"We jump at freebies because we are so used to getting ripped off most of the rest of the time!" --- that is a load of dog poo.  We live in an entitlement society that feel that they shouldn't have to work for anything.

Arimathea, I hated that.  I remember doing a long arduous triathlon in the middle of July and when I finished, they were out of water and sports drink because people were taking several at once.  I've actually done a few races were if you're not wearing a number or any evidence that you are a participant and not a spectator, you can't have any food.

A friend of mine runs a comic shopo, but he didn't take part in the recent "free comic book day" largely for this reason.  Bad enough he had to pay out of pocket for those "free" comics, but the first year he tried it he had similar scrambles and people trying to take the whole box of "free" comics only to never see them spend any real money.  Later when he tried limiting the number of freebies you could have, all he got was a lot of anger.

Sadly, I call this a learned behaviour.  We see so many rich people that can't really defend how they make their money (in a pay as a function of effort sense), but say they earned it simply because they got someone to give it to them.  It's only natural that that behaviour would get the idea that if it's offered it should be taken as much as possible.

When someone or a company gives away free stuff they are doing one of or a combination of three things:  1. actually being nice and giving back to the community, 2. promoting something, 3. getting good pr.  Whatever the reason is they are doing something that they do not have to, no one is obligated to give away anything.

On the other end we see two types of people: 1. the ones that appreciate the free thing and take only what was intended for them to take and 2. the greedy pieces of crap that are only slightly removed from animals.

The real person comes out when offered free things.  Are you civilized or are you scavenging animal?

In 2008 as an advertising method I gave pens to several stores I prepare taxes for.  I went through all 5000 in 3 weeks and gained 1 new client.  For the 2009 tax season I ask the stores to ask for a 25 cent donation (pens are really nice ones with ink and highlighters) that would be given to a local scholarship.  3 pens were taken.  Greed is alive and well

A friend of mine works at a fast-food restaurant and said customers are always trying to get something for nothing, try to make substitutions for things they have coupons for, etc. He said a customer came in one day, ordered his food, then sat down in the dining room to eat. After he had eaten all his food, he came back to the counter wanting his money back, stating, "You didn't give me what I had ordered." Sheesh!

Oh yeah, another one I thought of. I used to sell Avon. I didn't have too many customers, so I didn't earn too much money from it (earnings were based on a percentage of your total sales. The higher your total sales, the larger your earnings percentage.) Some girls at work wanted me to bring in some brochures and wanted some samples of lipsticks, cologne, or something. I have to pay for the brochures and any samples I give out, even though I can't charge for the samples. Then they would turn around and buy the things from someone else who sold Avon! Then one time they said they bought from the other person because they always gave a 25%discount on everything, and wondered why I didn't do the same. When I told them that most of my orders aren't big enough to earn 25% for myself, let alone pass that along to customers. Yet they still wanted me to bring them the samples and brochures. I told them if they were going to order from the other person anyway, they should just ask her for the free samples and brochures. They seemed pretty ticked off about that! LOL

I jus clicked on the free credit report that is advertised no social security # and no credit card. It ask for both so I deleted my application.

Joyce Vermilyea, the only way to get your credit report for free is to go to annualcreditreport.com.  You are allowed one copy from each credit reporting agency per year.  It will ask for your ss#, but its a secure site.  To get your credit score, go on myfico.com, this is not free, its about $12 per reporting agency.

We have pens at our stations for customers to use 1 man takes 3 pens each time he comes in which is 3 times a week times 52 weeks is 450 pens a year.  That is stealing in my mind and they continue to let him do it.  We order the most pens of any on the 9 branches and they wonder why. I worked the home show for the bank to promote the banks low loan and mortgage rates.  I  gave out a ton of gadgets and answered 1 question in 4 hours. Some people came back to see if we had different stuff.  What greediness.  

My Dad was in business for many years.  He had a great saying:  "People will take a head cold if it's free." Too true!