Year: 2015

Sales Cycles: When are items on sale?

Abby H.

file0001262541721Sales are cyclical- certain items are on sale during specific times of the year, either due to holidays or special events. For example- Barbeque sauce is on sale in the summer, when people barbeque a lot. Manufacturers and stores will put out coupons and places items on sale to entice shoppers to spend more. Use this to your advantage. Combine sales with coupons and increase your stockpile and plan your menu.

Here are some examples (but not a complete list):

JANUARY

Diet Food and Weight Loss Equipment (New Year’s Resolutions)
Gyms have sales and free trials
Healthy Food including Veggies
Television and other Electronics (Super Bowl Sunday)
OTC Medications (FSA’s expire in Jan./Feb.- Use it or Lose it!)
Winter Clothing and Shoes (Formal clothes are usually 75%+ off)
Organizers (totes, Christmas ornament storage containers)
White Sales (Sheets/Towels)
Snack-y food for Super Bowl parties: chips, dip. Velveeta, salsa, taquitos. There are often times really great rebates for snack food and beer or soda around the Super Bowl.
FEBRUARY

Diet Food and Weight Loss Equipment (New Year’s Resolutions)
Healthy Food including Veggies
Furniture and House wares
Candy and Chocolates

MARCH

March is National frozen food month. Many Stores like Albertson’s have a “fill a bag” sale where you are given a paper or plastic bag and you receive a discount (typically 15-25%) on each frozen item in that bag.
Spring Apparel (Easter Dresses and Suits)
Depending on when Easter falls, look for sales on Easter Dinner food: Ham, Prime Rib, stuffing, veggies, eggs, and Easter Basket Supplies.
Luggage and Travel (Spring Break)
Spring-cleaning sales will start and there will be rebates for cleaning supplies- especially with SC Johnson Products.
Between March 13-17th (St. Patrick’s Day) Corned Beef, Potatoes and Cabbage are all Dirt Cheap. Stock up!
During Lent, seafood is inexpensive.

APRIL

More Spring cleaning sales and rebates
Paper products (plates, napkins) start to have really good sales.
Paint & Wallpaper (In the same vain as spring cleaning, a lot of people start to spruce up their homes in the spring)
Jewish Foods and Eggs (Passover)

MAY

May is the start of picnic season. Barbeque food, Hotdogs, hamburgers, ribs, condiments will all be on sale throughout the summer and will be until September.

Auto Maintenance (tires, oil changes, tune ups)
Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)
Bug repellents – Sprays and Candles
Home Maintenance (carpet cleaning, duct cleaning)
SPF and After Sun products (like Aloe)

JUNE

Summer Clothes
June is National Dairy Month- Dairy Products
Summer Activities (local attractions sometimes have “locals only” days or rates)
Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)

JULY

Air Conditioning units
Summer Sports Equipment & Craft Supplies (things for families to do together)
Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)

AUGUST

BBQ and Patio Equipment (Just in time for Labor Day!)
White Sale – Linens and Towels
Back to School Supplies – Sales may Start in Late July, Depending on when school starts in your part of the world)
Bathing Suits and the last remnants of summer clothes
Back to school clothes
Jackets and light coats for fall
Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)
Breakfast foods (cereal, oatmeal, juice, bars) Cereal sales will start this month and continue into September as school starts up.
Lunch box food- juice boxes, lunchables, snacks, chips, yogurt

SEPTEMBER

The traditional Back to School Sales will start. For most school, classes begin the Tuesday after Labor Day. This is a great time to stock up on snacks that are healthy and shelf stable. 100 calorie snack packs, fruit leathers, 100% juice boxes, bottled water, peanut butter. Watch the inserts for Lunchables coupons too- they will start going on sale!

Back to School Supplies (Office Depot, Staples, and Walgreen’s often have Freebies)
Canned Goods. Canned soup and spaghetti sauce also starts to go on sale in September.
Frozen Pizza

The last three months of the year are packed full of holidays. Now is the time to stock up on “holiday foods”- Stuffing, turkey, instant mashed potatoes, broth/stock, cranberries (you can freeze the real ones for up to 6 months!), marshmallows, pudding, gelatin, flour, sugar, French fried onions, cream of mushroom soup. These ingredients can be used in everyday foods, not just once a year. Stock up when they are cheap (OR free!) and you will eat well all year.

