If someone offered you free money, you'd take it, right?
In Canberra, apparently not.
The ACT Government's Choose CBR trial ends on Monday and Canberrans have so far spent just a quarter of the $500,000 on offer.
The program provided discount vouchers that could be used at registered stores across the capital between December 9 and December 21 in a bid to fight off the COVID-19 downturn.
It was hoped the initiative would inject millions into Canberra's economy, but on Friday $350,000 worth of discounts remained untouched.
So why have Canberrans seemingly turned down free money in a time of economic uncertainty?
Voucher initiative too complicated for some
About 40,000 people have signed up to the initiative so far, with the ACT Government optimistic of a late surge in numbers just before Christmas.
The economic stimulus offers vouchers worth $2.50, $5, $10 and $20 for registered businesses across retail, tourism, accommodation, arts and recreation, personal services and hospitality.
People over 18 can use $40 worth of discounts per day.
But there has been a mixed response among business owners.
Philip Business Community President Tom Adams said the system had not been easy to implement.
"It's difficult when you are trying to do it on the go," Mr Adams said.
"I've got to the point where I've asked customers to email me the code so I can do it when we are not face-to-face.
"Some businesses are seeing a slight uptick from existing customers adding additional services, but other customers are using the discounts on services they were already using.
"It's not bringing in new revenue, it's just replacing existing revenue."
Mr Adams, who signed his martial arts business up for the program, also questioned the initiative's marketing.
"I felt it was presented to an empty room," he said.
"It hasn't been promoted well to the people who have registered for it including other businesses that haven't.
"It's still a cumbersome Government website and a basic phone application would be better."
Other business owners said they had abandoned plans to join the program altogether, including cafe owner Singh.
"The voucher would help, it could bring new faces and we would love to do it, but it should be simple, it's too much for small businesses like me," he said.
"I'm the one doing accounts on my own, I have a family to look after and I'm here for 12 hours every day.
"It was too difficult to sign up and I don't have the time to manage the program."
COVID-19 anxiety could be hampering interest
Behavioural economist Michelle Baddeley said an explanation for the low sign-up numbers might be as simple as website design, or as complex as building trust during a pandemic.
"In its current form, the website is possibly not very easy to use or very appealing," Professor Baddeley said.
"They could simplify the messaging, make it more appealing to the imagination, make it easier to navigate and maybe reduce the list of choices.
"People like things they are familiar with, there is less risk of the unknown."
Ms Baddeley said the small window in which the Government had rolled out the program paired with general frugality during the pandemic may have also influenced the program's uptake.
"Did they give people time to discover it? Because it takes people a while to overcome their suspicion of something new," she said.
"It's also been a good test of people's trust in institutions - many people are risk-averse because every week there is a new threat of a new outbreak.
"There are also basic economic concerns - maybe they didn't feel they had $100, even though you may get a 25 per cent discount, they may not have had the other $75."
'I wanted all the money out the door'
The ACT Government said it was happy with the program's progress despite the low spend.
"The key figure is the multiplier and that is at $6.2," ACT Business Minister Tara Cheyne said.
"We were hoping for every $1 of Government spend we'd see a $4-6 dollar injection into the economy, so to see that over $6 when our expectation was $6 is really great.
"We have 40,000 people signed up and there's less than $400,000 left so if every one of them claimed a $10 discount, all of those discounts will go."
Ms Cheyne said she expected a surge in last-minute Christmas shoppers this weekend would do just that.
"I wanted all the money out the door on the first day and I'd like it to be out the door a little faster than it has been," she said.
Minister Cheyne said she was yet to decide on extending the program over Christmas.
She said the Government would roll-out a similar $2 million program in 2021 and would look at ways to increase accessibility for business owners and customers.