Free

Free, I love that word. I like free time. I like shooting free throws. And I'll tell you there is such thing as a free lunch, cause I've eaten my share of them. I even like Frito's, but that might not be the same thing.

I especially like getting things for free. What I don't like is when people try to sell you something giving you the idea that something is free when it's not. So for today's WFMW I wanted to give you some free advice on how to know when free is free and when it's not.

When Free isn't free:

BOGO . I'm not sure when two for the price of one or 3 for the price of two became buy some get others free. I am pretty sure the intent is to appeal to "free" lovers. Now don't get me wrong, 2 for 1 is a good deal. But you are still paying for the first one. I especially don't consider the second one free if you only bought the first one to get the second one. If, however, you were planning on buying two shirts and you got a BOGO offer, it makes some sense to call the second one free.

The same can be said of offers when they give you an item at no cost if you subscribe to a service or publication. Newspapers do this at parades. They state they are giving away chairs. Yet they are only free if you subscribe and generally only free if you pay with a credit card and agree to automatic billing. So the free chair is actually a high (priced) chair. Again if you were planning on getting a newspaper subscription anyway, than the chair seems more free. The way it is marketed though is to sell newspapers to people who really want chairs.

When Free is Free:

Sometimes even when you have to pay more money. If you are given a certificate for a free dinner, but you still have to feed a meter to park, that doesn't mean the dinner wasn't free.

Even if your taxes pay for it. Our Park District and Library District provide our family with a good portion of our free entertainment. While my tax dollars do subsidize these "freebies," they subsidize them even when I don't use them, which is why I'm inclined to still refer to them as free.

So getting stuff free works for me. In my next post I am going to talk specifically about three things I have done or will do this week for free. I want you to participate as well. This week I am hosting Three Things This Thursday for Michelle at Psalm 104:24. Think of 3 things that you have done recently for free and link them to my post. For this week I am going to call it Free Things This Thursday. Join me here at about 6 a.m. central on Thursday or at a more reasonable hour if you like. For more Works for Me Wednesday scoot over to Kristen's at We Are that Family.

Next Time: Free Things This Thursday