There are LOADS of rebates during the last three months of the year for “holiday” foods, especially food that is usually served when entertaining, like crackers and cheese.

OCTOBER

Home goods such as serving dishes, and glassware (to prepare you for the onslaught of entertaining you will be doing for the holidays)
Candy, nuts
Baking/candy-making items (choc chips, sprinkles, vanilla, corn syrup, nuts, etc)
Fall/Winter clothing
Fabric, Patterns, sewing machines (Halloween)
Coats/Jackets

NOVEMBER

Winter Clothing
Blankets and flannel sheets
Heating Devices (space heaters, in wall heating units)
Turkey, ham
Canned goods (soup, chicken broth, condensed milk, veggies etc)
Baking goods (flour, sugar)
Baking wear
DECEMBER

Toys –Coupons.com usually has coupons for Fischer Price Toys in December
Gift Items There will be a lot of TMF offers and rebates on personal care this time of year. Stock up and fill your stockings and keep your wallet full.
Post-Holiday Sales I like to stock up on plain colored paper goods after each holiday and stockpile them to use throughout the year for parties and events. No one will know the red napkins are from Valentine’s Day, not from Christmas. Light Blue gift paper from Chanukah will wrap a present for a baby shower gift just the same.
Party Foods, Baking Goods, and Various Meat There will be a lot of rebates, keep your eyes open!
Canned goods (broth, soups, etc)
Prime Rib, Turkey, Ham

Year-round after a holiday, you can always pick up cheap cookie dough. Cookie dough freezes really well for about two month. You can also find plain colored paper goods, including plain colored wrapping paper and tissue paper after each holiday in the clearance section.

Easy, Family Friendly Water Saving Tips

Abby H.

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You may have heard, California is in a pretty severe drought situation, which has led to some pretty severe water use restrictions.

As a California Native, I honestly don’t remember a time when we haven’t been actively conserving water. However, now it’s more important than ever.

How can you and your family help out? Like most things, small tweaks can lead to big  changes, especially if many people pitch in.  Here are a few examples of ways YOU and YOUR FAMILY can help out:

Fix any leaky faucets. It may be as simple as replacing a worn out gasket in the faucet. Depending on how many drips you count per minute and how many faucets you have that are drip drip dripping, you could be wasting up to 5 gallons of water A DAY!!!

Limit showers to 5 minutes or less.  I know take a long, hot shower is nice, but realistically, most ladies don’t need to wash their hair every day, and all that water is just going down the drain. If you need to relax, take a bath.  Once you are done… try the next tip.

Got kids who still take a bath? Once they (or you!) are done, scoop the some of the water out of the tub in a bucket (I like the 5 gallon Homer Buckets from Home Depot) and use it to water your lawn, houseplants, or even your garden. For more tips and info on how and when it’s ok to use gray water in your garden, check out this segment from KPBS Midday Edition.

Only run the dishwasher when it’s full. That seems like a no-brainer, but it really does save water!

Use the correct setting on your washing machine! If you don’t have a large load, remember to change the load size on your washing machine. Using Energy Star rated appliances will not only help you save electricity, but it will also help you save water! Read the washing machine  manual to learn about which water settings should be used.

Turn off the sink while you are brushing your teeth or shaving. You could save up to 8 gallons a day per person who brushes their teeth.

Consider removing your lawn. I know having a lush, green lawn is a source of pride for some homeowners, but now is not the time!  You can Xeriscape, which is where you pull out the lawn and replace it with decorative rocks or mulch and native, drought tolerant plants. It’s really pretty. And you’ll be saving tons of water!

Pick up some rain barrels. I know, I know, we’re in a drought! But it still does rain here from time to time. The City of San Diego has a rebate program for those who purchase and install rain collection barrels. For those of us who can’t install barrels, you can always set out buckets to collect water and store it appropriately.  We always set out a few buckets to collect water for our patio garden.

