Beware of Free Stuff — it costs you a lot more than you think

As a minimalist, I have built a habit of automatically declining ‘free’ stuff because, if you think about it, it is rarely actually free…

My girlfriend and I were walking along the beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, when a photographer approached us, asking if he could take our photos for free.

I immediately but politely declined which I don’t think he expected because he immediately went on to explain how it worked:

“What I’ll do is take some pictures and then email them to you. If you like them you can consider tipping. That’s it! How about it?”

Still no…

If I wanted a photo shoot of me walking along a beach, I would have paid for one, which in fact I have done in the past…

Shot of author, by https://ccphotoloscabos.com/

Not only would I have gotten exactly what I wanted but I would have done it on my terms, with someone I had chosen, without my time being wasted on pictures that may or may not be good.

And no doubt, on receiving the unwanted picture, I would have experienced a hefty dose of emotional blackmail and stress around how much I should tip, whether I liked the photos or not…

In this case, as well as the potential tip, I’d be paying for the ‘free photos’ with my time and the emotional distress of the whole process.

I value these things MUCH more than the few bucks to organize my own shoot.

Nothing is ever free.

A clever manipulation of human psychology

“Free stuff” as a concept, is a clever manipulation of human psychology, which is why it is so prevalent.

It hi-jacks a number of centers in our brain making us want to take the thing DESPITE the fact that we have piles of evidence to tell us that the upside is MINIMAL at best.

We just don’t consciously consider it.

We feel we’re special. We feel we’re getting a good deal. And most of all we feel…“It’s free, there is no downside. Why would I NOT take it?”

Well, dear reader, that's the point, there IS a downside, and it’s significant, if less tangible.

Let me expand on this.

It started with food

I was first made aware of this concept in the food space as a health coach.

A big issue I found with my clients was that they would over-eat when they perceived food to be free.

It’s hard to resist, I know. Photo by Saile Ilyas on Unsplash

My clients were entrepreneurs, so this often included hotel breakfast buffets, snacks in the business class lounge of the airport, or organized dinners or events with food provided.

The crazy part was that they all had more than adequate money. Something about the fact that it was ‘free’ made them lose their faculty to critically think.

First off, it’s usually not even free…

You PAY for a hotel room and the breakfast is included.

You PAY for a business class lounge, whether via a credit card annual fee or directly.

You PAY to attend the event.

You could argue that they know this and so maybe what is happening here is that they are trying to ‘get their money’s worth’?

This is ridiculous on so many levels.

Firstly, the amount of food you’d have to ‘eat’ for it to be worth it is A LOT (the food is going to be cheap, mass-produced, and therefore average at best!)

Secondly, when you overeat, not only are you likely to enjoy it less but you’re going to feel icky and sluggish for the rest of the day (AND gain weight if this is a consistent habit).

This is why, I, out of principle, do not go to ‘all you can eat’ restaurants.

They harness human psychology and you feel like you NEED to overeat to make sure you get a good deal.

This ends up being a negative experience.

I could go to a normal restaurant and order exactly what I want for a normal price (if not cheaper).

I would enjoy it more because I chose it specifically, the quality is likely better, and there is no pressure to keep getting more so I can chill out and enjoy it.

I’m also much less likely to stuff my face to ‘get my money’s worth’.

What about other freebies?

As with food, this rule applies to pretty much anything free.

The first thing to do is to consider why something is being given away.

The 1st Law of Persuasion (by sales legend Robert Cialdini) is the Law of Reciprocation. Humans are primed to repay what they have received from others. They feel a deep primal urge to reciprocate.

This means that the moment you accept something for free, you have a subconscious tendency to return the favor.

Businesses harness this in their bid to maximize profits by giving away cheap freebies (relative to the product) that make you more likely to spend money.

That ‘freebie’ that you are accepting is almost certainly leaving you out of pocket.

A few real-world examples

A luxury store may give you a glass of champagne on entry or a barber may offer a beer while you wait.

Not only does this reduce inhibitions (a whole other article) but this offering makes you less likely to leave without making a purchase or giving a tip, respectively.

Even if you feel you are not personally affected by this, the fact is that you are subconsciously wasting brain power, battling it, or even simply trying not to be affected by it.

And did you actually want a beer at 11 am on a Tuesday or did you just accept it out of politeness?

Another example is the company sending free items to an influencer — even if there are “no strings attached”, the company knows that some influencers will feel compelled to re-post and advertise because they feel obliged to.

The company gets free marketing for the (very low) cost of producing and shipping the item.

The curse of ‘stuff’ — a minimalist argument

Finally, there are some examples where freebies take a more insidious toll.

Events give out free goodie bags, usually with a few sponsored items inside.

These are intended to keep the donating brand top of mind. Fine. This is similar to the examples given above.

However, for me, the more important point is that these things that you have been given ‘for free’ take up mental bandwidth.

I remember being given a free t-shirt and feeling guilty for just leaving it in the hotel room, knowing full well I would never wear it, all while wondering how it would fit in my carry-on luggage.

This may seem a small cost but weigh this against the infinitesimally smaller gain of the random item — beyond the brief dopamine rush of receiving something for ‘free’.

It is a case of death by 1000 cuts.

A single event, no problem.

However, multiple events, day after day, overwhelmingly equate to a net negative in my life.

My Policy Is Final

This whole article may seem over-finicky, especially given the many years that it has taken me to get to this point.

However, the more I think about it, the clearer it becomes to me that free stuff is not worth it.

So, I have a blanket policy of saying no to ANYTHING free automatically, without even thinking about it.

Not only am I freeing up the immediate bandwidth of the decision (not to mention the risk of emotional turmoil and stress) but I am also pre-emptively decluttering my life both mentally and physically in the future.

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