Imagine this: You’re shopping online, and you see that adding just one more item to your cart will get you a free gift worth ₹99. You don’t really need that extra item, but the idea of getting something for free is too hard to pass up. Or maybe you’ve signed up for a free trial, promising yourself that you’ll cancel before they charge you- only to forget and see the subscription fee deducted from your account.
If so, you’re not the only one—most of us are drawn to anything that’s free, like buy-one-get-one deals, free samples, or trial offers. As a psychologist, I find it fascinating to explore why we behave this way, especially when it comes to making purchase decisions. And one of the most fascinating insights is this: “free” isn’t just about saving money- it plays on our emotions, hijacking our brains into making choices that don’t always make logical sense.