Take your car to the carwash! Most commercial carwashes use  recycled water, so taking your car to the carwash is a great way to conserve water. It’s a lot more water efficient- the average commercial carwash uses 30-50 gallons of water per carwash (and most of it is or can be recycled), whereas a DIY at home car washing can use upwards of 100 gallons of water!

Compost your kitchen scraps! Instead of running your garbage disposal (which requires water!) to dispose of organic waste (that includes food waste), start a compost pile/bin.  You can find small compost bins (including table top versions!) at Home Depot for those who don’t’ have a large yard (like us). In addition to most food waste, yard waste, newspaper, and cardboard can be added to compost piles/bins. You can learn more about composting here.

So, there are just a few ways you can be water wise. How do you like to conserve water?

Review & Giveaway: Dial Sugar Cane Husk Scrub Hand Soap

Abby H.6 Comments

290x188-Dial-Sugar-Promo-SigI love being a Purex Insider! It’s a blogging program where I get to try out new products and share them with you! The latest product I was able to sample was the Dial® Sugar Cane Husk Scrub Hand Soap. It’s  the newest member of the Dial® Boutique Collection Hand Soap line, bringing luxury to your hand washing experience.

IMG_2966With an indulgent scent inspired by freshly cut Sugar Cane, this premium formula with gentle micro scrubbers cleanses deeply while moisturizing and smoothing skin.

When it arrived, I put it in the hallway bathroom, which is the one that Lil’ Man uses most.  He’s really into washing his hands right now, because it, “Makes the yucky germs go away!”

Everyone who has used it over the past 2 weeks loves it. The little micro scrubbers really help get your hands clean (which is great since Lil’ Man and I have been gardening a lot recently and we get pretty gross!), but it’s very moisturizing (thanks to the Sunflower oil).

I’m super excited to share this new product with you, in fact, you can enter to win a coupon for a free bottle.  Just check out the Rafflecopter widget here to enter!

Dole Fruit and Oatmeal Money Maker Deal!

Abby H.1 Comment

 

IMG_2969Right now, most 99 Cents Only locations  have Dole Fruit & Oatmeal for 99 Cents a 2 pack.

A Facebook fan told me these retail for $2.00 a pack at the mainstream grocery store- that’s nuts!

Here is a way you can score these little beauties for free- and make .50 on each package!

 

 

Screen Shot 2015-03-31 at 9.59.34 AMThere is a Snap By Groupon rebate for $1.50 back! Which means you pay $.99, submit for the $1.50 Snap Rebate and it’s a .50 Money maker (and there is no limit as to how many you can purchase and receive the rebate on).

Not a SNAP by Groupon member, You can sign up here! SNAP by Groupon is an app for your enabled device that gives you cash back when you buy specific items (at any store!)- items change about once a month, and there is always in interesting mix of items, including fresh fruits and veggies! You can cash out once you reach $20 in savings!

I tried one of these oatmeal cups this morning, and it was pretty good (but a little sweet). They’d be great to stash in your desk at work, or to donate to a food bank or shelter. Deals like this are just one way that you can help others and maintain your food budget!

Beer Bread: Quick, Yummy Food!

Abby H.3 Comments

Lil’ Man and I love to cook together.  Recently I was fortunate enough to receive a Danish Dough Hook from the nice folks over at Kitchen Simple and Tomoson. Since it’s been pretty warm recently, we decided to skip making a complicated recipe that would have us in the kitchen for a long time. We opted to make beer bread!
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Beer bread is an amazing, easy to make, versatile food. It can be made to go with any meal, or it can be a meal itself! For this batch, we used Butterscotch Beer (it’s actually soda), butterscotch chips, and semi-sweet chocolate chips,  in addition to the basic ingredients below.

It was a very sweet, light dessert bread. Lil’ Man ate 3 pieces before the bread cooled!

