Freebies! Are you pro or anti?

Prinzessilein

In the days that I worked, I had some really good freebies...especially if I was sent to corporate trade-fairs...you got a day off work (on full pay), a travel voucher and ALWAYS came home with a sackful of loot! Every stand you walked past would shove a bag of goodies your way!

One year Mum was invited to a Craft trade-fair with a couple of friends who ran a wool shop and had a free ticket...now THAT is a place I would like to attend, serious crafting freebies on offer!

The last place I lived, you could almost get a free lunch by walking around the 'big' supermarkets...start with a saunter past the deli for a taste of pate...then off to the bakery for a taste of sausage-roll(or whatever the hot taste-of-the-day was) look around for the assistant walking round with free biscuits...then back to the deli for a piece ofcheese to round of your meal!...at Christmas they offered a free chocolate and a glass (plastic cup!) of non-alcoholic mulled punch to people in the long queues.


Where I live now there are very few freebies...even the ones I used to get in the post no longer arrive (do these companies only offer freebies to certain postcodes?)

I DO get assorted Charity freebies - especially in November/December...all accompanied by a begging letter....cheap pens...drinkmats...keyrings...cards...calenders...one year a friend gave me a Christmas present of two drink mats...which I recognised as Charity freebies...and the tight thing had only given me TWO when I KNOW the charity sent four...I had the same ones sent to me!....I wouldn't have minded so much if she was hard up but she was minted! A buy-to-let landlandy with half a dozen properties including one in London...)

maryb

I nearly always say no to freebies. A few hotel shampoos and soaps are useful - I pack an overnight bag for the ferry when we go to France and the small size soaps are useful for that - but when DH was working and travelling a lot we ended up with too many.

However our local M&S has a test kitchen and I do sample what they are showcasing. It's hygienically cooked and dished up. I don't buy the product they are pushing but it has given me ideas about what to cook - from scratch, of course

Islandmaid

The freebies I get at work are very gratefully received - loo paper, hot water and soap

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I heartily approve of some freebies - and have been known to wait until shift change at the Plymouth Gin stall at the Barbican during various festivals for that very reason .

Pens are vital for functioning in the education sector, as they never stay on your desk for long.

The memory sticks toshed around by some companies are a waste of time as they're usually only large enough to store a couple of letters.

Himself brought home a canvas bag full of freebies from his last overseas tour - T-shirts, travel mugs and a bunch of stickers. I didn't get to have any of the t-shirts, took one mug and the stickers are now gracing various battered instruments.

Soft toys, lumps of pointless plastic, novelty figures and suchlike are refused out of hand.

PollyWollyDoodle

Food and drink, yes (if it's something I will eat) but I refuse key rings, pens, stress balls etc as I don't need them and have more than enough branded biros.

Every other year I go to an industry-related conference, one of my friends gathers up everything on offer. The first time we went I followed her lead, and ended up with bags full of tat. I'm more discerning now, yes to memory sticks and notebooks because I use them in my work, but no to most other things. I'll admit that once I would have taken anything free - it's the Marie Kondo effect that's changed me!

Iloveteasets

I went on a food hygiene course recently and was given a plastic cockroach. It now frightens the life out of me every time I'm rooting around in the bottom of my handbag. I wish I'd resisted my love of a freebie that day!

GreyQueen

Iloveteasets wrote: »

I went on a food hygiene course recently and was given a plastic cockroach. It now frightens the life out of me every time I'm rooting around in the bottom of my handbag. I wish I'd resisted my love of a freebie that day!

:T LMAO! Brilliant!

Slinky

Iloveteasets wrote: »

I went on a food hygiene course recently and was given a plastic cockroach. It now frightens the life out of me every time I'm rooting around in the bottom of my handbag. I wish I'd resisted my love of a freebie that day!

Ahh, fantastic one to slip into somebody's Christmas cracker........

moneyistooshorttomention

...and we've not covered the freebies that "You are paying for (ie in higher prices) - but can't get the benefit of yourself" - and those I definitely dislike.

- The "two for the price of one" offers in supermarkets. Single person households rarely want as much as two packs of whatever-it-is

- The "free fruit for children" Tesco is doing at the moment. I did read a brave poster on here the other day took one for herself - but I admit to not being able to summon up the courage to do that myself...though it would probably help if Tesco realised every household (and not just one with children in) was taking an apple or banana etc per person.

I'm not holding my breath for a freebie offer targeted at single childless households somehow....:cool:

MandM90

Hate freebies.

Both DH and I work in corporate environments so constantly having bags, stress balls, mugs, water bottles, pens, mobile phone charge banks and got knows what else foisted upon us. DH lives in hotels Mon-Thurs so I'm constantly finding little bottles of things I specifically ask him not to bring home (plastic plastic plastic everywhere!)

The only appreciated work freebie is FOOD! We get soya and almond milk supplied, a posh coffee machine and lovely Twinings tea bags. And about twice a month lunch is free, either in a restaurant (team/client meeting) or at the office. Here is the menu they sent through for the next company day lunch...can't wait. All vegan except the chicken and eton mess!

Red pepper, lentil and butternut soup
Selection of breads
Roasted sweet potato, black bean, coriander, lime, spring onion and chilli
Beetroot, green bean and spinach with a lemon and dill dressing and pumpkin seeds
Asian style chicken thighs with a bean sprout and pak choi sesame salad
Vegan chocolate and coconut cake
Eton mess (meringues, berries and cream)- gluten free