Is anything in life ever really free?

[Joebucks]

I saw this article today, and it made me immediately think of vacationers. "Where can I get free drinks? Where can I get a free shuttle? Where can I get free flights? Where can I get free Lobster? Where can I get free gratuities? Where can I get free excursions?" It's probably the most annoying topic in all of travel. My friends do it, family does it, the internet does it. A $3000 price tag that includes everything they want is the best deal ever, while $2000 + $500 fees is the most greedy, nickel and dime company there is. While it's true that there can be loss leaders and sales, a word "free" someone doesn't actually mean you are saving money. Isn't that why we wanted free in the first place? You're falling for marketing.

 

I also like that the article goes on to spell out what is actually free in life. Things that actually matter. Thrills, conversations, enjoying the sunshine. Worry more about the experiences than how much you can consume because it's "free".

 

https://www.postconsumers.com/2013/09/24/best-things-are-free/

 

Especially now that consumer shopping season is in full swing, we’re being bombarded every day in our inbox, on tv and even as we walk down the street with messages about “free gifts with purchase” and “free upgrades.” It got us thinking of the old phrase, “Nothing in life is ever free.” But then we realized that some things in life are free. They’re just not usually attached to a consumer purchase. Let’s think about what’s not free … and then let’s make a list of what is!

Nothing is Ever Free If It Came With Something You Paid For

This is the first thing that you need to understand. If you paid for anything in order to get your “free” item, then it was never, ever free. The cost of free items is always worked into the dollar amount that you need to spend to get the free item. For example, if you need to spend $50 on a website to get “free” shipping, then what that tells you is that the items on the website are marked up so much that as soon as you hit $50 you have paid for the actual cost of the goods plus your shipping charges (and, typically, at least one cent of profit). So you never really got anything for “free” – you simply earned the company slightly less profit. And you may not have even done that depending on their pricing model!

It is true that sometime freebies known as “loss leaders” do exist. This, you might remember, was essentially the entire business model of Groupon. The idea was that vendors and merchants would give away a “free” item as a way to get you to try out their business, product or service. It’s true that if you did what most Groupon members do and take the freebie and never go back, that business lost money (that’s why Groupon hasn’t necessarily been successful in the long term). But for smart businesses, that freebie is a way to get more money out of you. Either they are good at convincing you that you want a service or product upgrade, or they leverage the contact information that they got from you when you took the freebie to market other products and services to you. Typically, your freebie turns into more money spent rather than just a pure free gift.

 

So What is Free?

But there are many things in life that are free! We decided to make a partial list!

True thrills are free.

Natural beauty is free.

Libraries are free (you can go in and read even without a card!).

Walks in the park are free.

The feel of sunshine, rain or snow on your skin is free.

Facebook is free – just use it with moderation!

Conversation is free.

Flirting is free (just be tasteful!).

Quiet contemplation is free.

Yoga, running, physical exercise of any kind – they’re all free.

It’s possible that in your city or town there are dozens of local events such as concerts and classes that you can do for free. You just need to research what and where they are!

If you take out the fact that, for most of us, it involves paying for an internet service, there’s a ton of free information and entertainment on the web.

Having a conversation with a stranger is free.

Listening to music on the radio is free (if you take out the cost of the radio and the electricity).

Of course, there are a variety of other things in life that are “free” but you’d have to absorb the cost of some startup expenses, like gardening, knitting and other crafts and hobbies.

The point is the same though, there are plenty of things out there that don’t cost a dime that will fill you up more than “stuff” ever could.

Take some time today to make your own list of what’s free in your life that you can take more advantage of!

[RocketMan275]

I fully agree with you.  'Free' things are more appropriately called 'included'.  Even all of those 'free' things listed in this article have costs.  Taxes to support parks and libraries or cost you time.  And, then there are "opportunity" costs.  If  you spend money/time/resources on one thing, then you usually can't spend them on another thing.  You've incurred an opportunity cost.  Suppose there was such a thing as a 'free concert' in the park.  You attend but it cost you the opportunity to take a nap instead.   Everything costs something. 

Any student of marketing will tell  you that the best/quickest way to make a sale is to convince the customer that they're getting something for 'free'.

[iancal]

You cannot fix stupid. The are some people who do actually believe that businesses provide goods and services for free.  

 

Next time you see that free flight offered, just ask if you have the free flight without buying the cruise.

Edited January 18, 2020 by iancal

[dogs4fun]

27 minutes ago, iancal said:

Next time you see that free flight offered, just ask if you have the free flight without buying the cruise.

