The following is a guest post by Brooke McAlary of Slow Your Home.
“Bottom line is, if you do not use it or need it, it’s clutter, and it needs to go.” —Charisse Ward
When was the last time you were given something for free?
It may have been a gift with purchase, a deal sweetener, or an added bonus at no extra charge. You may not even be aware of it, but I can almost guarantee you’ve received at least one free item in the past 12 months. I know I have.
And aside from adding to our collection of Things We Didn’t Want or Need, what is the purpose of these freebies? They are designed to get us to buy.
More specifically, these giveaways are designed to rope us in to buying something we may or may not need, just so we can score a free doodad that we definitely do not need. They are designed to make us feel as though we’ve come out winning.
How often do you gratefully accept these freebies, only to toss them out months later because, strangely enough, it wasn’t what you were buying in the first place and, shockingly, you have no use for it?
Me too.
Recently I decluttered my bathroom cabinet. In there sat my well-used travel toiletries bag. Next to it were two brand new toiletry bags I’d been given as promotional offers. For free. Of course.
Needless to say, they were added to a box bound for the charity shop, but they left behind a sinking feeling. Donating these items and ridding myself of their burden will not help anything if I keep accepting the freebies.
Maybe you’ve seen these free offers before. Maybe you even have a few of them floating around your home. Maybe even more than a few:
- Beer glasses
- Key rings
- Pens
- Drink bottles
- T-shirts
- Hats
- Tote bags
You’ve probably been handed these free items at the checkout, or when redeeming a coupon. You may even use these items regularly.
So, what’s the harm?
The truth is, these items are not free.
There are, of course, the resources used in their production, money spent on the marketing campaigns and wages to pay those who sell the actual products you’re buying.
But there is also a major cost to you.
Sure, you paid no (extra) money for it and you may even make use of it. But did you need it in the first place? Was it necessary? Or is it simply contributing to the clutter that stresses you out?
At some point you will have to pick it up and decide where to store it or how to rid yourself of it. And to be honest, I think your time is more important than that. Your well-being is more important than that.
The status quo will not change and marketing campaigns will continue to include these freebies, unless we start sending the message that, “No, we don’t want this.”
So next time you’re offered something for free, try saying no. See how it feels.
That’s what I did recently when I was buying some make up, and the result was… interesting.
Shop Assistant: “And you get a really nice tote bag for free.”
Me: “Oh, no thanks. I don’t need another bag.”
Shop Assistant: “But…it’s free.”
Me: “Oh, I know. But I don’t need it. Thanks though.”
Shop Assistant: “But… it doesn’t cost you anything. I can give it to you right now. You could give it to someone for a gift. It’s actually really nice. And it’s free.”
Me: “Uh, no, thanks.”
Me: “Can I have my make-up now?”
Now, as I’m two years into my simple living journey, I have cleared out, decluttered, de-owned, sorted, donated, and thrown away thousands of items. And looking back, I find myself wishing I’d said no a heck of a lot more.
What are your thoughts on accepting freebies?
***
Brooke McAlary is the founder of Slow Your Home.
Image: Vincepal
Heidi says
I love this to. It’s interesting to me as I start a young aromatherapy company that whenever I give samples, it doesn’t actually translate into sales. People like getting them but seem to forget to try them. If they do try them they seem to buy – but the numbers are better when I’m there, in person, helping them. And so, that led me to think of all the samples I save, and all my good intentions for slipping them in my purse and using them at the gym or when I travel…and I almost never do. I buy an expensive brand of cosmetics – they are good products, I know exactly what I need, and I wind up spending less as a result, you know? But because it is a significant purchase and my friend works at Saks and I buy from her to up her sales numbers, I would get heaps of their free skin care samples. Like, 20-30 samples of their $400 face cream. But the thing is – their cream gives me zits. But I felt bad throwing it out because…it was $400 in the store. So I amassed ever greater amounts of these sample tubes until I realized I had a giant 1 gallon storage jar full of them. One day, I just boxed them up and sent them to a friend who travels alot and loved receiving them. The next time I purchased makeup I told my friend – NO SAMPLES ON SKINCARE – and she got it and my bathroom is so much happier.
J says
I cannot love this enough. It’s so easy to say, “yes, thanks,” when what you should be saying is “no, thank you”. Conference backpacks are another nightmare in this vein. I was offered a free water bottle when in the service station the other day, and surprised the check out guy when I turned it down.
Charles says
The problem isn’t having too much stuff. It’s that you don’t know how to deal with it effectively. If too much stuff was a problem then you’d just walk into a library and die, or every time you go on the internet your head would simply explode. You are stressed by your stuff because you don’t know how to own it.
Fiona Cee says
utter crap! who wants to ”deal” with stuff if you don’t need it. you sound like a hoarder.
i’ve got stuff i don’t need and i don’t die when i walk into a library and i am on the internet and head is quiet happy thank you.
and i’m not stressing over it. i know it’s going and that’s that!
Liz says
Credit where credit is due – this quote was adapted/stolen from David Allen. Here’s the original:
“Information overload is not the issue. If it were, you’d walk into the library and die. As soon as you connected to the Web, you’d just explode.”
Not classy to use someone else’s words without acknowledging that they don’t belong to you.
Michelle says
Nothing is free. The cost of your “free” item is factored into the price of the item you are purchasing. Refuse the “free” item and ask for a discount on your purchased item, now that will really confuse them! lol
Annie says
I get these kinds of offers via email all the time. I used to allow myself to get suckered by it and buy stuff I truly didn’t need to get something for free, or a bigger discount. Now I consider the offer very carefully and follows my rules:
1. It must be something I regularly use.
2. It must not cause me to buy anything more than I really needed from that site in the first place.
3. If it is for someone else they have to agree in advance to accept it.
4. I have to wait at least 24 hours so that I am not buying on impulse.
5. If I am unsure after that time I delete the email since I most likely didn’t need to buy anything.
Following these rules has resulted in my accepting these deals MAYBE once every few months, instead of at least once a week as I did before.
Karla McEvoy says
I also often decline free stuff. There is a price to be paid for everything, even free stuff. Once you take ownership of an item, it is your responsibility. I have decluttered a lot of stuff I received for free and I don’t want the clutter coming back. If someone gives me a strange look when I turn something down, I often explain a little bit about all of the decluttering I have been doing and that I really don’t need the item. The person usually becomes more understanding.
Alison says
It’s a long process, learning to turn down free stuff. (A bargain hunter by trade, I found a lot of freebies!) Even after I started to realize I didn’t need most of it, I would still take it rationalizing I could give it to someone else. But I didn’t.
lahope says
The bags can be used to load up with items to donate to the thrift store.
UrbanMinimalist says
People are surprised when I refuse freebies. In fact, they sometimes look at me as if I grew a third eye. A few times, the individual tried to pressure me into accepting it, but I remained firm in my refusal to take it.
And you’re spot on about freebies not really being “free.” Great post.
The Maui Taoist says
I am now free…. Thank you for helping…
I got all my remaining stuff into boxes and I moved everything in three little Ford ranger pick up loads…..
I have made it… from huge house… to condo…. to a rented room in the forest on Maui.
no more stuff! I even am keeping everything in boxes, now it is even easier to further minimize my stuff…. it is amazing what I don’t need!!!
People, just do it……
Find what is essential
Get rid of everything else
Freedom can be yours!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am sooooooooo happy to out of all the little things all the entanglements… I can actually think of nothing without the something rearing it’s ugly head and stealing my energy from my new reality!