Free items have hidden cost
By Leigh Goodrich
April 5, 2009 9:42 p.m.
After waiting in line for more than two hours to buy Spring Sing tickets, I had to remind myself why I had bothered getting there as soon as the tickets went on sale. Then I remembered the sign advertising free T-shirts for the first 500 people. Looking at the hordes of students crowding in front of the Central Ticket Office all the way past Pauley Pavilion, I realized I’m not the only one easily enticed by the word “free.”
When they stroll down Bruin Walk, UCLA students are constantly bombarded with offers for free stuff, whether it’s movie tickets, fliers or lollipops with a student group’s information attached. With the constant promise of free things, students need to resist temptation and realize that even things without a price tag come with strings attached.
One of the hardest things to turn down is free food. Knowing the ravenous appetites of college students, smart organizers offer snacks every chance they get. It seems that food is the prize for getting involved on campus ““ almost every social event or dance on the Hill advertises a buffet and prizes. Floor government meetings with the highest attendance are those that offer chocolate fondue or an ice cream social. Candidates running for leadership positions offer pieces of candy if you attach one of their campaign flyers to your door, while organizers for blood drives give away Diddy Riese cookies, candy and restaurant gift cards. It’s no wonder so many first-years worry about gaining the “Freshman 15″ ““ it seems like the most economical way to live.
Gaining weight, however, is not the only price you pay for getting sucked into free giveaways. I missed lecture while I was standing in line for the Spring Sing T-shirt; I felt too invested after waiting an hour to give up and go to class. I can’t even count the number of times my friends and I have gone to an event just to check out the free food or to collect on the free items advertised. Not only does the free item fail to warrant the time and effort spent, but I also end up with useless knickknacks that clutter my desk and eventually get thrown away. It all makes me wonder how much my time is worth or how much hassle is really worth the novelty of something free.
It is often inconvenient to go and get the free stuff, and the items themselves also aren’t actually free when you really think about it. Sure, campus events may offer free food and activities, but we are already paying for tuition and housing. Just because our BAR accounts don’t provide billing information describing the cost of the brownies at last quarter’s Casino Night doesn’t mean the cost wasn’t accounted for.
Glorified bribery may be prevalent on campus, but it’s just preparation for the real world of marketing. Grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s offer free samples, while Costco provides the ultimate paradise for those seeking free food. Of course, people rarely go to the grocery store for a free sample and walk out empty-handed, while you have to pay for a Costco membership to enjoy the supposedly “free” food and product samples. Marketing masterminds create everything from buy-one-get-one-free deals to shampoo bottles with labels reading “33 percent more free,” all of which prove how easily shoppers are tricked.
I am just as guilty as the rest of the eager student population. I sucked on a free hard candy for at least five minutes even though I absolutely despise cherry flavor. I walked all the way down to campus to check out a giveaway event and left with a free pen. Even worse, I waited all that time for the free Spring Sing T-shirt, paid $20 for the ticket and found out that I was not in the first 500 and couldn’t get a shirt.
Students should learn from my mistakes and realize that nothing in life is truly free. And while it’s especially difficult to resist free giveaways when you’re a broke college student in the midst of a broke economy, it’s important to remember that time and thoughtful consideration of marketing techniques may be worth more.
If you’re out of cash and want to know where to get free Post-its or snacks, then e-mail Goodrich at [email protected]. Send general comments to [email protected].
