Who doesn't like free things?

I ran errands Saturday and  came home with new things I didn't pay for ...........sort of. Don't worry I didn't steal them, let me explain.

First new free thing.  I can peruse this during the coming months. From just glancing through it I don't think it will be where I get my training plan but it is a good starting point and is beginning to make me realize

I am going to have a lot of questions. For instance .........how long is a good training plan for a first (sprint) triathlon?  This one worries me a bit as the first two tris I am looking at are in June.  I don't know realistically how early I can start bike training in the spring.

But back to the free part...........I had a gift certificate to a Barnes and Noble from a student last spring.  My cost - $1.00.  Not technically free but close enough.

Second new free thing.  Okay this was several new things.  I bought 10 giant cookies  at Fresh Market in Burlington which has the best cookies! They are
slightly doughy which is how I like them. I had my son with me so he took 4
of them for himself and friends, I took home 4 and I took 3 to a neighbor who has just had surgery.  Why did I buy 10?   I had a Jump on It which is our local
Groupon and I had to spend $20.  I have a confession to make about this deal. When I bought it (I really bought two) my daughter asked me if I really wanted it and would use it.  I said of course.  Well, when I went to use it first I started to go to CITY Market and as I was about to pull in I said to myself - "Wait, AJH, that coupon did not say CITY Market, it said Fresh Market."  So I didn't turn in, went to Fresh Market and wondered what in the world I had been thinking. It is a great place for cookies but 20 dollars worth?  City Market would have been much better.  But Jameson went with me Sat. to help me spend it. While we were there we saw several prepared meals in the frozen food case so I gave him the other coupon to use to give himself some meals another time. So was this free?  Of course not.  The two of them cost me $20 for $40 worth of food. I got $20 worth of food I do not need although I was able to visit my neighbor with a treat, give my son and his friends a treat and ensure that my son will have some good meals in the future.  At one time I paid the $20 but it was so long ago it certainly felt like free and it didn't stay in my pocketbook unused and expired. A win for sure!

Third new free thing.    A week ago I went to The Body Shop for one of their sales. I bought a tote bag for $5 and filled it with as many things as I wanted for 30% off and as a Love Your Body member I got another 20% off.  As I was checking out they gave me a coupon for one free thing a week for 6 weeks maybe.  I figured it was going to be a small sample in an envelope that was basically unusable.  So I was surprised and pleased to get a full body duo which I have never tried. I did not buy the $10 scrub that you could also get so I didn't spend one cent. Yes I did buy the original tote bag and filled it with things I needed wanted a week ago but I spent nothing on Saturday!

So in my book, I came home with many free things! What is the last "free" thing you got?