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Teachers are scavengers. We stop just short of actual dumpster diving, of course...unless there's something really great to be had. But because we have to pay for so many of our own supplies, it's important to keep our eyes open when a good deal emerges. But you don't have to be a teacher to get free products online with no risk.

Freecycle.com
As the name implies, the items on this site are all free. A clever way to keep the landfill at bay, members post their items for those who want to give a gently-used treasure a new home. From printers and posters to DVDs and TVs, this site is the best place to look for things you need. Also, if you are desperate for some particular item, you can post a wanted e-mail. Users can either opt for daily e-mails of the first-come-first-serve fare or a weekly update.

Craig's Marvelous List
Anyone who has visited craigslist.org, has likely tripped over a magical realm called "free stuff." Listed in this section are all sorts of goodies being given away for the lucky person who makes first contact. Next to freecycle.com, this is one of the best resources for seeking that elusive item without forking over the green.

Stickies
Are Post-its taking over your life? Do you walk out of your classroom to the giggle of students you notice a yellow note sticking to your backside? Then this is the product for you! Stickies is a product developed by a writer/computer programmer who was tired of the bright reminders taking up every inch of office space. With one free download, you will have virtual sticky notes that can be kept on your desktop or that arise when you launch the web page or program to which you've attached the sticky for a reminder. Even better, there's the choice to either keep the sticky on top of all programs when it's urgent to remember, or to allow it to hide under whatever window you need to see with its hindrance.

Open Source
With the price of trying to keep up with Microsoft products, wouldn't it be great if there was a free alternative? Well there is! Travel over to opensource.com and you will find a suite of programs that behave and respond much like Word, Powerpoint, and other Officesuite applications. With consistent updates, it's easy to have the latest and greatest without spending a single penny, unless you opt to make a small contribution to compensate the builders of this excellent series of applications.

Free?
These next few sites do not always offer free items, but the deals are usually too good to miss. Www.woot.com, www.1saleaday.com, and www.selloutwoot.com are three sites that serve just one purpose: to sell only one item every day at a highly discounted rate. At midnight of every day, the sites post a new item, but you have to be quick! The better the deal, the faster it goes; and once it goes, it's gone. In the past they have offered the new iPod touch for $50 less than retail price, an XBOX 360 for only $139, a netbook (a laptop without an optical drive) for only $149, and an expensive brand-name bluetooth headset for only $3.99. On occasion the items are refurbished, but many are new. Shipping is very inexpensive and usually takes about a week. Don't be surprised if you suddenly find yourself addicting to wake up at the crack of dawn to check the specials!

Learn more about this author, Erin Blubaugh.
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