If you’ve never used a dough hook before, it’s a kitchen tool that’s great for mixing up bread, cookies, even batters! It has a long, sturdy handle, and a wire loop that helps incorporate the ingredients. It’s a great addition to any kitchen, whether you are an every day baker, or only bake during the holidays. If you’ve got a cook in your family, they make a great gift too!

The basic recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

  • 3 cups self rising flour (sifted) (Or if you don’t have self rising flour, mix together: 3 cups flour (sifted), 3 teaspoons baking powder,1 teaspoon salt)
  • 1/4 cup white or brown sugar
  • 1 (12 ounce) can beer or other carbonated beverage- See below*
  • ½ stick melted butter

Directions

  1. Sift the flour and sugar together.
  2. Slowly pour the liquid over the dry mixture and mix until combined. We used the dough hook, but you can use a strong wooden spoon.
  3. Pour dough into a greased Dutch oven or a greased bread pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes-1 hour or until when inserted, a knife comes out clean.

You can add any one of the following before your mix it together:

½ cup of the any of the following (feel free to mix and match).  If you want more “stuff” in your bread, feel free to add more than 1/2 cup:

  • Dried fruits (make sure it’s bite sized!)
  • nuts
  • chocolate chips or any other kind of chips (white chocolate, cinnamon, butterscotch)
  • shredded or cubed cheese
  • chopped onions (raw or carmelized)
  • shallots
  • green onions
  • chives
  • To make it a main dish, pour 1/2 of the bread dough into the pan, pour in a layer of cooked meat (I like taco seasoned beef, or cut up/shredded cooked chicken breast cooked with ranch dressing powder or herbs), then top with the remaining bread dough. Bake as directed.

Any of the following spices are delicious (add to your taste):

Cinnamon, nutmeg, apple pie spice, Pumpkin pie spice, Italian seasoning, Mural of Flavor, garlic powder, onion powder. Add the herbs/spices into the flour before you add the liquids.

If you want to make a sweet dessert bread, make a crumble to top the bread with prior to baking:

  • ½ C. flour
  • ½ c. brown sugar
  • ½ c. softenened butter
  • Spices (I like Apple Pie or Pumpkin pie spice)
  1. Combine all of the ingredients together.
  2. Top the uncooked bread with this mixture.
  3. Bake as directed as directed above.

 

*For a different texture, try different varieties of soda (fruit or cream sodas are great), soda water, light beer, Guinness or other dark beer. Match the type of beer with the other added items.  When using soda, add 2 teaspoons of yeast so you get the correct rise (beer contains yeast!).  Feel free to use whatever beer or soda you have in your house!  I don’t recommend using Root Beer- it makes the bread bitter.  Don’t use diet soda!  Baking with artificial sweeteners other than Splenda can make the bread bitter.

Yummy combos:

  • Orange soda goes great with chocolate chips and orange zest.
  • Light beer, sharp cheddar cheese, Mural of Flavor and caramelized onions are great together.
  • Lighter beer (I like Stella Artois), Italian Seasoning, shredded mozzarella cheese or string cheese cut into cubes, and chopped dried tomatoes.
  • Chocolate stout beer, dark chocolate chips, dried cranberries.
  • Sam Adams Summer blend with apple or pumpkin pie spice, chopped dried apples, and dried cranberries.

 

I want to thank the great people over at Kitchen Simple and Tomoson for the chance to review this product. I was not financially compensated to review these products, however I received a Danish Dough Hook for free to facilitate my review. I only recommend products and services that I feel may be a good fit for my readers.

The Pricebook: A Frugal Shoppers Best Friend!

Abby H.6 Comments

One thing that I get asked a lot when I’m shopping (besides, “Where’d you get all those coupons!”) is, “What’s that’s little book?” The Answer: It’s my price book! It’s a little spiral bound notebook, like this one.

Screen Shot 2015-03-27 at 11.42.40 AM A price book is a list of the items you use and the prices they sell for in the stores in your area.

It is a perfect tool for tracking price per ounce, which will help you determine the best price. Prices in a price book should be listed by cost per unit so you can easily compare different size packages from different stores. Your price book is a great tool to help you determine if a sale is really a deal.

