I’ve been reading the Money Saving Mom blog off and on for a couple of months now, and am playing along with the CVS “game” a little here and there. I only get one paper’s worth of coupons and our local stores always seem to be out of the best deals, but it’s saved us some money.

Today I saw this post. It instructed readers how to sign up for an Amazon Prime free trial, promptly cancel and still get $10 credit towards your next purchase. I immediately followed the steps, ordered a cheesy fantasy novel for $7.99 and didn’t pay a dime. It should show up by Thursday. As soon as I got the order confirmation, I was hit by this question:

Did I just steal a book?

The part of me that did the ordering in the first place says, technically, no. That $10 in credit was part of their marketing budget. The author and publisher will still get paid.

But I have no intention of renewing the $79 per year Amazon Prime service. It enables you to get free 2 day shipping–not really worth it when I order 5 times a year. When I followed the directions to get my free $10, I knew that I was not who the marketing campaign was targeting, I was just taking advantage of a large corporation’s advertising efforts.

Not to sound too high and righteous; advertising efforts take advantage of me every day, so maybe I was due. I didn’t steal the book in the literal sense of the word, but I’m still not happy about the whole process.

I tried to leave a comment of the blog, but it either fell victim to cyberspace glitches or moderation. As many of us try to cut back in a tough economy, I’m wondering where you’re going to draw the line. For me, it’s no more freebies when I’m not genuinely interested in the service or product. There may be some other things to consider, but it’s a start.

I’m not saying that Amazon needs my $7.99. But they do need our 7.99. When I was a teenager, my dad showed me how getting a free Starbucks from your friend who works there is tantamount to stealing. This situation is different because the program was authorized by someone higher than a 17 year-old’s desire to be liked, but I still feel the same icky.

So here’s my question to all of you, and I know you’re there because I see that hundreds of you stop by every week and say absolutely nothing.

What are you doing to save money (if anything?)

and

Did I steal this book????