I never thought that my first word as a baby, which was “ball,” would inspire a blog post.
Bouncy balls were something which I have enjoyed ever since I was old enough to talk. Mind you this was plenty of years before The Freemium Fellow became who he is today, but little did I know that a bouncy ball could be used as an example of living a freemium lifestyle.
I went to our local Five Below store the other day. Being who I am, that store is incredible. From candy to electronic accessories, everything is under $5!
While most of the stuff are Chinese knockoffs, that doesn’t mean that they are all bad. Actually, that is part of the reason I like the store.
A few years ago, cheap wall adapters and charging cables would take weeks to get to my house if I bought them from eBay, as they usually come on a slow boat from China. However, with Five Below around, my cheap electronic needs are only a short trip away!
When I was wondering the isles, I came across a box of bouncy balls. Because every person needs a good ol’ bouncy ball, I decided I would buy a classic Pinky ball. Next to this box of Pinky balls, however, was another nondescript, pink bouncy ball.
The bounce between the two was night and day: the nondescript knockoff from China had me sold. Even better yet, it was $1 cheaper!
It reminded me of Steve McQueen’s wall ball in one of my favorite movies, The Great Escape. Normally, I would hesitate while buying something so extraneous, but for this reason, I had my eye set on a nice bouncy ball for a while.
The hesitation I had about buying this other bouncy ball over the Pinky ball was something I often find myself doing. That is, both comparing and falling victim to marketing.
When living a freemium lifestyle, one has to evaluate what they need and what they don’t. The problem is, it can be hard telling the difference. As simple as it may seem, it ultimately comes down to can I live without this item and is this necessary for my person.
The second question is where you get to choose. This is where you get to draw the line.
Nevertheless, these two questions are always something to think about when making purchases.
If one decides that they do indeed want to buy something, the example of the bouncy ball also shows us something very important about living cost efficiently.
There is often a cheaper, alternative version of a product that doesn’t degrade enjoyment or usability. All we have to do is look.
Being humble with less is a great practice not only when making purchases, but in other areas of our lives as well.
Taking advantage of this idea and finding enjoyment in the hunt for the best deal is an integral part of the freemium lifestyle.
This, from The Freemium Fellow and his bouncy ball, too.
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