Your price book can be as complex or as easy as you want it to be. You can calculate price per unit, or just list the regular price of each item at each of the stores you visit in your area.

If you have an iPhone or other smartphone, there are several apps available for purchase that take the guess work out if it.  If you are computer savvy, you can do a price book in Excel and print a copy when you go to shop. There are several available for download free on the Internet.  Google search “Excel Price Book download”.

Your price book can be as simple or as complex and you want it to be.  If you are new to the concept of prices books, you may wish to add as much detail as possible, to track your savings to the penny.

Basic information for every price book should include:

  • Date (you can date the top of each page or note it somewhere within the columns)
  • The brand– i.e. Hunt’s
  • The item– i.e. stewed tomatoes
  • Size -in ounces or pounds, however the item is listed on the container (i.e. 14.5oz, 2 lbs.)
  • Price- for the entire package. i.e. $1.89

Name of store– This is helpful if you are trying to find the cheapest price for an item within a range of stores.  Is deodorant really cheaper at the grocery store, Target or CVS in your area?  Start price book and find out!

Because of my price book, I know the cheapest place to get bananas is 99 Cents Only: .49/lb all the time! We eat about 2-3 lbs of bananas per week. Most grocery stores charge .69-.79/lb for bananas. By buying the least expensive bananas each week I am saving approximately $30.00/year. That’s just on one item we shop for each week!

Additional info:

  • Sale price (if any)
  • Date of sale (if any)

Listing sale information may assist you in tracking when sales occur, and plan your shopping trips throughout the year.  Knowing when to stock up on specific items may save you a couple hundred dollars a year.

Your price book will help you determine if that 50-gallon drum of yogurt at Costco is a better deal than the 32-ounce tub from the supermarket. Not all bulk purchases are a better deal.

I have a sheet in my price book for each store that I shop at. One page is for food items, and the second is for HBA/toiletries. I tend not to buy toiletries at Costco, as they are generally NOT a good deal.

My grocery stores include: Albertsons, Costco (so I can determine what is a good deal), 99 Cents Only, Wal-Mart, and Target.

I update my price books once a quarter.  When it’s time to update, I take a little extra time when I visit each store and just double check prices and sizes. Sometimes the size of the product changes too.

Here are some websites that talk about price books and give examples:

 

Clothing Swaps: Family Frugality at it’s best!

Abby H.4 Comments

VRj6VzFtGot piles of clothes stashed in a closet that the family has outgrown or are no longer worn? Have you thought about participating in a clothing swap? For those who aren’t familiar with clothing swaps, it’s a pretty cool concept:

Gather friends, family, co-workers and everyone brings their unwanted clothes, shoes, and accessories. For each item you bring, you receive 1 ticket. Each ticket is exchangeable to another piece of clothing, accessory, or pair of shoes. You bring ten items, you get ten tickets, you leave with ten items.

You can do kids clothing, women’s, men’s, whatever your group of friends is interested in doing.

There are a bunch of already established clothing swaps in San Diego.

Kinders Keepers is a fun clothing swap group in San Diego that meets quarterly.  You can learn more on their Facebook page here.

The Sonrise Church in Santee has a clothing swap too! One for kids clothes, and another for women’s clothing. Miss Charity’s Closet & Little Blessings Boutique 2nd Saturday of every month at 9:00 am
Contact Charity Murphy for more info clmurphy71@gmail.com

Not strictly clothing related, there is the San Diego Really, Really Free Market. They also meet about once a quarter in various areas around town.

Also not strictly Clothing Related, but one of my favorite give back orgs is the Buy Nothing Project. There are chapters all over the US, and we have a few here in San Diego.  I’ve been able to share clothes, panty staples we no longer needed, Lil’ Man’s outgrown toys and clothes.

If you don’t want to wait for an upcoming swap, check out consignment or resale shops! Just last week, I took some items over to Conceptions Children’s Resale. It’s a nice resale shop in Santee, I take a lot of Lil’ Man’s outgrown clothes and toys. In exchange I get 50% of the price they will sell the items for when I chose to receive Store Credit. Since #2 is on the way, I’ll usually take store credit. You can keep credit on file too. I’m saving mine up! There are tons of kid’s resale shops across the US, I bet there is one close to you. There are consignment or resale shops for adults too!

