Things that used to be free...

[Amethyst]

In better restaurants, ones where they bake their own artisanal bread and muffins, the selection can be delectable. Rosemary-basil whole grain bread with toasted cheese edges? Corn muffins with sundried tomato? Yum! And good for sopping the sauce from the entree, too! Now I'm hungry.

For various reasons, we rarely eat out, so it may be a while before we find out if the bread basket now is a la carte.

Honestly, most of the bread in the restaurant bread baskets is not worth eating. .

 

[Walt34]

Our longtime dentist used to give a goodie bag after cleaning that included a little floss pack, a toothbrush, and a little tube of toothpaste. After my cleaning last week, I asked about the swag bag and was told "due to covid and the cost of PPE, we discontinued this." I was really disappointed.

Y'know, come to think of it, I haven't gotten a free lollipop after a shot for decades.

 

[travelover]

Our longtime dentist used to give a goodie bag after cleaning that included a little floss pack, a toothbrush, and a little tube of toothpaste. After my cleaning last week, I asked about the swag bag and was told "due to covid and the cost of PPE, we discontinued this." I was really disappointed.

My dentist started charging for the "free" goodie bag - $6 - so I told them to keep it. I know they get that stuff for free.

 

[audreyh1]

Choosing your seat on an airline in advance (prior to checking in at the airport). Nowadays, there is simply no way to do this for free. If you want to do it "for free", you must buy a ticket that's usually about $40-70 more expensive than the lowest priced "basic economy" ticket.

You couldn’t even get anything near as cheap as basic economy before.

 

[tmm99]

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My dentist started charging for the "free" goodie bag - $6 - so I told them to keep it. I know they get that stuff for free.

That's tacky.

 

[audreyh1]

Yes. I was on my bike and the front tire was low so I stopped at a gas station to get air---75 cents. I left and stopped at a different one---25 cents. I'm only aware of one local chain that has free air now.

Costco - but it’s nitrogen.

 

[travelover]

Costco - but it’s nitrogen.

Dollar Tree has helium tanks, but it might cause the bike to float away if left unattended.

 

[imnontrad]

I sold my last car via the "Offer Up" app for free. Now, I would list things on Facebook Marketplace - also currently free.

 

[Time2]

Been a while but we found out battery dead in a hotel parking garage. Few people around. I had cables.

Then saw a couple of dudes just about to get in their car. DW went to ask them, they obliged with no request for cash. Thanked them profusely.

Helps if a female asks I think. If easy on the eyes, so much the better.

I once took my young daughter to a local marina at about 2am in the morning to watch a meteorite shower. We parked a about 100ft to 120ft from another vehicle. we were watching through the windshield when I rolled my window down. there were, um, noises, specifically female noises coming from the vehicle, I rolled the window back up and my daughter didn't seem to notice. Any when the action was over, "not the meteorite shower' I heard the car motor turn over very slowly and then just click. I did my civic duty and offer them a jump and got there car running. we went back to watching the meteorite shower.
Yesterday my meth addicted redheaded female neighbor knocked at my front door and ask if I would jump her truck. I said yes and drove over to her driveway, we had a lot of trouble, because it wasn't really a low battery, it was a bad connection to her battery. She was gone before I even loaded up the battery cables, I suspect she was in a hurry to purchase her drugs. Maybe next time I'll ask her name, she's lived there 6 or 7 years, although 2 years of that were spent in jail. It's an irregular soap opera!

 

[doneat54]

Air and water. Two basic necessities of life that should be free. Not so at many gas stations any more.

They are still free. Step outside. Inhale. It's free.

Want water? Wait for rain, or find a body of water. No one will ask you for a credit card. Wade in.

Stay away from the gas stations.

#perspective

 

[dixter]

oh. the good ol days... can remember I could pick up my date, fill the car up and we would get each of us a hamburger and fries... the whole cost was $5 and yes, that included filling up the car with gas... then as I got older you could buy a quart of beer for 50 cents...

