There's no such thing as a free lunch

There's no such thing as a free lunch

Nothing is entirely free; every benefit comes with a cost.

The phrase 'There's no such thing as a free lunch' implies that it is impossible to get something for nothing. Behind every offer of a 'free' item or benefit, there is often an unspoken expectation or an indirect cost involved. The idiom suggests that even if something is presented as free, there is always a cost associated with it, whether it is time, effort, or an indirect expense. It serves as a reminder to be skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true and to consider what the real 'price' might be.

Background blur of There's no such thing as a free lunch

Use cases

Word Click

When the company offered free training, employees soon realized they had to commit to extra work hours, a classic case of there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Julia was excited about the free gym membership, but she didn't realize it required signing up for a year-long, costly health plan - truly, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

The café's offer of a free dessert with dinner sounded great until customers saw the prices had been raised slightly on all main courses - a clear example that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Henry received a gift card for signing up for a newsletter but later found out it came with the condition of making a purchase first, proving again that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

The 'free' vacation prize Mary won required attending a long, tedious timeshare presentation, highlighting the truth that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

When the local bar offered a free drink to its patrons, it was quickly noted that you had to buy two appetizers to qualify, showing there's no such thing as a free lunch.

A software company promised a free software upgrade, only for users to discover it significantly slowed down the system unless they bought the full version, a reminder that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

The online course advertised as 'free' required participants to purchase a textbook from a specific publisher, underscoring the fact that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Liam was thrilled about the 'free' phone with his new contract until he saw his monthly payments were higher, illustrating that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

The city's 'free' public Wi-Fi required users to watch numerous ads before connecting, proving once more that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Logo of useidioms.com