Q&A | is it ok to take freebies and run?
Read on for the freebie question, but first, one about my desk!
Curious about your desk in the office…is it an adjustable sit/stand desk? If so, what brand and how do you like it?
-Kaitlin
Yes, it is a sit-stand desk; it's from Ikea, and you just use the built-in handle to crank it up or down.
But I'm not gonna lie: I almost exclusively use it as a sitting desk!
The problem with moving it up and down is that if you have cords down the back (like for a monitor or keyboard), they get messed up when you change the height from sitting to standing.
I think the sit/stand combo would be better if you had a more minimalist desk setup, like with just a laptop. But I have a bunch of stuff on my desk!
So...I don't know if I'd buy this style again, but it does work just fine as a simple sitting desk. 😉
Hi, can you share the Aussie chicken recipe? I’m sure it’s been on before, but I don’t remember.
-Randi
Sure thing! I meant to link that in the most recent menu post and somehow it slipped my mind. Here's the Aussie Chicken recipe, which I think is an at-home version of a dish that Outback Steakhouse used to serve.
I don't think it's faintly authentic as Australian food goes, but it is tasty. 😉
Kristen, after years of reading your blog I’m just noticing you never include snacks in your what we ate posts. Is that for the sake of ease, or are you guys not big snack eaters?
-Beth
Oh, no, no, we do eat snacks sometimes!
And we also eat breakfast and lunch. 😉 But my WIS, WWA posts generally just cover dinner meals.
If you'd like a peek at some of my breakfast and lunch meals, though, here's a run-though with pictures of each meal.
I would say that these days, my snacks aren't usually made of snack foods per se...if I am hungry between meals, I might grab something like:
- some cheese and fruit
- a piece of toast spread with peanut butter
- a bowl of cottage cheese
- a banana with peanut butter
But I do also eat some things like wheat thins and cheese. Or the pretzels pictured above.
Curious: When you pick up freebies, do you routinely purchase anything else (when the deal isn’t contingent on your buying something, such as a free cookie if you buy a dinner)? I never take advantage of stuff like this, maybe because I always feel like I need to BUY something to justify the goody they’re giving me. Wondering if anyone else feels like that? I would feel super weird walking in and just getting a free whatever and then walking out (and hey, absolutely no judgment for those who do this—the business finds the transaction worthwhile in some way, otherwise they wouldn’t do it). Just wondering how others navigate this.
-Oregon Guest
Nope! If it's a flat-out freebie, I just pick that up and go.
I am guessing that the majority of people do buy something with their freebie offer, and that's why a lot of companies send out birthday offers. It's kind of like Panera's Unlimited Sip club; they probably lose money on the club, but it gets people into the cafe and once people are there, they're likely to buy other things.
As another example, I'm a member of CVS's ExtraCare Plus program; I pay $4/month and then I get a $10 credit to spend at CVS, plus some other discounts.
That's like getting $6 free every month, but it probably works out for CVS because most people will spend more overall at CVS because the ExtraCare Plus program gets them in the door.
I also look at it like the loss leaders at grocery stores.
Warehouse clubs usually price their rotisserie chickens so low that they are losing money on them, but it works out because when people stop in to buy a rotisserie chicken, they pick up other things too.
But if you stop in and only buy the rotisserie chicken, I don't think you're doing anything wrong!
Of course, it's fine to only do what you feel comfortable with. But I'm just sayin' that I don't personally have a problem taking the freebie and running. 😉
(Uhhh, just so you know, I don't literally run. I walk out of the shop like a NORMAL HUMAN BEING. 😉 )
What's your take on this freebie question? Do you feel obligated to make a purchase?
And if you've got good frugal snack ideas, or a sit/stand desk recommendation, share that too!
I've done both! I remember when my kids would get a free personal pan pizza for reading books, and I had no problem picking up those pizzas and fixing my own simple dinner that night. I also do the CVS program, and sometimes when I get coupons for $4 off of a purchase, I get a greeting card and it ends up free. Other times, I just use the program to reduce my overall bill. I need to save any way I can.
I have no problem just doing a freebie but at least half the time, I'm doing it while I am looking for something else (in other words, I don't make a trip JUST to get a freebie. I consolidate with other errands.) You don't really save money if you just go out for the freebie because it's also your time. Just my way of thinking anyway. I have no problem with how anyone gets their freebies.
