Free gifts with purchase

I first got addicted to Free gifts with purchase, I think, when I started browsing http://www.efragrance.com/ via http://www.rewardscentral.com.au/ They offer excellent designer perfumes at reasonable prices, with excellent discounts in the sales section. I love good perfume- Opium and Rive Gauche by Yves St Laurent, Tea Rose by the Perfumer's Workshop are my 3 absolute loves, but a good rose perfume of ant description will soon turn my nostrils (as opposed to my head). I could walk out the door nude but so shoes and perfume and not feel naked. Adding the option to earn points at Rewards central and I admit I am hooked, but what has always pushed me over the shopping edge is their free gifts with purchase. When DVDS were still pricey they would often offer the latest release as a gift for spending $50 or more. They also always give you at least one or two little samples of the latest perfumes, and some more scent card samples. I would justify the purchases to myself thinking I'd watch the DVD once and then on sell it. Other Free gifts have included branded tote bags and clutch purses full of extra samples, tennis balls, cocktail shakers, small versions of good quality perfumes, jewelry, lotions etc.

Well you know what? Never did on sell a DVD but I have kept some and given away others. I did actually sell a couple of unopened perfume samples on ebay for about $2 though. Some of the free gifts with purchase like perfumes and bags I have given as gifts.

The stupidity factor : Thinking I can make money by spending it on luxury consumer goods. I have ebayed some of my regretted purchases during "oh my god the bills are coming!" times, and generally made a loss.

The pleasure/value factor:
What Rewards central is offering is effectively a discount- and sometimes a quite good one. efragrance is, in my opinion, a good site which sells genuine designer perfumes at reduced prices, has good sales, and does constantly offer discounts, promotional gifts and samples. They also deliver very fast in my experience. So now I use them regularly for the Xmas and other gift shopping, waiting till the Sister in laws favorite is on sale, taking advantage of an % percent off sale or a free dvd promotion when I am planning to purchase anyway. And I always go via Rewards central to get that little extra discount.


Another good site for freebies is http://www.onlyozgroceries.com.au/ They specialise in Australian manufactured groceries and deliver via Australia post. Recnetly they got through my shopper defences by offering a freebie apron pack for Carman's excellent muesli bars and museli ( buy four products get an apron, magnetic shopping note pad, Aldi type shopping trolley token, plastic bag clip, shopping bag and pencil) as well as a 7.5 litre saucepan for pasta if I bought 10 San remo products.

Sounds reasonable doesn't it, as these are prodcuts we would use anyway?

Foolishness factor
But.... we do not actually need all of the stuff all at once. We can get these items at a local supermarket and not pay delivery...there may be items I need more urgently.

Pleasure/Value factor
I get to try new products for free. I wouldn't normally buy energy drinks, and now I have tasted Wicked, I still won't as the taste is not for me. Great bottle design though.
I like being able to easily buy All Australian Products. Oz Only Groceries has a coding system so you can see exactly to what extent the product is made here.
They use recycleable packaging. They seem to be a decent bunch of people trying to run an ethical business. I'd rather pay a bit more at times to them than always be feeding the two major mega company supermarket chains.
Convenience- I don't want to spend all weekend in the shopping mall.

And I do love receiving boxes through the post. Childish but true!

Watch out though- my first ever free gift with purchase 20 odd years ago was a digital watch with film processing. When I picked it up I discovered the processing cost was much inflated to cover the cost of the gift!