Don't Take It Personally, But I Don't Want Your Free Stuff

Last weekend, I went to Houston iFest and had a great time. The one thing that ruined the experience was the vendors hawking free stuff to entice you to their booth. Most of the freebies are of limited use; poor quality items that will end up in the trash or collecting dust somewhere in your home.

Many stores and even corporate and community events use this annoying marketing practice indiscriminately. It is indicative of the “throw away” culture that we live in. There is always someone offering you free stuff to try and get your attention. If I am really interested in what you are hawking, I really do not need all the tchotchkes you are thrusting in my face.

The current fashionable freebie is the re-usable bag to use for grocery shopping and whatever else you choose to lug home. Now that is a worthwhile freebie. But how many shopping bags do you really need?

“Take it, it’s free”, one shouted at me. “You don’t want a free bag?” another one asked incredulously. Some of them even look offended when I refused their offers. Really, I don't need another bag. The fact that it is free is irrelevant.

I jumped on the re-usable bag bandwagon a couple years ago and I have more than enough bags. I keep 6 bags in my car, but any time I go to the store I find that I rarely use more than 4 bags. Of course I don't bag the bulky stuff like tissue paper. What I really need is a better memory to remember to take the bags with me when I leave the car. Having more bags is not going to cure that problem.

For the last few years, I have been trying to pare down the stuff in my life and get rid of all the clutter. Philosophically and emotionally I have embraced the concept. Practically, I have yet to actually clean out our home and get rid of all the things we don't need. Drawers so stuffed that I can't even open them. Boxes in the garage that I have no idea what they contain.

But there is one thing that I can do right now. I will not bring something home unless I absolutely need it. So don't get offended when I turn down your free stuff. It's not personal.