And you probably got the freebie in the first place BECAUSE you've been buying from someone! It's a gift, but you've also really earned it by prior purchases. So nobody should feel bad about just going in for the freebie. IMHO
Oh for sure on the time! And gas! I always redeem mine when I’m already near the store for some other reason, or I batch all the nearby ones together.
I have a sit-stand desk and mounted a SIGNUM wire management tray from IKEA underneath it. All of my cords plug into a surge protector and the surge protector plugs into the wall. So there is only one cord that goes up and down when I use the desk. It works pretty well. Love your blog, thanks for sharing with us.
I see you have a cable tray, oops. I'd recommend a PC sling to attach the PC to your desk, but that one looks hefty!
I have no issue grabbing the freebie! Of course their whole goal is to draw you in and you will buy more.. and I am sure that 80% of the population will play into that.. same as people who buy the items that has a rebate offer but they forget to complete it and send it in. I don't leave money or free stuff on the table. lol
Most of the time I will shop the loss leaders at my few fave stores and then Aldi the rest but if time is my biggest issue that day I will hit the closest store to me and just get the job done!
With so many deals being available on apps it is so easy to place an order and swing by and grab the free item and not need to feel embarrassed at the counter for only ordering the free breadsticks(I am talking about my love of Pizza Hut Carbs! lol)
I can't take advantage of many freebies, because I won't give up my personal data. Although I believe you are correct, and the stores count on people buying something else when they come in for a free deal, the real money is made by tracking your purchases and and buying habits selling that data to other enterprises.
@Bell, I'm with you. I'd get more freebies if I signed up for more of them, but I'd rather keep a little bit more of my privacy (or at least the illusion that I have some; I know we're all vulnerable) and forgo the freebies.
@A. Marie, I'd get freebies (though not Dominos because we have real pizza here) if any were available. I think the only birthday discount I get is from Anthropologie. No chain stores/restaurants= no apps = no freebies.
@Bell, I'm also with you. I do not want everybody's apps tracking my info, so there are no freebies in my life. Amy D. of Tightwad Gazette fame wrote about how her family's grocery spending was based entirely on carefully tracked loss leader sales, so I have no problem with just buying loss leaders. Most people won't do that.
@Rose, same here: no chains=no apps=no freebies.
@Bell, @A.Marie, I also keep up the illusion that not signing up keeps my privacy.
And the less texts and emails that come my way, the more I can live screen-free.
@A. Marie, being a recent victim of the ATT data breach, I know that the little things I do don't protect me, really. But I like the illusion that I have some control as well.
@Bell, amen to privacy. You can keep your BOGO offer cuz I am not signing up. Nor am I downloading an app to my phone. Nor will I use a QR code. I usually let the landline (yes and mainly due to the fact my internet cost will jump an amount almost equal to the landline cost plus I don't like giving out my cell number) ring and the machine pick up. Got a call from a relative re: the health of another relative the day before so I picked up. "Hello" I say, "caller" says "hello". I say "hello" again, "caller" says "can you hear me?". I wish I had laughed before hanging up. Need to remind my Dad of this scam. Likely due to my line of work but I get more cautious and suspicious as I get older. My Dad, eh, not so much.
@Rose,
HECK YEAH you have real pizza there. 🙂 Dominos? Pfft. Even here in Ohio, that would not be my first choice. (no shade thrown if other folks prefer Dominos).
As far as freebies go, I would totally take it and bounce. I also go into stores and buy ONLY loss leaders and manager's specials. I even call it getting the "loss Lidls" when I go into Lidl because I have noticed that all of their other products are basically the same items Aldi carries but marked up at least 20 cents or more. Aldi is the only store that I buy things at full price. All other grocery stores I restrict myself to loss leaders (and then only when cheaper than Aldi), clearance items and the occasional specific item that Aldi doesn't carry.
@Becca, I'm gonna start using "loss Lidls" Love it! I do the same thing for the reasons you mentioned.
@Becca, SAME
I never feel obligated to buy something when I get my freebie. No guilt what so ever. However for me, the free sub from Jersey Mikes means I have to pick up a paid sub for the hubs but other freebies I do not. Coffee, cookies hubs won't eat. He's a Ding dong kind of guy anyway. I am not aware of any free Ding Dongs...
@Mar, My husband got a hole in one in golf once. The rest of his group celebrated with a drink. He celebrated by buying himself a case of Ding Dongs. So, I, too, have a Ding Dong kind of guy. (I think they are gross.)
