Especially in the United States, free offers are EVERYWHERE. Every so often, companies will give out free offers as promotion. If we include the mail-in rebates that let us make money, we can almost live without paying a dime on supplies.
However, why is it that many of us don’t take advantage of this at all? For example, how many of us can say that we regularly take advantage of Walmart’s free sample offers? How about taking advantage of the wireless router deal that was would earn us $23 plus the free equipment?
If you don’t really have good answers to those questions I just posed, you are just like the rest of us. All talk and no action. We talk and think about financial freedom, complain why we couldn’t be living on a beach and retiring early but we seldom do everything we can to improve our situation. A free sample here and there is not much, but that’s not the message here. The point is to realize that we need to work hard for things in life. Nothing comes easy and sitting there and complaining will absolutely not increase our chance to live the life we dream of. We can’t control the family we were born into but we can certainly control how we proceed with the rest of our lives.
Our lives are in our own hands. Think it, do it, live it.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
The problem is many of the “free offers” aren’t really free. For example, the wireless router that comes free with 3 months of dsl service (for example) means that we have to remember to take the time and energy to change service before the 3 months is up, or else we pay a higher rate. That sounds like work to me.
Also, the “free” blanks CD-Rs at Best Buy or whatever cost me money to drive to the store, waste time to stand in the huge line and then go home. Unless I wanted to go to Best Buy anyway and spend money, I don’t think it helps much. Also, many people are weak and will buy a new PS3 game or something in the store, so the free offer isn’t so free anymore.
On the other hand, I love the free cookie at my local grocery store (Harris Teeter).
Yes, there are some things that are free, but I want to add a few remarks.
First, I agree with Carl, as I have learned through economic classes that “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” Companies do “free” things either for publicity or because there are hidden costs. Companies can afford rebates because they hold your money for several months (cheap loan). Plus, some rebate redemption rates are as low as 50%.
Second, your advice to grab free stuff is valid only because not too many people do it. When lots of people go after a deal, a company responds by raising prices. I remember a store used to offer free chili on their nachos, but when too many people grabbed the deal, they began charging for the chili.
So, if you want to enjoy free stuff, you should tell others not too…Strange how that works, isn’t it?
Carl: I agree with you but there are other genuine good offers out there. Actually I’ve gotten multiple wireless routers for free now (mail-in rebates) without trial offers. Even if you have to join DSL, you don’t really need to use it. Canceling takes time but it might be a 15 minute procedure to cut service.
Free cookies are great! Where is this Harris Teeter?
Presh Talwalkar: That’s an interesting observation. However, there are many times when companies just want to get rid of inventory and give stuff away (for publicity sometimes) so why not take those offers? If you don’t take advantage of these deals, someone else will anyway so companies will raise prices no matter what anyway.
Sorry but Harris Teeter is only in North Carolina. They have a box of sugar cookies and low-fat cookies for those of us watching our waistlines!
I agree that sometimes free offers are worthwhile. I arbitraged zero-interest credit card balance transfers for years when I was a student… I was able to finance a lot of my education for free that way. I imagine for a few hours of work every couple of months I saved a couple of thousand dollars in interest over 5 years of graduate school. Nowadays those offers are shorter term and require a fee… but wow was 1999 – 2004 or so great for that! One thing is interesting is how hard it is to make a credit card company cancel a card. I have a mild personality, but sometimes I would have to get quite stern with the representatives because their high-pressure sales tactics became painful.
There’s an old saying, “No such thing as a free lunch.”
I rather take free money over free products any day. Considering some of these free products were made in countries where the average yearly income for the factory workers is less than what I make in a week. Perhaps it is a form of talking with our wallet?
Carl: Great to hear that you were able to take advantage of the credit card offers a few years back. I guess like Presh was saying, companies change the rules once everyone abuses it.
Mark: Of course we all rather take free money if we had a choice. But then if it is clearly something we can sell on ebay, isn’t that just as good as cash?
Funny you should mention Walmart…it’s on my desktop links! And they come right in the mail to me.
If it’s something I personally can’t use, they are always good for stocking stuffers, or for friends/family, or to the local charity drives/canned food drives we have here – they also have a toiletries drive before Christmas time.
At the last baby shower I went to, for a family member, I made up a nice basket of small items…all FREE from online Free offers, mostly Walmart…diapers, baby formula, rattles, toys, bibs, bowls, lotion, baby wipes, etc. With handmade fleece booties, it was a very inexpensive gift and well received.
The trick is to have a place to store the excess until you need it
Free stuff is the fruit of the earth, but like everything in life, it’s probably best taken in moderation.
For one thing, there’s just not enough time to take advantage of all of the free offers out there in the regular routine of your life.
Sure, there may be a free roll of toilet paper available at the grocery store on the other side of town, but when you’re at the neighborhood store and you’ve got to get home to wipe your butt, suddenly a buck for a roll ain’t so bad.
Free food during happy hour at bars, grocery samples, cash bonuses, and everything else in life worth having is available for free, but who’s got the time to take everything.
You’d have to dedicate your life to being free, and then how much would that cost you.
Hi…
I agree with you but there are other genuine good offers out there. Free stuff is the fruit of the earth, but like everything in life, it’s probably best taken in moderation.Actually I’ve gotten multiple wireless routers for free now (mail-in rebates) without trial offers. Even if you have to join DSL, you don’t really need to use it. Canceling takes time but it might be a 15 minute procedure to cut service.