I am not sure if I actually saved money

I kept seeing this TikTok Slash Free feature on my feed where people tap a progress bar and eventually get something for free. At first I ignored it because it looked like one of those old internet gimmicks.

But then my coworker actually brought a tiny waffle maker to work that she got from the same thing. That made me curious enough to try it with a phone stand. The process felt strange. You tap. The bar moves a little. You invite someone. It moves again. Then you repeat. It felt more tedious than I expected and more like a small task job instead of shopping.

A week later a generic phone stand arrived at my door. I did not pay anything and it works fine. But it made me question whether this should actually count as saving money.

I spent about an hour tapping checking and messaging people. So the item was free in terms of money but it came with a cost in time attention and patience. I am wondering if we can still call this free or is it just a different kind of hidden cost?