While I don't feel obligated to buy anything with my freebie, I will usually stack it with another purchase if for no other reason than to justify the extra trip, but also to complete a meal or snack. (Even though I batch errands most of the time) I think the place I most often use my freebie is Chik-Fil-A. I got a free kale salad the other day and I for sure wasn't leaving without something else to eat for dinner! I like using coupons but I often forget to ask for the Senior discount...
@Gina from The Cannary Family, I've found that many take out/restaurant food places don't allow you to combine discounts on same bill. Not sure about other/retail stores because never thought to ask because stores that actually offer senior/veteran discount ask you during checkout, which is few & far between where I shop.
@Gina from The Cannary Family, my first thought is that the kale salad was free because it is so unappealing (to me). I read a thing once that said kale is rude, slapping you in the face with its strong flavor, but spinach is a gentleman vegetable.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Kale is my garden aspiration planting. I plant it, sure that this year we will eat it. Nope. It does get eaten, by chickens next door. (They used to be our chickens but moved next door last year after one winter too many of falling while trying to change water at 40 below zero. We still get their extra eggs, so I think it was a very good trade!)
I wouldn’t say I feel obliged to buy something, but it often doesn’t make sense for me to go somewhere just to get that one free item. I also get suspicious of “free coupons” because they often have strings attached, so I typically just ignore all of them. You could say that I’m very bad at collecting my freebies!
I have no guilt using up a freebie coupon and only the freebie. Currently, corporate greed in general is at an all time high.
@Stephanie, You said it! I agree 100%!
@Stephanie, if I got freebies, I would use them guilt-free for the same reason. If they weren't profitable, the corporations wouldn't be passing them out. And it isn't free if you have to provide your information to them. And then you continue to "pay" by having to deal with all their ads/texts/emails PLUS selling your information. That's a hard pass in my world.
I've done both also.
But to be clear I generally give some freebie (paper) coupons to others that I won't use. If it's digital freebie & food related teen usually snags as soon as I get (unless not with me & I really want 🙂 ). But there are some BOGO coupons that I don't use because forget. There are plenty of BOGO FREE take out food items that just get overlooked because not in area (Aunt Anne's pretzels) or just not in mood.
Many birthday freebies are in larger cities that are hour or more away & if I'm in that area (for whatever reason) I do check in & get freebies, but otherwise they don't get used.
In all honesty, there are some freebies that I personally don't use but get & gift later or resell. Very rarely, but does happen.
We have the exact same desk at the small archives where I work. It isn’t our main desk, but we use it daily as a standing work table, often with a laptop, and at least once a week as a sitting work table. We have had it for years and love it, but I agree with Kristen that if we had more that one cord involved, it would be more challenging.
Oregon Guest: don't let retail workers intimidate you if you want a freebie. It used to bother me too mainly because of the interpersonal interaction required and the attitude of some cashiers. They used to act like the freebie came out of their own pocket or sometimes they didn't have enough experience with the register to know how to run the freebie through. Those problems have mostly disappeared and most cashiers now seem unfazed and non-judgmental when it comes to freebies.
I do have to share the worst experience I ever had, though. When Hallmark had their own stores, they occasionally offered coupons in magazines (remember those? 😉 ) They once offered a free four-piece box of chocolate truffles, no purchase necessary. I took the coupon to a local store where I had been going for years and presented it to the old lady behind the counter. She asked what I was buying and I said the coupon did not require a purchase. She flipped out, ranting about me running her out of business, saying the the chocolates were for customers that bought something, that Hallmark didn't just give away stuff without a purchase, on and on. It was embarrassing and hilarious at the same time. Finally a younger associate came over and explained to her that, yes, the coupon was valid and pulled out a box and handed them to me with a sheepish apology. The old lady was still ranting when I left. I had actually shopped at that store for years, but after her behavior, I never went back.
@Bobi, I think Hallmark is running itself out of business with the ridiculously high prices it charges for its greeting cards. You can spend your entire birthday gift budget (for one person's birthday) on that one (($5.99, $7.99, $9.99 or higher) card. Or you can go to the Dollar Store or Ollie's Outlet and pay a dollar or less for a card, and then use the rest of the cash for the birthday gift itself. Oh, and don't forget estate sales and thrift stores -- you might score some unused greeting cards there, as well. One of our local thrift stores charge a quarter for each greeting card they sell; that's more like it IMHO.
