I couldn’t pass it up, and I mean that quite literally. Someone dumped it right in the middle of my shortcut through the back of a neighborhood center. I had two choices: hit it head-on or stop to investigate.
Closer examination revealed a unique piece of furniture—a child-size, solid wood combination five-drawer dresser wardrobe. I dragged it to the side and found it to be nearly intact. It would need a little work but had definite possibilities. Even in its needy condition, it was free—something for nothing!
Had this item appeared in the classified ads or at a garage sale, complete with a price tag of any amount, would I have been so eager? Not likely. It’s not on my list of needs, not even my wants. But free? That’s different. I'll take it!
Haven’t we always believed that “free” means we get something for nothing? That if it’s free, it’s good, that there’s no obligation, no strings attached. With all our hearts, we believe that free means, well, free—and we shouldn’t.
Rarely these days does anything really come for free. More often than not, there’s some kind of price tag attached. Before accepting anything that says it’s “free,” you should look for the hidden price tag.
A Purchase
“Free with purchase” only represents something free if you would have made the purchase anyway. If the freebie is what closed the sale, you didn’t get anything for free at all. You only paid less than you might have otherwise.
