What is the greatest thing you have ever obtained for free?

My life.

Someones heart. (Metaphorically speaking.)
Or that regular size pack of peanut M&Ms. None of that snack size BS you get on Halloween.
Or that iPod mini that was “free” with my laptop. I later sold it for $80.
Or my first drink at a bar. It was a Brain Hemorrhage.

… I don’t know. Doesn’t take a lot to make me happy I guess.

Edit: Well look at Joe getting all sentimental. (Nice one. GA.)

getting head

Love.

God, that’s corny. But true.

a 99 cadillac Deville

Beer.

@MrGeneVan
Not unlike the “68”- “You do me and I owe you one”

patio set I won in a raffle

Appreciation and fervor for life. My own life almost ended on more than one occasion, it was more chance than anything I came out okay and I didn’t spend a thing.

Nothing in life is free…there is a price for everything (even love). This is where the expression “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” comes in. The price may not be monetary in nature but there will always be a price that needs to be paid.

Lighters in the air. No charge

@FGS I think there are some things that are free. The sensation of awe experienced by looking at a starry night costs nothing.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic I will agree with you there.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic
umm and… free bird

I’ve gotten a lot of stuff free. A picture taken in 1945 by a WW2 vet who flew in a Reconnaisance Squadron, A photocopy of an actual Nazi era workbook, my Madagascar Hissers, several really awesome and one of a kind flowering plants in my garden, a walking cane with a 28” sword hidden in it, a hand knitted afghan for cuddling on the couch with my sweetie, and tons of other things. Which one was best? All of them. I have been pretty goddamn lucky over the years, and the recipient of nice things by even nicer people.

And the fact that people give me things is one of the reasons I love to give gifts to others. If people think I am trying to buy their friendship by sharing with them, well, those people are fucking stupid. Friendship can’t be bought.

Well, aside from the obvious things… Fluther.

I don’t bring this up much on fluther but you asked. I was going to say salvation, but I got to thinking about it and I think it may be the faith that leads to salvation. Salvation seems like a future thing and my faith is something that I use and that enrichens my life every day. Faith it is.

Good friends.

Salvation

A free lunch. Oh, wait…

leaving aside life itself and the love of other living beings, i’d have to say: my iphone, my laptop (but it got stolen), two cars, and ongoing help and support from a former boss (and a saint of a boss she was!). all my life, i literally can hardly walk down the block (in a city) without people giving me something. i think because i constantly give things away (mostly just too lazy to sell them). but weirdly, the upshot at the moment is that due to recent circumstances plus a burglary, i seriously own my clothes and my iphone. seriously! i’m staying with family and not even the bed is mine. but…it will all change in the blink of an eye, or at least, if my fortunes rise and fall as they have throughout my life. btw, i like this question. it’s interesting to see the answers.

other stuff ppl have given me over the years: a piano, an ovation guitar, a velvet robe, a bell and dorje, a hand drum made for me special with wood from mt shasta, childcare for six weeks so i could do a retreat, super timely and sage advice, shelter, a ride to the rainbow gathering years and years ago, a trip to maui and the big island, and…once in a new town, i woke up in the morning to discover like, five cd’s on my living room table. i knew no one in town yet. kinda weirded me out, but hey! i liked the music. still scratch my head over that.

oh, and a poor girl with mental health issues once gave me her baby but i felt i couldn’t accept. i tried to get them some help instead. it’s amazing what people will give. life is amazing.

and someone tells me they’ll give me a macbook air if i stay on the mainland, resume my old job, and share a space with a former programmer friend and undertake learning objective c so we can make iphone apps. but that’s sort of a bribe more than a gift.

i’ve had a hell of a life so far…btw, many of the things ppl have given me, i’ve given to others. i don’t mean regifting the same objects, i mean i’ve given ppl shelter, instruments, household items, a car, and so on. once a scrawny guy raced up to me breathing hard. i was in my ford ltd, about to leave a shopping mall. “help me!” he said, “that guy’s gonna beat me up!” sure enough, a big fella was not far behind him. i went for it. this was a small town, the big guy wasn’t super nice, and it later led to him harrassing my car (lol) in some very creative ways.

When I was getting into Wicca about 12 years ago, I wanted to read whatever I could get my hands on, but I was pretty broke and could only afford to buy one book. I spent weeks going to the bookstore and looking through the occult section until I made my decision, a book that had the most information, and thus, I could get the best value for my money.

Not long after that, a woman I worked with at Faire somehow heard about my getting started in Wicca and having no tools or books, so she gave me a big bag of supplies. Coincidentally, she had been looking to get rid of these things and had wanted to pass them on to someone who needed them.

There was a small cauldron, a wand, antlers for my altar, and amongst some other things, I got 9 books!! I still have every single thing she gave me to get started. It really meant a lot, it was really appreciated, and it’s even more special that universal coincidence came to play here, as well. She was meant to give these things to someone, and I was meant to receive them.