👍 Would be quite an amusing question to ask - maybe I will inquire when I am speaking to the Viking rep for our next planned river cruise. 😎

Edited January 18, 2020 by dogs4fun

[calliopecruiser]

If you include non-tangible things, nothing is ever free in that it will cost you time, and maybe your attention.  Or cost you in access by giving your identifying data to someone.  Even that free library book loan, LOL.   BUT, most people have enough time and attention to give a little away without missing it much, so it's as good as free most of the time.

 

[DirtyDawg]

😁

2 hours ago, Joebucks said:

So What is Free?

But there are many things in life that are free! We decided to make a partial list!

Natural beauty is free.
But if you have to travel to see the beauty, it's not free
Libraries are free (you can go in and read even without a card!).
My taxes paid for that library so it's not free either.
Walks in the park are free.
Land for parks in my town are the price developers pay to build new homes so the parks cost the new homeowners. Not free, just paid for in a different way.
The feel of sunshine, rain or snow on your skin is free.
The boots, winter coat, long johns, gloves, hat and scarf that were needed to enjoy the feel of snow on my face this morning made that 'free' feeling rather costly. Of course I could have gone outside in the buff, but the doctors' bills for the frostbite are not free even in up here in Canada. 
Flirting is free (just be tasteful!).
I flirted with a beautiful young lady 35 years ago - and that single flirtation is still costing me!😉
Yoga, running, physical exercise of any kind – they’re all free.
But of course the fancy yoga outfits, the $200 running shoes, and the gym memberships might add to the cost of those 'free' activities..
Having a conversation with a stranger is free.
See flirtation above! 😁

 

I agree, there are lots of things in life that people think are free but come with price tags attached. Good news though, looking for those price tags is free...maybe.
 

 

Edited January 18, 2020 by DirtyDawg

[lenquixote66]

In 1988 I wrote a book .My publisher gave me 500 copies that I gave away for FREE to co workers,friends,relatives,neighbors and strangers on streets.When the book went into second printing a few years later I gave FREE copies to people on cruises as well as strangers on streets.

[marco]

I guess it depends on how you look at it.. Our neighbor bought a Porshe Boxer baseball type hat for $65K......but got the car for "Free" with that purchase!  LOL

[RocketMan275]

My office once was required to send a person to a conference in Hawaii.  All expenses paid.  The office claimed it was a 'free trip' to Hawaii for the lucky person selected.  I declined to be considered because I knew I couldn't afford a 'free, all expenses paid' trip.  That 'free' trip cost my friend over $4000 since he had to take his wife, three sons, and they wanted to stay additional days.

[cruisemom42]

I feel there's a prevailing climate of cynicism now that isn't particularly healthy. People dissect things much more than is necessary. Especially online.

 

Yes, everything in life is a trade-off, no matter how small. But the focus on what you're giving up versus what you're getting is kind of demoralizing, in my view. Sometimes what you have to give up (as calliopecruiser points out) is pretty small in order to receive an unexpectedly large "return". 

 

Take a library for example. Yes, you have to pay taxes to support the library system. But you have to pay them whether you use it or not, and certainly checking out books and reading them for no additional cost beats paying $20.00 per book. Books are an unalloyed pleasure -- they can take you away to a completely different place, teach you things that you'd otherwise never know, and provide you with a common context to understand many different types of people and cultures. 

 

To bring the discussion back to travel, I agree sometimes you can get caught up in the "value for money" equation. Sometimes it's healthy to step back and think about things like what vacations can do for your overall health: for your body (relieve stress, for example) and your mind (stimulate you to learn new things, keeping your brain healthy).

 

[sverigecruiser]

 

 

After I paid for my first MSC cruise they changed the Yacht Club drink package to include drinks outside the Yacht Club. I consider thoose drinks to be free because I paid for the cruise without thoose drinks and got them without paying extra for them. ( I understand that I may be wrong but I still feel that I got the drinks without paying for them! ) 

[leaveitallbehind]

13 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

 

After I paid for my first MSC cruise they changed the Yacht Club drink package to include drinks outside the Yacht Club. I consider thoose drinks to be free because I paid for the cruise without thoose drinks and got them without paying extra for them. ( I understand that I may be wrong but I still feel that I got the drinks without paying for them! ) 

The amount you paid for Yacht Club to get the drink package more than paid for those you had outside of Yacht Club......so no, they weren't "free".  Besides, what difference would it make if you drank them only when you were in the Yacht Club versus when you happened to be out of the club and came across a bar - they were still paid for by your package.  

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

I feel there's a prevailing climate of cynicism now that isn't particularly healthy. People dissect things much more than is necessary. Especially online.

 

Yes, everything in life is a trade-off, no matter how small. But the focus on what you're giving up versus what you're getting is kind of demoralizing, in my view. Sometimes what you have to give up (as calliopecruiser points out) is pretty small in order to receive an unexpectedly large "return". 