@Bobi, good for you not going back! Years ago I got a coupon for a free maternity panty at a maternity store. So I was just getting that and the woman at the counter (possibly owner) said point blank they were not giving out things for free, that I’d have to buy something more. I got a second pair of panties and certainly never went back. However, I guess that did influence my aversion to such a good deal. A cookie and such is a whole different thing though.
@Fru-gal Lisa, I agree! I've recently scored some great birthday cards at Aldi for .24 each, then after Easter, I bought a bunch of cards for .09. My store usually stashes them near the cash register when they're marked down. They're really nice cards which (unfortunately) will require extra postage if I choose to mail them but at those prices, I can afford it. 😉
@Fru-gal Lisa, I've been a Hallmark store shopper (though mostly gone in our area & many other areas also) but I only buy specialty/pop up card that you can't find/get anywhere else. And to be honest (since the card is $6-$10 without coupon which I only buy with coupons) the card itself it the gift. I do get coupons regularly & free basic card once a month (but I do have to pay sales tax) but otherwise I go to Dollar Tree (now $1 each at our stores).
The thing about Hallmark that has gotten me these last few years is that almost all the ornaments are plastic & still priced as handcrafted/better quality materials. I think Hallmark quality has shifted while maintaining their brand pricing.
@Fru-gal Lisa, My thrift store does 12 cards for $1. I only get them there.
@Shirley, That woman at the counter (possibly owner) was penny wise and pound foolish: she gained the price of one pair of panties, but lost a customer for life.
@Marybeth from NY, Fantastic deal! Ours used to charge a dime a card but then their prices have gone up along with everyone else's.
@Fru-gal Lisa, good point! Especially since I had five kids!
@Shirley, oh how we are so different. I'd have told the counter woman, point blank, no purchase necessary. And would not have budged an inch until I received said free product.
Funny you should mention this. Because last night I had a coupon for a free kiddie burger meal, and I got it at a drive-through fast food place. I believe this was intended for children under 12, but there was no wording on the coupon that said you had to be any certain age. So that was my dinner.
This morning, I had a coupon for a free taquito (Mexican breakfast wrap with cheese, eggs and bacon/sausage.) I got up early and went to that restaurant and went inside and got it "to go." They asked if I wanted any coffee and I said no thank you, we brewed a pot at home. So I admit it: I am shameless in getting freebies!
The Tightwad Gazette tackled this ethical issue years ago and The Frugal Zealot (author Amy Daczyczn) came to the conclusion it's OK to take the freebie and run. Her reasoning: the business knows a certain percentage of customers will not spend money in the store, but it also knows a bunch of them will. So it's willing to write off us tightwads not buying anything as the cost of doing business. You can rest assured they're not losing any money on this deal because some spendthrifts will go in there, get the freebie, and buy other things. It's a loss leader.
FZ used the metaphor of fishing: the fisherman knows that some fish will grab the bait without being hooked but he still baits his hook because other fish will take the bait and get hooked. Therefore, she concluded, it's not a sin to take the bait and not get hooked on buying other things that day; businesses assume that if you truly like the product, you will no doubt come back another day and purchase it.(ie, I will likely be back for the taquitos but the kiddie meal tasted awful.)
Bottom line: Businesses wouldn't run the freebie deals (or other loss leaders) if they were losing money on them, so don't let them guilt you into unnecessary purchases.
@Fru-gal Lisa, precisely.If enough people do it the frugal way, they'll stop offering freebies. Fat chance, because we Frugalistas are a small tribe compared to the general population. "Normal" is being in debt.
Dave Ramsey has a similar take on buying extended warranties—if the company didn't make money on those, if they actually lost money, they'd stop offering them. He also always reminds his listeners that the house always wins (casinos).
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, We were driving through Nevada once and I wanted to stop at a casino to gamble. I won $1000 with the first wheel going around. I was so excited and when I went to leave the person at the wheel asked me how I could go now that I had won. I told him I was so excited by my huge win that I wanted to make sure I did not lose it. He told me $1000 was "chump change" and that people could win many times more. I told him I guessed that I was a chump then and left. It was pretty exciting, though, especially for a first time gambler, so I could see how people could get hooked.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Yes. I've heard that Las Vegas casino employees say to one another, "this place wasn't built with the winners' money." Meaning there are tons more losers, and the money they've lost built the elaborate palaces (casinos). Which is why we shouldn't gamble!
Oh Kristen, how funny, your comment on not literally running. Whenever I tell my better half that I'm running out, he very calmly responds "please drive".
