Have fun with freebies

Build an adventure around freebies or discounts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is to have fun with freebies. When a restaurant
or store offers a freebie that sounds like fun, build

(00:24):
a little adventure around it, and maybe try to include
others in your adventure as well. Last summer, I ran
an evening Hour's challenge to help participants make the most
of the time between work and bedtime. I surveyed people
about their experiences, and I was initially confused by how

(00:45):
many people reported going out for slurpees on a particular night. Now, sure,
it was summer and going out for slurpees is fun,
but the ratio of slurpees to ice cream was surprising
until I so eventually put the pieces together and realize
this particular night was July eleventh, or seven eleven in

(01:08):
the way we Americans write dates, and seven eleven the
convenience store celebrated that day by giving out free slurpees.
A lot of people decided to turn this freebie into
an evening adventure. Now, I will confess that I am
not a huge fan of universal freebie days. That is,
when a store gives something free to everybody. Economics tells

(01:32):
us that this will create a line. Personally, I would
rather pay a few dollars for let's say, an ice
cream cone at Benning Jerry's and not wait in an
hour long line on free cone Day. But sometimes freebies
are available at other times, and if you do a
little work, you might be able to build a discounted

(01:52):
adventure around them. For instance, lots of places will give
you a freebie or a discount on your birthday. If
you are looking to celebrate, maybe check who'll give you
a free or discounted meal, and then bring a friend
with you to celebrate. You could split the cost and

(02:13):
both get some affordable festivities. Places like Starbucks have their
rewards if you've spent a certain amount, and so if
you know you have a freebee coming up, you could
plan to go with a friend specifically to redeem your
free item. Or you might check the coupons that come
in the mail. Most are not going to be worthwhile,

(02:35):
but maybe there's a coupon for a free bowling game
at a place you've never been to. If you've been
looking for some weekend fun with a friend, you could
suggest this. It's a great opener. Hey, I've got this
coupon I want to use. People might be gamed for it,
You just never know. I've been known to bid on
some less popular silent auction items in order to get

(02:58):
discounted little adventures. Now, obviously I'm putting some money out
the door here, But if I was going to donate
to that nonprofit anyway, how fun to get a free
pass to a helicopter museum or a gift certificate to
a tea shop or something like that. If it's somewhere
I might not have gone otherwise, this freebie could make

(03:21):
life a little more interesting. In any case, we could
all use some playfulness and abundance in our lives. Places
often do offer discounts or freebies for some reason or another,
So if you see one, use it as an opportunity
to plan an adventure and try to bring someone along.

(03:43):
You just might find yourself with more memories which are priceless,
even if they stemmed from something that's free. In the meantime,
this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to me
making the most of our time. Thanks for listening to

(04:09):
before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback. You
can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts
from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or

(04:32):
wherever you listen to your favorite shows.