Confessions of a Freebie Junkie

Breaking the cycle of addiction for a focused future

👸 The Character

In the vast, tangled web of the internet, there lived a person named Moon.

She had a peculiar obsession.

Collecting free stuff online.

• If there was a freebie, she was there.

• If a “limited-time offer” popped up, she’d be frantically clicking and setting calendar alerts.

• Not one to miss out anything, she opened ten Gmail accounts to hoard it all.

Every day, she would scour through each email she received.

The word “Freebie” was her siren call, lighting up her eyes and firing up her brain. More cool stuff! And free!

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👀 The Habit

One Saturday morning, Moon curled up on the couch with a fresh cup of coffee, intending to “just check emails.”

But “just checking emails” was like tasting a new ice cream flavor.

Impossible to stop at one bite.

Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling.

Then it caught her eye.

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💥 The Temptation

"Free eBook: How to Become a Millionaire in 10 Days!"

Before you could finish saying “Millionaire”, the eBook was saved.

“I’ll spend the next 10 days learning,” she mused.

“By then, I’ll be known as Millionaire Moon.”

And she kept scrolling…

Another gem appeared:

"Free Access to 37 Online Courses—Details Inside"

Quick calculations ran through her mind.

“These courses are priceless! I’ll be filled with new skills and knowledge. I’ll be Multi-talented Moon.”

Click, click, click—she signed up for all 37 courses, including “An Artist at Heart” and “Pattern-Knitting 101.”

“You can never have too many qualifications.”

And then came the pièce de résistance:

A banner ad:

"Exclusive Membership to the World’s Largest Collection of Cat Memes - Free for Limited Time Only!"

Moon’s fingers flew faster than a caffeinated squirrel, eager to unlock this treasure trove.

“You never know when a good cat meme might come in handy.”

“Anyway, I have a free Instagram course somewhere. I can use the cat memes to start.”

She came, she saw, she downloaded.

By the time she was done, her inbox was flooded.

There were confirmation emails, download links, and access codes.

The digital clutter was monumental.

It was an online junkyard of free content.

Her hard drive groaned under the weight of endless eBooks, online courses, and an absurd number of cat memes.

💖 The Fantasy

But Moon, ever the optimist, decided she could still find a silver lining behind the clouding freebies.

The eBooks?

Her go-to encyclopedia of random but fascinating knowledge.

The online courses?

She could now wax poetic about Renaissance art or rattle off DIY home repair tips with the same enthusiasm.

And the cat memes?

She’s now the ultimate meme queen, spreading joy and laughter with a perfectly timed joke for every occasion.

Life had taken on a quirky, colourful twist.

Of unexpected trivia and endless laughter.

It was proof that being a sucker for online freebies could lead to a uniquely charming and entertaining existence.

🤦‍♀️ The Truth

Behind the quirky charm, a shroud of darkness appeared.

Moon’s obsession with collecting online freebies had morphed something else.

Excitement followed by deep regret.

Joy followed by an overwhelming sense of chaos.

To make herself feel better, she looked for more freebies.

And she was trapped in the endless cycle.

Drowning in her gmail accounts with unread emails.

Overflowing mountains of digital clutter.

Stressing out on how to search and what to use.

Until one day…

The thrill of snagging free items dissipated.

In its place was a gnawing emptiness.

Guilt and anxiety weighed heavily on her.

Clouding her mind and robbing her of focus.

She realized she wasn’t just cluttering her inbox, she was cluttering her life.

✨✨✨ The Shift ✨✨✨

Moon knew she needed a change.

Took a deep breath and asked herself tough questions:

"Why am I hoarding these freebies?"

“To make money online,” she replied.

"And are they helping?"

“No,” she admitted. “They’re just causing stress and pulling me away from my goal.”

"So what now?"

“Research. Make a plan. And stick to it.”

Determined to turn things around, Moon opened a new Gmail account.

And so, Moon became an online writer.

✍ Writing on Substack

She opened a new Gmail account.

This time, it wasn’t for freebies.

It was for real guidance.

For advice, insights, and step-by-step strategies.

With her mind clear and her goal in focus, she set off on her true path to making money online.

Image credit: pexels