And of course… don’t forget Freecycle. Do a quick google search for Clothing swap + the name of your city.

What are some of your favorite money saving strategies when it comes to keeping the family clothed?

Review: Baby Nautical Month Stickers!

Abby H.


If you’ve got friends with babies, then I’m sure you’ve seen these. Baby Month Stickers are the latest and greatest in photo props for your little.

Screen Shot 2015-03-24 at 7.49.24 AMEach month, you peel one of the stickers off and affix them to your little friend, snap some photos and viola-  more super cute photos for the baby book! They are tear proof and water proof too, so a drooly, active baby won’t cause any damage!

iCustomLabel sent me a set of the Nautical Baby Month Stickers and I can’t wait to try them out when Lil’ Miss is born.  iCustom Label also sells pregnancy stickers if you are photographing
your “bump” each month as well.

iCustomLabel sells over 100 different types of stickers from sweet and simple to superhero stickers, so there is sure to be something for everyone! And they start at just $10/set!

I want to thank the great people over at iCustomLabel and Tomoson for the chance to review this product. I was not financially compensated to review these products, however I received a four pack of Baby Nautical Month Stickers free to facilitate my review. I only recommend products and services that I feel may be a good fit for my readers.

 

Review: Reusable Baby Food Pouches

Abby H.

When Lil’ Man was younger, that kid was all about the squeezy pouches, which was great! They are easy to carry, come in lots of varieties, and are overall a million times more convenient than glass jarred baby food.  HOWEVER, they make a lot of trash.

Recently I discovered the Easy Anywhere Reusable Baby Food Pouches. These pouches are incredible.  IMG_2886
You can refill the pouch again-and-again. No accidental spills with the reinforced double zipper. No more spending a lot of money on store bought pre filled pouches (over $1.00/each at most stores!).  It’s made of sturdy but very flexible material that’s environmentally friendly (BPA-free, PVC-free & phthalate-free).

If you’ve got kids that don’t eat a lot in one sitting, you’ll never waste food in a pouch again with the convenient window at the back of the pouch!

They are easy to use too. Pour your delicious homemade purees (Or you could use pudding for a fun dessert) easily into the large opening on the top of the Pouch. You don’t need any special appliances to fill the pouch. No weird, rounded corners that are difficult to clean. Just use a bottle brush to clean the pouch and pop it into the washing machine.

We used ours at the zoo last week. I filled one with chilled pudding, and a second with homemade applesauce.  These pouches would be great for backpacking or camping as well.

I’ve already picked up another set to share with a friend who is expecting soon! These make a pretty cool gift.

I want to thank the great people over at Easy Anywhere Brands and Tomoson for the chance to review this product. I was not financially compensated to review these products, however I received a four pack of Easy Anywhere Reusable Baby Food Pouches free to facilitate my review. I only recommend products and services that I feel may be a good fit for my readers.

Birthday Freebies!

Abby H.7 Comments

file851348626627UPDATED 2018 My birthday has already passed, and this year was the first year I didn’t redeem all of my birthday freebies. Between all the awesome things going on in life (Preschool, the new baby coming, and not having the energy to get off my butt and cruise all over town), I stuck mostly to the awesome free stuff that was close to the house. I wanted to share with ya’ll all the sweet stuff you can score for free just fer having a birthday!

I recommend signing up for these freebies at least a month before your birthday, so there is enough time for you to be added to their list. I have included only the freebies that I have signed up for and personally received in 2015, so there is no bunk.

Most of these offers can be redeemed any time during your birthday month, so no need to cram all of this excitement into one day! I try to pull together offers that are close to one another 3-4 a day once or twice a week in February, combined with my regular errands.

