Kendall Motzny was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Nor was there a silver spoon anywhere nearby.

His upbringing in Corsicana, Texas was void of a lot of the things that kids often take for granted. Christmas presents, for example, were not guaranteed. That impoverished upbringing resulted in a quest to find things for free.

Motzny has now won trips to Puerto Vallarta and Las Vegas and prizes worth thousands of dollars including gaming systems, iPads, gift cards, concert tickets and furniture.

Today, Kendall is recognized nationally as, The Freebie Guy. His website and social media attract millions of people interested in winning prizes, finding bargains and getting free stuff. We wanted to learn more from the guy who’s helping people all over the world find bargains. 

How did all of this get started?

It all started from loving the idea of getting mail. Growing up without much meant there weren’t a lot of packages coming, and mail is rarely addressed to kids, so I had to figure out a way that I could get mail. I learned that I could call 1-800 numbers and ask for samples. My mailbox starting overflowing with stuff addressed to me!

Have you ever said no to something free? 

While I love free things, I’ve learned that not everything free is created equal. Sometimes there are strings attached and I am pretty selective with those things.

Have you ever received something that you didn’t need but couldn’t find someone who wanted or needed it? 

With free stuff that I don’t need, I usually find a home for it. I give to numerous charities throughout the year, especially around the holidays. My mantra is that every kid should have a gift for Christmas. I also add them to family members’ stockings. Most freebies are stocking stuffer-sized, so it works out perfectly and are a ton of fun for the recipient to open.

How do you earn a living as The Freebie Guy? It’s one thing to get a lot of free stuff but you still have to pay the electric bill, right?

It took a lot of work to get to where I can earn a living doing this. Most of the revenue is generated from advertising on my website. The Freebie Guy is one of the largest free stuff and deal sites in the world.

Hunters and fisherman always seem to have the big buck or the large fish that eludes them time and again. What’s the big prize that has eluded you? 

I have always wanted to win a prize that involved a big check. You know, those oversized checks that you see people have a photo taken with? That is definitely on the bucket list of wins that I would love.

What’s your all-time favorite freebie?

Gatorade once had an awesome freebie where they mailed out a roller cooler along with two 24 packs of Gatorade. It is by far the biggest freebie that I have received.

What about the worst freebie you’ve ever received?

The worst have been in bad packaging. I once had a whole sample box arrive in the mail and the liquid cleaner sample leaked and had spilled, ruining everything else in the package.

This may be contradictory to what makes you the quintessential Freebie Guy, but what do you spend too much money on?  What’s the thing that you’ll always cough up the extra money for?

Honestly, I probably spend too much money on giveaways that I purchase for my followers. I love winning stuff, and I love how people react when they win stuff. Running a freebie/sweepstakes/deal site gives me room to give away cool stuff and have tons of fun with it, but it is an area where I should probably do a little better with the budgeting.

What’s next for The Freebie Guy?

I am hopeful that I will be able to do some traveling and road tripping this year. Taking my clearance show on the road has been a goal. I am looking forward to being able to take my audience along with me to see what we can find across the state of Texas and the country!

Cover photo courtesy Greg Halacka

Haven Lindsey resides in Taos, NM. She is a freelance writer with more than 20 years of experience writing on topics including healthcare, addiction, public policy, education, travel, food and human interest stories. She was recognized by NPR for her solo travel series exclusive to Texas Lifestyle Magazine. Haven’s first book, ‘The Blue Dog and The White Horse Adventures on A Texas Ranch’, is a children’s book about the friendship between her dog and a horse and is available on Amazon.