 

Take a library for example. Yes, you have to pay taxes to support the library system. But you have to pay them whether you use it or not, and certainly checking out books and reading them for no additional cost beats paying $20.00 per book. Books are an unalloyed pleasure -- they can take you away to a completely different place, teach you things that you'd otherwise never know, and provide you with a common context to understand many different types of people and cultures. 

 

To bring the discussion back to travel, I agree sometimes you can get caught up in the "value for money" equation. Sometimes it's healthy to step back and think about things like what vacations can do for your overall health: for your body (relieve stress, for example) and your mind (stimulate you to learn new things, keeping your brain healthy).

 

Not all libraries are public.However,whether they are public or private (my town does not have a public one) they are wonderful for children and adults .

Edited January 18, 2020 by lenquixote66

[clo]

53 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Not all libraries are public.However,whether they are public or private (my town does not have a public one) they are wonderful for children and adults .

We used to live in a small'ish town in S. Oregon. The county library system closed for several years due to lack of funding. Then it reopened with only 1.5 paid employees. The rest were volunteers. 

[sanger727]

Well, obviously if you are paying for a vacation no part of it is ‘free’. I think people use the word free when they really just mean included due to companies using ‘free’ as a marketing cruise. I don’t think anyone thinks that they are paying $3,000 to a cruise company and that suddenly makes their meals ‘free’. But if you are seeking out a cruise and want specialty dinners, not to pay extra for drinks, and internet and one company offers those items ‘included’ at a price that is better than purchasing everything separately, it can still be a good deal.

[calliopecruiser]

2 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

The amount you paid for Yacht Club to get the drink package

That presumes that she paid for the Yacht Club as a way to get drinks, but perhaps she paid for the YC for the other benefits, irrespective of the drinks. 

[clo]

Not long before sailing our cruise in December went down $400pp and I was able to apply it to SBC on the first cruise or reduce the fare on the cruise in Sept, which is what I did. Is there some element of free there?  🙂 

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, clo said:

We used to live in a small'ish town in S. Oregon. The county library system closed for several years due to lack of funding. Then it reopened with only 1.5 paid employees. The rest were volunteers. 

When I was a toddler my parents introduced me to a public library.I think I read nearly every book in the children’s section by the time I was 8.I became an avid reader and at one time had about 3000 books in my home.I have a lot less now but I have at least one book in every genre of my literary interests.

Reading and Writing became my passion.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

When I was a toddler my parents introduced me to a public library.I think I read nearly every book in the children’s section by the time I was 8.I became an avid reader and at one time had about 3000 books in my home.I have a lot less now but I have at least one book in every genre of my literary interests.

Reading and Writing became my passion.

 

Lending libraries will change a lot if/when ebook copyright and other protection issues are resolved.  All my opinion of course.    

Edited January 19, 2020 by ldubs

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, clo said:

Not long before sailing our cruise in December went down $400pp and I was able to apply it to SBC on the first cruise or reduce the fare on the cruise in Sept, which is what I did. Is there some element of free there?  🙂 

 

I think  you were treated fairly.  But if I understand you still out of pocket the original $400pp, so . . . 

[clo]

1 minute ago, ldubs said:

 

I think  you were treated fairly.  But if I understand you still out of pocket the original $400pp, so . . . 

Oh, I know. But come final payment can I claim a little 'freebie' 🙂

[ldubs]

4 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I feel there's a prevailing climate of cynicism now that isn't particularly healthy. People dissect things much more than is necessary. Especially online.

 

 

1 hour ago, sanger727 said:

Well, obviously if you are paying for a vacation no part of it is ‘free’. I think people use the word free when they really just mean included due to companies using ‘free’ as a marketing cruise. I don’t think anyone thinks that they are paying $3,000 to a cruise company and that suddenly makes their meals ‘free’. 

 

Yes, I agree!  I think just about everyone understands the difference but technically shouldn't use the word "free".  It is a fun discussion but I get concerned that some might be getting a little too wound up over it.  Lol

Edited January 19, 2020 by ldubs

[ldubs]

3 minutes ago, clo said:

Oh, I know. But come final payment can I claim a little 'freebie' 🙂

 

An unexpected opportunity in my opinion -- heck yeah!  

[clo]

4 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

An unexpected opportunity in my opinion -- heck yeah!  

I gotta give credit. I booked this through 'my guy' at O and he emphasized that if I saw a decrease to let him know. And I had transferred this to a TA. So he did it and I let her know. And there it sits in my record...making me happy 🙂

[ldubs]

10 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

In 1988 I wrote a book .My publisher gave me 500 copies that I gave away for FREE to co workers,friends,relatives,neighbors and strangers on streets.When the book went into second printing a few years later I gave FREE copies to people on cruises as well as strangers on streets.

 

My writing would be brilliant, if only people could read my mind!   😀😀😀