What it's like review products sometimes. Or, "How do you get those free samples, 'cause why can't I?"

I get emails.  Two yesterday.  They ask, "How Do You Get These Samples?!" and  "How can I get in on this?"  Like blogging is a super-secret society where We Get Free Schwag!  Yeah, not so much.   People are asking how hey can "do this" to blog, and make some sort of income from it, some are looking for something do do while they are underemployed, and a blog looks like fun, and easy, and free stuff?  FREE STUFF!

Some bloggers are in the loop and get big toys like... cars to try out, washing machines, and can give away Nikon cameras, I can't help you there.  (I tried to get a blender, fail.  You have to be really high up in the blogger food chain for a blender, I guess.)

Lots of the time, I buy my own stuff.  Many companies won't sample, "go buy a case."  Now, I have to say that I lose a little love for a product if the company says that they absolutely will NOT share one $2 product sample for the sole purpose of a product review on a blog targeted to their product.  It's not like I (we) are sitting here on a pile of $2 protein bars laughing, "MIIINE!  ALLLLL MINE!"  That said, I will buy a whole case of something to try ONE, because sometimes it's the only way to share something with YOU.  I may be stuck with a $50 case o'shit, but.... I can always GIVE IT AWAY!

A lot of the time, this stuff never makes it to the blog, because:

Sometimes companies send a sample.  This is awesome and I appreciate it, and LOVE getting mail!   So much so that I am going to get a special MM P.O. box because I have had one too many melted protein ball in my box.  :x 

Sometimes you never see these samples make it to the blog, maybe because they simply melted so badly that I couldn't SHOW you, sometimes it's just that simple.

If a product shows up on this blog, it's because I either bought it or it was sent to me by a generous company or PR firm.  I don't accept payment for reviews. (Although I get emails that ASK me to Review Something 100% Positively even without a sample sometimes, uhh, hello?)  That kills the purpose.  So, what you see is simply what I got.

I share a product if I LIKED IT -- or if there was something awful enough about it to share, or something unique about the way I got it, really super service (even if the product itself sort of sucked) or alternatively a bad experience.  (Like that one time I bought a car?  Yeah, like that.  You're not winning any points when you tell a baby to STFU.) 

There have been times where I really wanted to spew all over the internet about a product/service (we'll extend this "situation," or "agreements") but I've kept my big yap shut, too.  This is hard.  I have to sit on my fingers a lot of the time.  Let's just say that I have learned a lot, and no when to say no, now.

If you want to do this too, do it.  Start a website and write your little heart out. 

It doesn't have to cost you a thing. 

Honestly, my only cost initially was to pay for my Typepad, because I have a millionty posts to hold up on the net. 

• That is a yearly cost, the blog itself, and then a domain name. $100/yr

Anything else is up to you, most recently for MM: 

• My DH bought me a nice camera you know, "for the blog,"($insane)
• I paid for design help/exporting ($300):  I was going to move to another blog service but decided not to do it as it confused the hell out of me
• I paid for a new design ($500) from another blogger, but I haven't seen it yet.

Other blogging costs? 

• Sometimes a giveaway can cost - if I choose to send something myself - or if a company sends ME the prizes and I have to ship them out. 
• I have a photo-hosting account at Flickr, but I'd probably have that anyway.
• Goods for review, etc, that I buy myself.  Not really a consideration because I use them.

I cannot get enough of blogs that interest me, and the more you write about product wins and fails - the more the companies listen.  Start a site, and share it with us.