Free gifts - with strings attached

This morning I was cleaning off my desk, and once again moved a little card from Reader's Digest - Free Gift when you visit this site. So, before I tossed it I decided to go see what it was about.

First I had to give my name and email. I almost stopped there, but went on. Next was the offer, which was a free RD Condensed book. They'd send me the first one at no charge, and then every 4 weeks or so I'd get a new one - only $19.99 plus $5.99 shipping and handling.

If you really wanted to try condensed books, it was a good offer. But I shy away from anything that gives me a free trial and then if I don't want to buy more I have to go through a rigamarole to cancel.

How about you? Do you bite on offers where you're enrolled to purchase a "something" every month - just because you get the first "something" for free?

I don't do it any more - I already have plenty to do besides trying to cancel a subscription.

And in this case, I didn't even want the free one.

I kind of prefer choosing my own authors and titles - and the public library is on my way to the grocery store. It's a nice place - lots of books, lots of authors, lots of choices. And if I want, I can read a few pages to see if I'm interested before I bring one home. I can even request a book from a different branch and it will be there for me in a couple of days. Best of all, it only costs me a few extra cents in gasoline to go a block off the highway to get there.

Not to say I don't purchase books - I do. But the ones I purchase are for future reference: copywriting books, natural health books, books of quotes, poetry - all the things I'm going to go back and read again. And even at that, my bookshelves are overflowing. There's no room for novels I'm going to read only once.

Have you checked out your library lately? It's full of good stuff. And it's free - with no strings attached.

Happy Sunday,
Marte