Why would I buy____if____?

Why would I buy a shredder if I can take a bag of items to my bank once a month or once a day, if I wish, and they will shred for free? Likewise, I can take items to the Senior Center and shred them myself for free.  Besides, I can get a free loaf of bread or buns if I go to the Senior Center and shred on Wednesday!

For the longest time I wanted a shredder of my own like most of my friends have. Silly me. Thankfully, I realized that I would probably just overheat any shredder I owned or, like most items, it would break. I pay nothing for going to the Senior Center, about 2.5 miles from me and about 1 mile past the station where I buy gas. My bank is about 3 blocks off the beaten path to anywhere. I pay no fees for any banking services or checks. The bank shredding service can handle staples, so no need to work hard at removing staples.

I keep and reuse a previously bought and used 2 gallon Ziploc bag to place paper waiting for the trip. I don't take the whole sheet of copy paper mailed to me or the whole envelope. Often, I only take a 2"x1" place from the front of an envelope to be shredded. It takes me a long time to fill the two gallon bag most of the time. Then, there was the time I took out stacks of canceled checks and phone bills from about 20 years ago.  My file cabinet was amazingly empty when I finished. I keep file folders pared down and skinny, but these rubber-banded items were things I meant to go through. SOME. DAY. That day arrived; it all looked like too much work. GONE. GONE. GONE.

I don't impose on friends or family by going over to "borrow" a shredder. I don't cause their shredder to die sooner. Okay, I know your brother loves to have you over and help you, but we are going to ignore that little point today. I take advantage of a free advertised service.

If the free service is suspended, I have a plan. It is illegal to have a fire in the yard. But, I can use a  can and stuff all the little pieced of paper inside, pour in a bit of rubbing alcohol, place it on my grill, and light the can of alcohol-soaked paper. Granted, I would have to do this more often than visiting my bank or Senior Center. My personal information would be safe.

Instead of buying an item, I take advantage of a free service. I don't rent. I don't pay a fee for a service like shredding.

I have other examples, but I want to hear your ideas in the strict term I used.

Can you fill in the blanks of the blog post title?

When your shredder breaks, do you know where using one free is an advertised service?

Your turn
Do you use advertised free public services instead of buying an item? This could be using the computers at the library. I am not talking about going to someone's house to use an item or borrowing the item. I am talking about FREE services, provided as a courtesy.