I just printed out the Aussie Chicken recipe - thank you for the link to the printable version.
I too include peanut butter as a snack to add a bit of protein and yum. I especially like to get it at a local natural food store where they make it on site or grind my own at Sprouts now that I'm an empty nester. It was way too expensive when my children ate peanut butter by the spoonful straight from the jar.
I must confess that I don't take advantage of freebies very often because I expect kick-back that I'm not buying anything. Sadly, Bobi's story of the Hallmark store fiasco is kind of what I expect.
@Elaine N, whenever my husband says he's going to jump in the shower, I tell him it would be better to just step in carefully. 😎
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, and to also step out carefully. I worked with a young guy who had the shower in the bathtub situation. He stepped out of the bathtub, caught his foot on the edge, fell rather badly and broke his leg. Lesson I learned, be very careful stepping in and out of the bathtub.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, oh yes, my husband says that too.
I don't get freebies but once in a blue moon, because I don't sign up for many, I often don't live or even work near the places that offer them, I don't want what they offer, or I'm not interested in yet another app on my phone. Also, my birthdate is an issue - if I put 2/29, I don't get anything 3 out of 4 years, and if I put 2/28, I don't get anything on my actual for real birthday, which is a real let down.
I have no problem buying just loss leaders or getting just the freebie, though. As stated here and in the Tightwad Gazette, stores wouldn't do this if they consistently lost money on it. Unless they state that it is available only with a purchase of X, then one is free to take the freebie and go.
What I don't feel is right, and this was also discussed in the Tightwad Gazette, is eat at an all you can eat place and take some of it away with me. The AYCE is clearly meant for "in our establishment only." I knew someone who told me a family member of hers always shoved extra food into a bag in her purse and declared it was okay because it was "all you can eat", and eating it later was the same as if she'd eaten it there. Of course, that same family member lost a job later for mishandling her employer's bank deposits, so....
@JD, I have a similar problem as your birthday issue. Where I live, it's an extra pain to find a doctor or a particular store or wherever, because the algorithm uses a circle to decide what I'm close to, and it's usually southern Connecticut or Rhode Island. Yep, let me get in my nonexistent boat and tootle across to the CVS.
@JD, my birthday is 2/28 and I get all the freebies! I receive birthday freebies for the whole month of February and most of March. Some are only good for a few days before, on, and/or after my actual birthday but most are good for several weeks before or after.
@Tracy K,
Mine is actually the 29th, and when I put that in, even on the actual 29th, some places still fail to recognize it. But I signed up for very few freebies anyway and have next to none that I'm signed up for, now, for the reasons listed above. I got only one this past birthday - a $5 coupon at DSW, which wasn't even going to take 10% off of most of their shoes. It wasn't worth driving across town to get that.
I never feel I have to buy anything when I get a FREEBIE! Next month is my birthday and I have a lost of all the good stuff I’m gonna go pick up!!! The places I go for freebies are usually places I DO go during the rest of the year, at least once in a while!
Because I get occasional freebies from places that at some point I spent or will spend, no qualms taking the occasional freebies with nothing else. If it's a new to me place and it was a good experience, I might be .ore inclined to shop there again. So yes, I'll utilize freebies and support the business as it makes sense going forward.
I also noticed no snacks were mentioned when you posted A Day in the Life and figured that lack rather than just good genetics were how you stayed thin.
I don't like celery, but it is a good holder for peanut butter, adds fiber which slows down the sugar hit, and that is a snack that goes the distance for staving off hunger. Not that my peanut butter has sugar added (I do the grind-your-own machine at Winco) —I mean the carbohydrate sugar hit.
Nutrition info is continually changing and it is tiresome to keep up. I still am fighting the new truth that carbs are the enemy when I lived to fight and avoid fats for so long. If it were possible, I'd live on bread, fruit, and cheese.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I'm confused.....carbohydrate hit from what exactly? Celery isn't high in carbs, and your grind-your-own PB isn't, either. Carbs are not the enemy, either, but some are better than others.
