How Expensive Is Free?
By Amy Motheral © 2003

How many times during the day do we see the word free? We hear it in ads, we see it in email, we hear about it on TV and the radio. People even call us offering us something free. It's all over the place. 

In a single day I counted up how many times an email came to me offering me something for free. How many times do you think I saw that word? A dozen? Twenty? Thirty? Fifty? Sixty? 

In a single day's worth of email I counted the word free One Hundred Ninety Three times. Now that was the subject line of the email. Goodness knows how many times the word actually appeared through all the email I received. 

But as I was reading through some of these "free" emails, I couldn't help but notice that most of the goods and services offered did indeed have a price to go along with it. We shouldn't be surprised. We all know that very rarely in life do we ever get anything for free. We know this. 

Yet we're all still drawn to that word. We look for that word. Our eyes automatically focus on that word. We are all looking for a way to get ahead without parting with our money. 

What does that say about us? Are the emails and ads out there using this word to entice us, to lure us into their web and then hit us with a price tag when we're not looking? Or are we just wanting to get something for nothing? Do we expect companies to give away their goods and services? Which one of us is the greedy one? 

Granted, that's a hard one to answer. We all want a bargain. We all want to hang on to our hard earned money as long as we can. We want as much as we get can get for as little as we have to do or spend.

So where does that leave us? The next time you see that word used in ads or email or hear it on TV or the radio, and you will see it and hear it, know what you're getting. Know that very rarely do you get something for nothing. Know that most companies are not in business to give their services away. And know that ultimately the responsibility is yours to do your research before answering and negotiating any of the free ads. 

This article may be freely published in newsletters, in print and on websites, as long as the resource box and byline are included.

Amy Motheral is editor of MAWAH Ezine and full-time caregiver. Amy created and runs Mothers All Work At Home website; dedicated to providing information and resources for mothers and others working at home, because sometimes working from home is the only choice.
http://www.mothers-all-work-at-home.com/