I used to love freebies; free food, freed drinks, free memberships, giveaways of any sort!
Some say that nothing is for free. Although I never really understood that previously, in most cases now, I agree. Giveaways by websites and companies alike aren’t actually free at all. They want your custom, they want your data, they want access into your habits, an insight into your personality and buying tendencies, basically anything they can use to try and sell you something they think you might need even though you’ve never even known you wanted or needed it.
The information we provide to these databases is valuable. These companies swap and sell your data. Free membership usually equates to loss of privacy and control of your own information.
Some things are still genuinely free though. A smile, a hug, manners, being compassionate and considerate. Free. Even online there are companies and websites that are trustworthy not wanting your information but for you to have theirs. They see the need to give away their valuable information for the sole purpose of disseminating that information, which is in our control to do what we want with. Granted there’s probably still someone along the internet transmission that’s exploiting our information but not the disseminators. These sites are hard to find but they exist.
And so although there’s not many real giveaways anymore, there are things we can do that do not involve an exchange, or if they do at least we can make those exchanges on our terms. If all else fails we can always give away our most valuable commodity, our time. Dedicate time to those we love, family, friends and even strangers. We can give away stuff we don’t need or use to charity.
I still love a freebie but of a different kind nowadays.