Free shipping. Those two words are a sure attention-getter. I just saw it on a NFL commercial. Free shipping for orders $50 and up from NFL.com.

I love free shipping. The problem is that while shipping is free, the items I buy to get free shipping are not. Seems obvious to say that, but sometimes that obvious point escapes me until I load up my web site shopping cart and see the total.

Do I need anything from NFL.com? No, but there is one item I want: the clear, officially approved plastic Broncos bag. The NFL implemented new policies this year as to what a ticket holder can and cannot bring into the stadiums and to make things easy, they have a whole set of approved items for sale. And for the moment, with free shipping.

Officially clear and acceptable

Austin, Texas, also implemented a new bag policy in March 2013 and those single-use cheap plastic bags are no longer in use in most stores. Customers are encourage to bring their own reusable bag. I could use the Broncos bag, then, for my groceries. (I’m ignoring the fact that I already own at least a dozen of the reusable tote bags. I accumulated so many because it took me a very long time to remember to (1) put them back in my truck after unloading the groceries and (2) take my own into the store with me even when they were in the truck. I’d get to the check out counter bagless and then notice how cute the latest one was and thought I could always use one more.)

Even when shipping is not free, low shipping prices are boldly advertised on the front of catalogs. ONLY $2.95? I can order all I want out this catalog and ONLY pay $2.95? Surely there is something in here I need, I think, and open up the catalog for a peek.

Related to this are the web sites who, when you look at your cart, point out that you can buy so much [$$] more merchandise and not raise your shipping costs. What a deal! You are already having to pay [$$] shipping costs so you might as well get your money’s worth, right?

A $50 order from NFL.com with free shipping is definitely cheaper than a ticket to a game and parking and a program and a soda and a t-shirt and a hotel room and travel expenses and and and . . .

Free shipping it is, then; a clear, plastic NFL-approved bag and then some. Maybe I’ll even do my Christmas shopping online and early this year and finish on time.

Not likely.