How far do you stretch partaking in complimentary items?

For me, it depends.

Hotel breakfasts-- Eating at them less and less, UNLESS the hotel has a real kitchen. Still, I sometimes go down and grab a huge plate to take back to the room. My husband sleeps in on vacation, and if I think we'll want it, there's no way he's going to make it before the breakfast closes down.

Food at car/orthodontist/dentist etc places-- Popcorn, yes. I look very closely at the liquids. I found a keurig with moldy stuff down in the water well at a windshield chip repair place. Nope, no thank you.

Pens--This is where I'm a little shameless. I will take a pen at every counter that I do business with that offers them. Chase bank (lovely blue pens) and a local credit union (even nicer green pens) are my most frequent victims, but I'm getting physical therapy now, which is equalling a pen a week.

SWAG-- I have no qualms about hitting every table at a conference for my SWAG. It's one of the best parts of going. :D
 
To sum it up for you:

I’m better than you because I don’t portion out meals with friends and family.

No, I’m better than YOU because I have more people to feed at a time.

No, I’m better than you because I don’t have to worry about the cost of food.

Well, I’m better than ALL of you, because I see it as rude to take things that are offered to me. I’m not saying it, but we all know I was raised better than you.

Ha! This can be applied to every post on here.
 
And yes we take things. We don’t go to a hotel and take free stuff if we are not staying there but we take the free coffee and juice at Disney resorts. Or we don’t. Sometimes no one wants anything so we don’t take it just to take it. I don’t care what anyone else does
 
For me, it depends.

Hotel breakfasts-- Eating at them less and less, UNLESS the hotel has a real kitchen. Still, I sometimes go down and grab a huge plate to take back to the room. My husband sleeps in on vacation, and if I think we'll want it, there's no way he's going to make it before the breakfast closes down.

Food at car/orthodontist/dentist etc places-- Popcorn, yes. I look very closely at the liquids. I found a keurig with moldy stuff down in the water well at a windshield chip repair place. Nope, no thank you.

Pens--This is where I'm a little shameless. I will take a pen at every counter that I do business with that offers them. Chase bank (lovely blue pens) and a local credit union (even nicer green pens) are my most frequent victims, but I'm getting physical therapy now, which is equalling a pen a week.

SWAG-- I have no qualms about hitting every table at a conference for my SWAG. It's one of the best parts of going. :D


I always take free pens too!
 


I forgot that when we did the Animal Kingdom after hours and we found a place that were giving away bottles of soda and water, we took extras for a drive up to Northern Florida. Then again is it really complimentary when we had to pay for the event? :)
 
I went to Trader Joe's yesterday, sampled a cube of cheese, some mango juice, and coffee. Bought none of those items, but did manage to spend $129 somehow.
 


I just had an oil change. I dropped my car off and they brought me to work. Then they picked me up at work and brought me back to my car during my lunch break. Before I left I went into the waiting area and happily helped myself to a bagel and coffee for the road.
 
That store sucks you in!! It’s like a black hole.
They had me at cookie butter. Grievously, we don't have Trader Joe's in Canada but my visits when I'm in California rank right up there with being as enjoyable as Disneyland! :rotfl:

Not sure if this counts as "complementary" since the tickets were $150/pp, but I attended a gala event for work last night. I arrived late and since cocktail hour was nearing the end, I grabbed a glass of champagne in each hand when they were passed. :drinking:
 
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For me, it depends.

Hotel breakfasts-- Eating at them less and less, UNLESS the hotel has a real kitchen. Still, I sometimes go down and grab a huge plate to take back to the room. My husband sleeps in on vacation, and if I think we'll want it, there's no way he's going to make it before the breakfast closes down.

Food at car/orthodontist/dentist etc places-- Popcorn, yes. I look very closely at the liquids. I found a keurig with moldy stuff down in the water well at a windshield chip repair place. Nope, no thank you.

Pens--This is where I'm a little shameless. I will take a pen at every counter that I do business with that offers them. Chase bank (lovely blue pens) and a local credit union (even nicer green pens) are my most frequent victims, but I'm getting physical therapy now, which is equalling a pen a week.

SWAG-- I have no qualms about hitting every table at a conference for my SWAG. It's one of the best parts of going. :D


PLEASE take swag at conferences! I work informational medical conferences for my company and we spend lots of time thinking about what kinds of swag will be unique and well received. If I bring lots of leftovers back they think I'm not doing my job.
 
So today I went to have my car serviced at Toyota and I helped myself to a bagel and a water at the complimentary coffee bar. And then they came around with warm David’s cookies offering them to people waiting for car service and I took one of those. I did not partake in the free manicure,Starbucks coffee or danishes or popcorn and I did not take anything home.

Funny thing is Hyundai and Toyota are in the same building and same service dept-but hyundai has a separate wIting room that you have to walk through to get to Toyota’s waiting room. Hyundai’s has some raggily chairs and a tv in it, you go to Toyota’s and it has all the things listed above-I actually feel bad for the Hyundai waiting room people!
 
