Okay so here’s what went down today. Woke up realizing I totally forgot helium for these birthday balloons my niece wanted blown up, like right now. Figured buying a whole tank just for a few balloons was nuts, so I got obsessed: where can I score free helium? Grabbed my keys and my grumpy self and just hit the road.
The Great Free Helium Hunt
First stop? Party City. Walked in all hopeful, spotting the big shiny helium tanks. Asked the bored-looking dude at the counter, “Hey man, any chance you could fill a couple of my balloons with helium for free? Just a quick puff?” He just gave me that “seriously?” look. “Yeah, no,” he mumbled. “You gotta buy the balloons here or pay for a fill.” Didn’t even look up. Deflated feeling already, you know?
Next up, Dollar Tree. Saw balloons everywhere! Score? Not so fast. Asked the lady stocking shelves. “Honey,” she said, kinda tired, “We just sell the empty balloons. No helium.” Dead end. Felt kinda dumb even asking.
Got back in the car, Googling frantically. Saw folks mentioning grocery stores sometimes have tanks for customer use. Headed straight to my local Publix. Found the floral department – bingo, saw the helium tank tucked away! Asked the nice lady arranging flowers. “Well,” she said hesitantly, “technically, we only fill balloons bought here… but for just a couple? Yeah, okay, quick.” She filled two balloons for me! Felt like I’d won the lottery! Small victory, but free air! (Well, helium!) Took maybe 90 seconds.
Drove past a local pharmacy with a big “Balloons” sign. Figured, why not? Went in. Another floral counter, another tank. Asked the young guy working. “Sorry,” he shrugged, “company policy is only balloons purchased here.” Bummer. But hey, at least Publix came through.
The Verdict From Today’s Misadventure
- Party Stores (Party City, etc.): Basically forget it. They make their money selling fills. Got shut down fast.
- Dollar Stores: Nope. They sell the empty latex sacks, that’s it. No gas.
- Big Grocery Stores (Like Publix): This might be the sweet spot. Found one willing to help for just a couple. Be polite, buy something else maybe, ask the floral dept directly. Huge maybe though!
- Pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens): Struck out, hard policy. They pointed to their own balloons for sale.
So, the big lesson hammered into my thick skull? Free helium ain’t a sure thing. Grocery stores might be your only slim chance, and you gotta get lucky with who’s working. My Publix angel saved the day, but I was sweating bullets running around town wasting gas I probably coulda bought a small helium tank with! Ended up spending more time driving and begging than if I’d just paid for a fill at the first place. Next time? Might just pay the dang $3 instead of chasing wind… or whatever lighter-than-air gas. Wonder if they’d notice if I filled balloons with pure oxygen? Probably explode. Note to self: don’t do that.