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

They are still free. Step outside. Inhale. It's free.

Want water? Wait for rain, or find a body of water. No one will ask you for a credit card. Wade in.

Stay away from the gas stations.

#perspective

I absolutely agree with "stay away from the gas stations".

 

[Perryinva]

The tire stations at our Costco are nitrogen, but are not self service. The same hose they fill tires they put on the cars, is the one they will fill your tires with.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Bread in high end restaurants. Now it's "bread service" for $4.

Hmm. That has not been our experience in the last couple of high end restaurants we have gone to.

Last week I was listening to a podcast and they were discussing that many restaurants (California) are adding "service fees" to the checks but they still are expecting gratuities. They aren't sure what the deal is...if this is true or if the wait staff is trying to double dip.

My dentist started charging for the "free" goodie bag - $6 - so I told them to keep it. I know they get that stuff for free.

That's crazy to me. As I understand, they are used as marketing items. My local DDS said they pay nothing for them.

 

[FLJim]

When I bought common stocks back in the 1970's the commission was around $24.95 per trade. Now I can buy or sell any number of shares commission free. Life is good.

 

[Amethyst]

Ours are still free...we don't use them, except maybe for the guest room, or travel. When there are enough, we donate to a homeless shelter. We use battery toothbrushes, so the regular ones are useless to us except for cleaning drains, etc.

My dentist started charging for the "free" goodie bag - $6 - so I told them to keep it. I know they get that stuff for free.

 

[euro]

My dentist started charging for the "free" goodie bag - $6 - so I told them to keep it. I know they get that stuff for free.

That's too funny! Really! Why would anyone pay $6 for that? I sure hope your goodie bag is different from mine (small pack of floss, tiny toothpaste, one toothbrush), because there is no way it is worth even close to that!

 

[RunningBum]

Want water? Wait for rain, or find a body of water. No one will ask you for a credit card. Wade in.

Yep. Oh, someone wants water that's safe to drink? Yeah, that'll cost them, as it should.

 

[travelover]

That's too funny! Really! Why would anyone pay $6 for that? I sure hope your goodie bag is different from mine (small pack of floss, tiny toothpaste, one toothbrush), because there is no way it is worth even close to that!

Nope, it was the standard little toothpaste tube, a couple of brushes and some floss. On my last visit, this week, I asked if they were still charging and they denied that they ever had. I had to go back and look at an old bill to convince myself I'd not dreamed it.

 

[travelover]

Blue LED puck lights used to be free at Harbor Freight - but wait! They are back. LINK

 

[Ian S]

Blue LED puck lights used to be free at Harbor Freight - but wait! They are back. LINK

We have those all over the house. They come with the worst batteries known to man but hey, who knocks free?! HF used to have all manner of freebies - those black screwdriver sets were great. And what happened to those 25% then 20% off coupons? Still, their alkaline batteries are a pretty good deal but not free alas.

 

[ivinsfan]

Well today I got 10 packs of Bactive 80 count wipes and Menards paid me 10 dollars to take them out of the store..anyone remember when you couldn't get a wipe for love or money

 

[travelover]

We have those all over the house. They come with the worst batteries known to man but hey, who knocks free?! HF used to have all manner of freebies - those black screwdriver sets were great. And what happened to those 25% then 20% off coupons? Still, their alkaline batteries are a pretty good deal but not free alas.

For a while, after the pandemic started, HF shelves were bare. I think they realized it was foolish to give stuff away or discount it when people were just glad to find it. Now, things are getting back to normal and they need to generate foot traffic into the stores.

That said, I have about 20 of those oval blue lights as well as copious amounts of the free multimeters, magnetic strips, headlamps, screwdrivers, tape measures, plastic clamps, tarps and the original little cheap flashlights. I put Kirkland batteries in the blue lights before they corrode and they work great.

 

[MC Rider]

When I was a kid the dentist would give out a sucker or other candy after the visit.
Way to ensure repeat business.