Samples

Trader Joes is great at offering free samples. They prepare it in front of you, and have the actual product right next to the stand just in case you like it. I usually get the free sample just to give me enough energy to continue the rest of my shopping trip. They also have free coffee samples all the time along next to the stand.

You can potentially fulfill your daily snack requirements with Trader Joes. Other places probably do them, but I haven't found any place as consistent as they are.

 

I LOVE free coffee samples. There's an independent grocer fairly close that I used to shop at (when I lived over that way), and even though the prices were higher than the other stores in the area, occasionally, I would pop in there for a few things, and snag a free coffee sample. I mean a prepared one, in a small cup, which was just enough of a jolt to get me though that night.

Occasionally, I will try the samples in the supermarkets. They are usually very clean looking, and prepared right in front of me, so I trust the ingredients. However, if you're referring to the cases of cheese chunks and the like that have been sitting there for who knows how long, with dirty kids' hands roaming over them, no, I won't touch those.

I got to try some really yummy sushi at HEB before, and actually went back for seconds. I couldn't afford it, because it was pretty expensive, but I had to have seconds, and thankfully the clerk accommodated me, because it was amazingly tasty. I just looked for the recipe online the other day, because I'd love to make it someday, but still can't find it.

 

I only take free samples if they're from a package and I see them opening it and giving it to people. Sometimes I'm lucky and they give out entire bags of samples or an actual juice box. I like how Teavana has the free tee sampling from the machine so you don't have worry about customer putting in things into the container. Downtown people give samples of body products too, the last free thing I got was last week, it was tampons! :')

 

I also try and be more careful with grabbing free samples at stores. I know that a little dirt will probably be okay but I just can't get over the fact that it is probably dirty and riddled with germs. I only consider it if I know the batch is brand new and I can see that the employees are using gloves, or if the product is one that is easier to handle, like coffee or drinks. Otherwise I'd rather just remain curious or actually buy a small portion of the product so I can taste it at home.

 

I… guess I’m not a germophobe because I’d never given it too much thought. About a month and a half ago at a certain shop in town, I totally sampled loads of macadamia nuts that I KNOW had been sitting out for ages. Probably not something I’ll do again because it’s true they’re likely to be germ-ridden.

Supermarket samples are usually different, since I can usually see the employees are making an effort to keep things pretty clean, rather than just leaving them out for anyone to grab. Problem is, they seem to be offering far fewer samples than they did when I was somewhat younger.

 

The only places I really take the free food samples is from Trader Joe's and Costco. At both places, the samples are prepared right in front of you and do not have time to sit around and get old or germs because people swarm the tables and employees are right there to ensure everything stays clean.

I would not allow myself to take a sample from a grocery store or something where the samples are not monitored by someone. It really grosses me out when they just put samples out in a bowl with tongs because a lot of people do not use the tongs.

 

I never touch the food samples but gladly accept the drinks.

You just know that the food will be riddled with germs. You've no way of knowing whether the last person who took something had clean hands or whether some kid has been allowed to sneeze all over them. Yuk!

 

As some who used to work giving out the free samples I understand the concerns which is why people wear gloves and when I used to do it, would always put out fresh ones when people were around.

I used sample toasties in petrol stations and they always went fast as people saw them come out of the oven and we always threw away things that were out too long. I used to have a flat full of freebles I would give to friends and family. My friends still do these jobs, so I still get some things.

 

I've been to Korea recently and they're the free sample champions!
The supermarkets always have free samples of some food and an employee prepares it infront of you or they hand it to you. So everything is pretty neat. Then there are also the many makeup stores. If you buy something you won't leave without getting samples. Usually they give you cotton pads and mini versions of their products. The last free samples I recieved were sunscreen & pore minimizer in little packages and cotton pads and a face mask for 2 uses.

 

It honestly depends on how hungry I am if I will take a free sample or not lol. But you may have ended that for me. I never thought about how many people are huddling around that food and how many germs probably have covered it by the time I get to it.