Review Junkie

The later part of 2015 was a time of ultimate coupon discovery.  Were you aware that there are coupon codes for products on Amazon.com?  I am drawing a blank on the origin of this revelation, but once I was aware I was hooked.

I used coupon codes to purchase items discounted up to 100%, and had some really great finds that I used for the 2015 holiday gifting season. I was finding codes on Retailmenot.com and Dealsplus.com, updated daily.

2016 came but the coupon codes did not.  The post-holiday coupon code well had dried, and I was left thirsty for a good deal.  I did a google search for "free stuff on Amazon" and was introduced to my next addiction - writing product reviews in exchange for deeply discounted items.

This new-to-me concept played well in three of my wheelhouses: 1) shopping, 2) getting good deals, and 3) writing (come on, I have a blog - writing was not a stretch!).

I spent a good bit of time researching various review sites, and ultimately settled on ANZReviewTrader.com as my inception into the world of discounted products in exchange for reviews.  I selected this site for a few reasons: 1) wide range of goods, 2)  reasonable prices, 3) easy to use (only requires an Amazon.com account and an email address), and 4) you are required to do little more than write a review of the product.

This was different from other sites which required you do other actions including blog about the item, like a page on facebook, tweet about products, and/or have ongoing dialog with sellers.  This was a new concept to me, and I wanted to keep it simple.  So ordering, paying for, testing, and writing a review was the maximum amount of commitment I was willing to give during the starting phase of this new experience.

I began requesting products and writing reviews in mid-January.  I have received and reviewed 80 products in the span of 6 weeks.  Along the way I have learned quite a bit, and have a sense that their is still quite a bit more to learn.  I will be back to share my experiences along the way, so stay tuned.