My mother, and my grand mother before that, used to collect stamps every time they visited the grocery store. I remember spending whole evenings pasting them all in a booklet and when it was full my mother hurried back to the store to get her free gift. It usually was some pot or pan, sometimes a scarf or a small sewing kit... she didn't really need any of them but it was free stuff and she always managed to find a use for whatever it was.
Could we be cheap? I don't think so, but for the majority of us to get stuff for free is a thrill and truth be told we don't really care what it is. The word free fascinates us for some reason, it gives us the impression of beating the system.
No need for stamps and leaflet nowadays, the Internet is there to feed our weakness, with opportunities to get more cool free stuff than ever before. The Web is overflowing with contests to win free baby stuff or a subscription to some magazine we never heard of and will likely never read. It doesn't matter... it's free. Some websites actually specialize in giving away totally free stuff , just go have a look on www student free stuff com , you'll be amazed by all one can get for free; from samples to games, even cash, assuming one doesn't mind filling out a survey or another.
It takes only seconds to find whole pages of free stuff on the internet , be wary though, most of the time you need to fill out a form first, including your e-mail address. Could it be just a way to feed the data banks?