Happy birthday to you! (Yes, you!)
Why not kick off your celebration with a few freebies? After all, if there is one day a year when the universe should toss some goodies your way, it’s today.
Happy birthday - now get free stuff!
And, in the extremely likely event that today isn’t your actual birthday, I have good news: the first freebie isn’t birthday-specific. Also, many of these are email club offers, and when you sign up for them you are alerted to special deals throughout the year—and often get something free just for signing up—in addition to getting a treat on your birthday. The rest, you can just file away for later.
This is the first of what will probably be at least a few posts about birthday freebies. I’ll get around to the deals for kids later; right now, I feel like focusing on the ones that we grown-ups can use. We have to be a little selfish sometimes, yes? And, of course, some of the deals listed below will work for the entire family.
You might want to check out the Frugal Living TV website, from which I sourced many of these deals. If you’ll be traveling on your birthday, some additional offers from that site may apply to you. And, as always, leave a comment if you know of a deal I’ve missed.
Free movie at Redbox
As far as I know, the code I posted last week—DVDATWAG—is still working at Walgreens’ Redboxes.
Yesterday I tried the code DVDONME at a Walgreens and it worked for a free one-night rental. It should be good at all Redbox locations—not just at Walgreens. Another code to try is BREAKROOM.
Houlihan’s, Noodles & Company, Ruby Tuesday’s, Ryan’s/Hometown Buffet
Sign up for Houlihan’s email club to receive a free entrée on your birthday. Noodles & Company’s E-Club will send you a certificate good for a free regular noodle bowl + one protein. Being a member of Ruby Tuesday’s So Connected club is good for a free burger. And, signing up for the Hometown Buffet/Ryan’s family of restaurants eClub should net you a BOGO offer for a meal on your birthday.
Applebees, the El Toro family of restaurants, Outback Steakhouse
Order a meal, tip them off that you’re celebrating, and you will receive a free dessert—and in some cases a *sigh* song—on your birthday. At El Toro, you may get a shot of tequila in lieu of dessert (yum!).
Baskin Robbins, Cold Stone Creamery
Sign up online to receive free ice cream on your birthday from Baskin Robbins. By signing up for Cold Stone Creamery’s My Cold Stone Club you’ll receive a coupon for a free treat immediately, and again on your birthday (give them some time to get their new site up and running).
Buffalo Wild Wings
Visit their website, sign up for the Buffalo Circle (access it by clicking the Be Here tab), and you’ll receive a coupon good for a free dessert on your birthday.
Caribou Coffee
Bring this coupon and a photo ID to Caribou Coffee—located inside area County Market stores—for a free drink on your birthday.
Helzberg Diamonds
Word is, if you sign up for Helzberg Diamond’s email club they’ll send you a certificate good for a free pair of pearl earrings on your birthday. I contacted our local store and couldn’t get verification about this specific giveaway, but they do honor the corporate offers, and their website states that you get a free gift just for signing up.
Rachael McMillan is a former high school teacher, social worker, cake decorator, and just about any other profession you can think of do-er. In addition to writing, tutoring, and giving talks about fair trade, she is currently staying home with the highly entertaining Jack and Kate.
Maybe it was our waiter but I got nothing on my recent birthday at Outback. The waiter was told about the birthday and the kids even commented on wanting to share my dessert. Nada. Of course, I didn’t ask, specifically, for it either so maybe more effort was required on my part.
Fun list and good information
It seems like, once upon a time, most places would do a free dessert and sing for birthdays. This seems to be dying out; I contacted a few of the local places listed on the frugal living site to confirm that they did a free dessert, and some no longer do or have phased out the singing. PIty.
Before the article was published I called Outback and they said they’ll give birthday customers a free dessert, but based on your experience–and my phone call–it doesn’t sound like they LOVE to do this.
If you register a gift card with Starbucks (any gift card, even if you never use it again), you will get a free drink card in the mail from them! My husband and I are both registered!
Flat Top Grill has an email club. You’ll have to wait a year, but you’ll get a free stir fry coupon via email right before your birthday and right before your anniversary of signing up for the club. For that reason I’d recommend not signing up the week of your birthday so that you can stagger the meals.