I’m dabbling with dueling sayings today. One claims the best things in life are free. The other says there’s no such thing as a free lunch. I’ve had the word “free” on my mind a lot lately after helping organize this month’s cover story on how to enjoy summer without spending money.
We don’t present these free events, programs, classes, museums, and spaces as necessarily the best things in life in Cincinnati, though I think you’ll be surprised how many fun options you have this summer if you’re managing a tiny entertainment budget. We probably can all agree that a $100 dinner at our favorite restaurant or a $200 front-row ticket for our favorite band rank pretty highly as best things.
But there’s a time and a place for everything (another good saying). Sometimes a free outdoor movie in the park, a free STEM program for the kids, free gardening classes, or free admission to the zoo is just what you need in your life. Maybe you get a rush out of finding value while saving money. Perhaps you recall a simpler time when everything seemed to be free during your childhood.
Let me get back to the real meaning of the saying, though: The best parts of life are the relationships, the fulfillment, and the gratitude that money can’t buy. Better than an amazing dinner and Earth-shattering concert? You’ll have to decide that for yourself. (By the way, if you’re looking to build more relationships, check out our story about third places, “This Must Be the Place.”)
What about that mythical free lunch? There are layers here, too. You can, in fact, get a free lunch; I bought lunch for two magazine colleagues the other day, and they left (ful)filled and grateful.
Yet there’s a cynical undertone beneath the saying. We’re being warned that nothing is what it appears to be on the surface—expectations or a catch usually come along with the free meal, and eventually you’ll regret doing it. Rest assured that the free things we recommend this month come with no expectations or strings attached. And lunch is optional.
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