So today I went to have my car serviced at Toyota and I helped myself to a bagel and a water at the complimentary coffee bar. And then they came around with warm David’s cookies offering them to people waiting for car service and I took one of those. I did not partake in the free manicure,Starbucks coffee or danishes or popcorn and I did not take anything home.

Funny thing is Hyundai and Toyota are in the same building and same service dept-but hyundai has a separate wIting room that you have to walk through to get to Toyota’s waiting room. Hyundai’s has some raggily chairs and a tv in it, you go to Toyota’s and it has all the things listed above-I actually feel bad for the Hyundai waiting room people!
Are they ID'ing at the door? Hard to believe some of those Hyundai owners don't sneak over when they smell the cookies.
 
Are they ID'ing at the door? Hard to believe some of those Hyundai owners don't sneak over when they smell the cookies.

LOL- that's what I thought too! hard to explain but you drive in with your car for service and then go through a set of double doors to the Hyundai waiting room- then you have to go out another set of doors, across a hallway and through another set of doors to get into the Toyota one so if they didn't know it was there it is not really "smellable" LOL. It really is bizarre because it is not like Toyota is like a BMW or Lexus or something- there are Hyundais that are more expensive than some of the Toyotas so I don't get the drastic difference in treatment there.
 
LOL- that's what I thought too! hard to explain but you drive in with your car for service and then go through a set of double doors to the Hyundai waiting room- then you have to go out another set of doors, across a hallway and through another set of doors to get into the Toyota one so if they didn't know it was there it is not really "smellable" LOL. It really is bizarre because it is not like Toyota is like a BMW or Lexus or something- there are Hyundais that are more expensive than some of the Toyotas so I don't get the drastic difference in treatment there.
What I don't get is why Canadians are being so horribly neglected by their auto dealers' in the service waiting areas. Did you say free manicure?!? :eek: DH drives a Toyota Avalon (the Lexus of Toyotas :laughing: ) and they've got nothing like that going on; free coffee maybe. I drive a Nissan and the best they've ever treated me is a free transit ticket and a shuttle ride to the train station. :mad:
 
What I don't get is why Canadians are being so horribly neglected by their auto dealers' in the service waiting areas. Did you say free manicure?!? :eek: DH drives a Toyota Avalon (the Lexus of Toyotas :laughing: ) and they've got nothing like that going on; free coffee maybe. I drive a Nissan and the best they've ever treated me is a free transit ticket and a shuttle ride to the train station. :mad:

MANY years ago I had bought a new Saturn and it was in the shop for work and I was waiting for it, it took longer than they expected to do it and when they ordered lunch for themselves they also bought me lunch- I thought that was the best thing until I walked in to starbucks coffee bar, warm cookies and manicures at Toyota LOL.
 
MANY years ago I had bought a new Saturn and it was in the shop for work and I was waiting for it, it took longer than they expected to do it and when they ordered lunch for themselves they also bought me lunch- I thought that was the best thing until I walked in to starbucks coffee bar, warm cookies and manicures at Toyota LOL.
You're not making me feel any better. I had two successive Saturns and nope - no love there either. :sad2:
 
What I don't get is why Canadians are being so horribly neglected by their auto dealers' in the service waiting areas. Did you say free manicure?!? :eek: DH drives a Toyota Avalon (the Lexus of Toyotas :laughing: ) and they've got nothing like that going on; free coffee maybe. I drive a Nissan and the best they've ever treated me is a free transit ticket and a shuttle ride to the train station. :mad:

Recently took my husbands car to Toyota for his free oil
Change. Did help myself to a free bottle of water. Missed the manicure though. Only offered in the morning but next time I will go in the morning and get one. Lol
 
Went to get my windshield repaired, they had movie theater waiting room with a giant freezer full of ice cream, a popcorn maker, fridge full of bottled beverages, and loads of candy...all free. Then they gave $140 cash for getting it fixed on site. I had a little bit of all the snacks while watching Black Panther.
 
At a conference I would only take what I will eat/drink while present, nothing to go. At a hotel breakfast, I will usually take a piece of fruit for later in the day. I have occasionally taken a cream cheese packet to go to have with a planned picnic lunch later that day. Lately the breakfast hosts have been encouraging people to take a piece of fruit with them, so I figure that is fine.

As far as drinks or food from a party at someone's home, no. I wouldn't take anything unless the host offered it first as I was leaving. Offering drinks while I am there does not mean (to me) that I am welcome to take them home with me. They are intended to be consumed (or not) during the party. On the other hand, if I am visiting my parents or IL's I will usually take a soda with me when I leave. They have offered it in the past (don't usually bother now) and we have a LONG drive to get home. I offer them a soda for the road when they are leaving my house as well.
 

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