Most people dread being added to mailing lists, but I’m just the opposite: Whenever anyone asks if I would like to be added to their promotional database, I’m all ears. Mailing lists are a great way for companies to share coupons, samples, and free offers with their customers – so if you play your cards right, it can really benefit you.

Earlier in the week, Earthbound Farms sent out a message to those of us on their email list, seeking 30 consumers to receive free salad in order to test out a new method of packaging and then provide feedback via a brief survey. I took a few seconds to email them back with my interest, and was notified that they’d be shipping me some salad directly via FedEx. On Friday, I received the box above with two lovely packages of organic salad mix; and that’s not all. They also enclosed these coupons:

After I took this photo, I found two more coupons for .75 cents off in the box!

Note the two coupons for completely FREE produce! It was well worth a few minutes of my time to receive these normally-expensive groceries for nothing.

Sign me up!

By being a part of corporate mailing lists, you will be the first to hear about new offers and promotions. Advertisers may send you coupons, free sample offers or product testing opportunities, so it can be a valuable resource. I recommend setting up a separate email account specifically for such offers, so that your primary account won’t be overloaded.

What About Snail Mail?

Receiving promotions via US mail is actually my preferred method. I know some people are (understandably!) completely fed up with all the catalogs and other mailings they receive, but it’s never been an issue for me. I love these type of lists, because I’ve received unusual, high-value coupons this way. Anything I don’t need goes directly to the recycling bin. The only piece of contact information I never give out? My phone number! I can’t think of a situation where a junk call could ever be useful, so when I register for promotional lists, I use the number of a pay-as-you-go cell phone that I keep for emergencies. I rarely turn it on, so I don’t care if they call it!

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Of course, you have to be smart about how you approach mailing lists so that it doesn’t become counter-productive. I actually ignore my own advice about a separate email account, because I find that when I keep mailing lists separate from my primary email, I end up just ignoring the secondary account and never look through it. I register my primary email address with the mailing lists I’m interested in, and it worked well for some time – I was able to keep up with what came in and benefit from it. Over time, my inbox became more and more crowded; and for me, manufacturer mailing lists actually comprised a minority of the emails I was receiving. Most of the overcrowding was due to the dozens of mailing lists I had registered for in order to enter contests, as well as email inquiries that I receive about my blogs. As a result, I went through this week and did a mass unsubscribe of lists that were no longer serving a purpose to me. Remember, your time is your most valuable resource – so if you’re spending hours sifting through junk mail, it’s not worth it. It’s important to find a happy medium and make your mail work for you.

What’s your approach to mailing lists, readers?

If you’re on a very tight budget, it make seem impossible to make a difference in the world with no extra money to spare. But, much in the same way that you can use your frugal skills to reduce your spending and come up with clever solutions to financial problems, you can use those same skills to give back, even if your budget allows no wiggle room whatsoever. Here are 3 ways you can help others without spending a dime:

1. Click to donate. The Hunger Site is an innovative site that uses advertiser funding to benefit those in need. By clicking on the “Click to give” button once per day, you are taken to a page of advertisers that sponsor the site; the revenue from these advertisers is then donated directly to charity. As of this writing, The Hunger Site has given 745,818,023 cups of food since June 1999. They have several partner sites – The Rainforest Site, The Breast Cancer Site, The Child Health Site, The Animal Rescue Site, and The Literacy Site, which also which run off the same premise. By making a few clicks per day, you can donate a cup of food, 11.4 square feet of rainforest habitat, a free mammogram, and so on.

Many other sites utilize this concept to raise money for worthy causes also. Freerice.com is a unique, fun word game that uses sponsor advertising to fund 10 grains of rice donated through the World Food Programme for each answer you get right.

Also, I recently teamed up with P&G over on Contest Corner for their GIVE HEALTH program. If you click here and then click the donate button on my widget, P&G will donate one day’s worth of clean water to a person in need. If you’re a blogger, you can also apply to be a P&G GIVE HEALTH Blogger by clicking here.

I know there are many great sites like these that I’m missing, so please feel free to leave me links to your favorites in the comments!

2. Share your stockpile. You may not have any cash to spare, but if you clip coupons, you’ve probably hit some good sales where you were able to stock up on items for free. Food banks always need donations – and if you don’t have any extra food, remember that many food banks will also take toiletries and cleaning supplies. Shelters for the homeless, victims of domestic violence, and other similar organizations can also use these donations.

3. Volunteer. Donating your time costs nothing out of pocket, and can make a big difference. Perhaps you want to do something with a local organization – sites like Volunteer Match can help you find the right opportunity. Or maybe you’d like to do something creative and raise awareness and funds through your social networks or blog. It could even be something as simple as taking a casserole over to a neighbor who’s having a hard time.

In the past, I’ve felt limited by lack of time or extra money – if I couldn’t spend 30 hours volunteering or donate huge chunks of money to charity, it felt pointless. But making a difference isn’t about being in a special position – if all you have is 5 minutes to lend a hand, it means something. When I think about the scale of the world’s problems, I often feel like nothing I do could make enough of an impact. Then I remember that you can give a child one year worth of clean water for less than the price of a movie ticket, and feed someone with a simple click. I cannot change the world, but I can change one person’s world.

I know there are lots of other unique, creative ways to give back on a budget – and I would love to hear them, so please feel free to share in the comments!