When I was a baby (so...late 1970's) my parents were somewhere that was offering a free 11x14 picture. They signed up for the picture, sat for it, and then when they went to pick it up, of course they were presented with the opportunity to buy a whole package of pictures, in addition to the free picture. My dad, being the frugal person he is (and also a broke college student) opted for just the free picture. The guy trying to sell the pictures wasn't happy with him, telling him that "we're just going to have to throw the extra pictures away", but my dad didn't budge. This of course, is different from freebies like a Starbucks drink, but I am always 100% happy to take the freebie . 😉
I was at the opening of a coffee shop where they were handing out free coffee. The line was long, and I witnessed many people buying branded merchandise, drinks, food, etc. Like, extravagantly so - two people spending $80, a group of four spending over $100. I was amazed. So don't feel badly taking something free, there are a lot of other people making up for it! Haha
I feel ok about just taking a freebie without buying anything else, especially if it is a place I normally frequent, like Chick-fil-A or Bath and Body Works. I stopped in BBW to pick up my free item with those monthly coupons they send and they cashier asked if I wanted anything else as they had a sale going on. I politely declined. CFA just sent 2 freebie rewards this week for a drink and chicken strips which made a nice snack for me. And you bet I'm getting my free Starbucks birthday drink! I have left some freebies on the table if they are for a free appetizer or somewhere I don't go frequently or is out of my way. Just can't use them all.
I can't think of a place in our town that does birthday freebies; we don't have too many franchises. We do have a Starbucks but I have only been there once and that was the drive-thru when it was really cold and just wanted something warm in my hands. (Our current vehicle, a van purchased over 10 years ago now has a steering wheel warmer! And heated seats!)
I have no problem with picking up the freebie only. When possible I take advantage of all the freebies available - grab and go!
As far as frugal snacks, we eat fresh fruit or pretzels. This week I had some ripe bananas to use up. I sliced them into chunks and added a spoonfull of peanut butter between two slices and froze. Now that they are frozen I'll dip in melted chocolate. They will be perfect for a simple sweet treat.
@Tracy K, that sounds SO GOOD!
I think it is fine to get just the free item. I also only go if I am going to be near bye. Sometimes I give a free item to my kids or sisters if they will be near a store. I keep getting $10 off any purchase emails from Bobs. Mine closed over a year ago. My sister drives past one goin to work. So I forward them to her. The amount of stuff stores throw away is more then they are giving out free.
Marketing people get paid the big bucks (as do the CEO et al). THEY have that 4/4+ year degree so who am I to turn down a true freebie? Then again, BB&Y made the tactical mistake of too many x% off coupons. Kohl's isn't far behind them I suspect. Red Lobster has (or will) will file for bankruptcy after losing like $11M - mostly due to all you can eat shrimp.
None of us have held a gun to any company's head. If you want to buy something on principle due to your freebie, so be it. But you are under no obligation to do so.
I love free stuff, but in this day of high-priced gasoline, I'm careful about when and where. I am probably not going to drive 8 miles to Panera just to get a free cookie, but if I'm in the neighborhood . . . We only have one CVS in our town, and it's a bit out-of-the-way, so I don't participate in their savings programs. However, Aldi has just opened a store on my side of town, so ALDI, HERE I COME!!! (They've sent out $10 off $50 coupons!)
I feel very awkward so don't get a freebie without buying anything else, except for at Starbucks. I have occassionally picked up the free birthday item without buying anything else when they used to have protein boxes. Since they no longer carry those, I don't get a birthday freebie at all as nothing there appeals to me. I think the only reason that I didn't feel awkward about getting just the free birthday item from Starbucks is because they are so ridiculously over-priced to begin with.
Because of this, I rarely partake in birthday freebies as there ususally isn't anything else that I want. I sometimes receive an offer of free socks from Eddie Bauer but I've never redeemed those, either.
I love McDonald's coffee and when they have the free small coffee promo I always order a larger size and pay the difference. I cannot imagine going through the drive through and only getting the free coffee.
Oh, I just remembered that last year, for the first time, I had the birthday freebie at Denny's without ordering anything else. I tipped really well though and didn't feel awkward about it at all.
I wish we had a Panera here as that drink club sound great.
Thanks for the follow-up on this and all the good comments!
I have a sit/stand up desk and it is not Ikea. I use the zipper sleeve management for the cords. Boy do I have a lot of cords. I work in a law office. So two monitors, office phone, plug for my phone, plug for the desk so it moves, plug for my laptop and my laptop's second monitor, plus a desktop computer but it is tiny. I zipped everything up whole while it was in the standing position and when I lower the desk to sit, the cords just pool inside the cord management sleeves.
I cycle through the day between sitting, standing, sitting on a yoga ball, and kneeling on the kneeler desk chair. I have psoriatic arthritis and ankylosis spondylitis, and this method allows me to work long days.