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Non-food Goodies:

  • Free goodies at Sephora (It changes every year)
  • Free swag at Aveda (Free special blended body product),  Now you pay $10 and receive a product valued at $23+… No thanks.
  • $3.00 ECB at CVS when you register online for the CVS ExtraCare Beauty Club
  • DSW Shoe Warehouse – $5 off birthday coupon, plus 500 points for signing up for their loyalty club.
  • If you’ve got kids, sign up for Geoffry’s Birthday Club at Toys R Us. Your child will receive a card in the mail, a gift certificate and coupons to use in store.
  • Members of the Cost Plus World Market Explorers program get a surprise birthday gift, among other perks; you will also get a 10% off coupon upon enrollment.
  • Members of the AMC Theater loyalty club, AMC Stubs receive a special surprise for their birthday.  (Stubs costs $12/year to join)
  • As a member of Swagbucks, you’ll get 50 Swagbucks on your birthday.
  • Torrid– Members of the DivaStyle Club will receive $10 off their next purchase of $10+
  • K-Mart Kids Club: Your kiddo will get $5.00 coupon to spend in the store and other birthday goodies!
  • Old Navy: Sign up for their email list and they’ll send you a $5.00 off coupon to use in store.  You can also sign your kids up too! Scroll all the way to the “Sign up and Save” box at the bottom of the page.

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Free Food Noms:

  • Red Robin:  FREE burger on your birthday and all the latest Red Robin news.
  • Cold Stone Creamery:   Free ice cream on your birthday when you buy one at regular price.
  • Rubio’s   Free plate/combo
  • Del Taco  Free Shake (You also get something free when you sign up!)
  • Starbucks – register a free Starbucks Card and get a free birthday handcrafted beverage of your choice(as well as other goodies throughout the year).
  • Benihana Japanese Restaurant – complimentary meal up to $30 when you purchase an Adult meal at Regular Price (You must sign up for The Chef’s Table club) . This used to be a FREE meal, no strings attached, it was changed last year.
  • Baskin Robbins Ice Cream – One free scoop (2.5 oz),.
  • Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream – Free single scoop.
  • Sonic Drive-in: Free Medium beverage (OMG- Cherry Limeade FTW!)
  • Denny’s: Free Grand Slam for your Birthday. They also email out other freebies and coupons.
  • IHOP: Free Meal (It varies by year) on your birthday.
  • Arby’s Birthday Club: Offers a “surprise” This year I think it was a shake. yum!
  • Dunkin Donuts Birthday Club will kick down with a free coffee.   I’ve included DD’s, even though we don’t live near one, I love their coffee.
  • Burger King Crown Club for Kids: Free Surprise for your kiddo’s b-day!
  • Daphne’s Pita Points Club Members:  on your Birthday receive $5 added directly into your Pita Points account.
  • Jersey Mike’s: Free Sub for your Birthday!
  • Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt: When you sign up for a Smile-age Account, you’ll score a free Fro Yo for your B-day!  (I love Menchie’s!)
  • Weinerschnitzel: Free Corn Dog for your Birthday!
  • Cinnabon: Free Mochalatta Chill for your birthday, and a free minibun when you sign up.
  • Nothing Bundt Cakes: Join their email list and receive a FREE Bundlet on your Birthday. (look for the link at the bottom of their website)
  • Sbarro Rewards Club: Free piece of pizza for your birthday when you purchase a drink. You’ll also get a coupon for a free slice when you sign up.
  • Pick up Stix: Free order of Cream Cheese Wontons for your Birthday with any purchase.
  • Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt: Free Frozen Yogurt on your birthday.
  • Sprinkles: Get a free cupcake for your birthday when you join the Sprinkles birthday club.
  • Pita Pit: Free Pita for your birthday when you join the Pita Pit E-Club!

Some offers that I have been told about but no longer exist include: free tokens for the b-day kid at Chuck E. Cheese, free cheeseburger at Fuddruckers (now it’s a BOGO), Free cake at Corner Bakery Cafe (It’s a free dessert WYB an entree), free brow wax at the Benefit Brow Bar.

I live in Southern CA, so I have different offers than other websites, because not all establishments that offer freebies are nationwide. Please leave your favorite birthday freebies in the comment section of this post!