Monday, September 26, 2011

Birthday Freebies That Are Free

I know what you are thinking...
"There are tons of Birthday Freebie lists out there, so why are you creating your own and reinventing the wheel?" 
Well this is the real Birthday Freebie list - the list that only contains full-fledged FREE birthday gifts.  Who wants a birthday gift that has strings attached, anyway?

Top Awards:

  • Gigi's Cupcakes
    • A coupon for a free cupcake of your choice ($3.00 value) is emailed to you if you have signed up for Gigi's email newsletter and provide a birthdate.  You will receive this coupon on the first day of your birthday month.
  • City Barbeque
    • Email VIP Club members can bring in a printout of the Happy Birthday email to receive a complimentary dessert any time of the month. You can choose between banana pudding, triple chocolate cake, or peach cobbler with homemade whipped cream. 
  • DSW
    • If you are a DSW Rewards member, a $5 birthday certificate is emailed to you that can be used any time during your birthday month.  If you don't need shoes, get yourself some free socks!
  • Steak 'n Shake
    • Sign up for the eClub and you will have a coupon emailed to you for a free Double Steakburger with Cheese 'n Fries to enjoy any time during your birthday month.  Go through the drive-thru or use the TakHomaSak counter if you are alone!
  • The Container Store
    • A coupon  is emailed to you for a free gift that you can redeem any time during your birthday month.  Internet rumblings seem to indicate that it is a free The Container Store reusable bag.  How I signed up for this is a mystery to me.
  • Yogurt Mountain
    • Sign up for Yogurt Mountain's Birthday Club and receive a certificate in your inbox for a free 6oz. yogurt ($3.50 value) to enjoy anytime during your birthday month.  Be sure not to overfill your cup if you aren't willing to pay for extra ounces
  • Graeter's
    • A free birthday sundae is loaded onto your Sweet Rewards card to be used on your birthday or the week following.  If you need to join Sweet Rewards, you must pick up the card in-store and register it online.  Make sure to include your birthday on the registration form.  Start deciding...will you go for the Banana Split, Turtle Sundae, or 1870 Tower?? Yum!
  • Sephora
    • Sign up for Sephora's Beauty Insider program and receive a free gift in-store or online.  You will receive an email 14 days before your birthday with directions on how to get your free gift.  The deals is valid from then until 14 days after your actual birthday.  The fun part about this one is that the gift they give away changes from year to year, so it is always a surprise.  The gift for 2011 is a bottle of Philosophy "vanilla birthday cake" shampoo which can also be used as shower gel or bubble bath.  Note that if you redeem online, you must purchase something and pay for shipping, so I recommend heading to the brick-and-mortar store if there's one in your area.
  • Noodles & Co
    • Receive a free bowl of noodles via an email sent to your inbox 5 days before your birthday.  You have until 9 days after your birthday to use it.  Sign up for Noodlegrams to get this tasty treat.  Make sure to order the large bowl with a protein to get the most out of your free birthday meal! ($7.50 value)
  • Panera Bread
    • Grab a MyPanera card next time you are at a participating Panera Bread and register it online.  By doing so and entering your birthday information, a free pastry or sweet is loaded onto your MyPanera card on your birthday.  It expires 60 days after your birthday so you have plenty of time to enjoy it.
  • Sonic
    • Choose between free medium Tots, a regular CreamSlush Treat, or a medium drink.  The Happy Birthday email provides a link to print one of these three coupons.  The email is sent on your birthday and you have one month from the date you print the coupon to enjoy the treat of your choice.  To get in on this deal, sign up for the Sonic Cruisers Club.
  • Caribou Coffee
    • Receive an email one week before your birthday that you can print and redeem for a free drink (any kind, any size!) at any Caribou Coffee.  The only bummer is that the offer is valid only ON your birthday.  Create an online account and be sure to enter your birthdate information to receive this treat.
  • Baskin-Robbins
    • A coupon for one free 2.5oz scoop or 3oz soft serve is emailed to you 5 days before your birthday.  The coupon expires 5 days after your birthday.  You must sign up for the BR Birthday Club to receive this coupon.
  • Bruegger's
    • If you sign up for Bruegger's Fresh News email list, you will receive an email in your inbox 7 days before your birthday with a coupon for a free cookie.  You have until 2 weeks after your birthday to enjoy that fresh baked cookie.
  • Rita's Italian Ice
    • Sign up for Rita's Online Birthday Club and you will receive a coupon in your inbox one week before your birthday for one free regular Italian Ice.  Once you click on the link to receive and print your offer, you will have 7 days to redeem it.
  • Ruby Tuesday
    • Receive a link to a coupon for a free Handcrafted Burger at Ruby Tuesday's 7 days before your birthday if you are signed up for their So Connected email list.  The coupon expires 9 days after your birthday and is valid for dine-in or RubyTueGo, so you can get a free meal on the run! (~$10 value).
  • Tropical Smoothie
    • Join Club Tropical and you will receive an email on your birthday inviting you to enjoy a free smoothie of your choice during the week following your birthday.
  • Don Pablo's
    • Pick up a Habaneros Club card at your local Don Pablo's, register it online, and $10 is loaded onto your card the week of your birthday.  You have 4 weeks to redeem it for $10 worth of tasty Tex Mex food.  Order it To-Go to get the trully free experience.

Honorable Mention:

  • bd's Mongolian Grill
    • Join Club Mongo and you will receive a coupon via email one week before your birthday for a free stir-fry meal.  You have until one week after your birthday to eat for free.  While there is no contingency on purchasing another meal, I don't enjoy going to a sit-down restaurant by myself.
  • Chick-fil-A
    • Check with your local Chick-fil-A.  Since they are franchises, it varies from location to location.  Our Chick-fil-A celebrates birthdays on the first Friday of each month.  If it is your birthday month, head over to Chick-fil-A and get a free milkshake of your choice on the first Friday of the month. 
  • Red Robin
    • A free Gourmet Burger is added to your Red Royalty card to be used any time during your birthday month.  In order to join the Red Royalty program, you must pick up a Red Royalty card at the restaurant and register it online.  Note that each adult in a family must have a separate card in order to each receive a free birthday burger.
    • If you sign your children up through your Red Royalty card, they receive a coupon in your inbox for a free kid's meal of their choice.  It expires 14 days from the date the email was sent.  If your child's birthday falls within the same week of your birthday, you can redeem both free burgers in the same visit!
  • Dave & Buster's
    • A coupon for $10 worth of free game play is emailed to you one week before your birthday if you have registered your Power Card online.  You have until 30 days after your birthday to use the promotional coupon.
  • Funny Bone Comedy Club
    • If you have signed up for the Funny Bone newsletter either in club or online for you local club, you will receive an email one week before your birthday for 4 free General Admission tickets.  There is a two item minimum per person inside the show room, which is why Funny Bone only gets an Honorable Mention.
  • Buffalo Wild Wings
    • Join The Buffalo Circle and you will receive an email 7 days before your birthday with a coupon for a free dessert of your choice: Chocolate Fudge Cake or a scoop of ice cream with chocolate or caramel topping.  You have until one week after your birthday to indulge in this dessert.  There is no restriction on this coupon to buy an entree. 
  • McCormick & Schmick's
    • Receive an email 7 days before your big day that states you can print out the email and receive a complementary signature dessert.  No expiration date is noted and there are no purchase requirements.  To get in on this sweet deal, join their eCLUB online.
  • Brio Tuscan Grille
    • Print out the Happy Birthday email from Brio to receive a free Beef Medallions with Shrimp Scampi entree.  There is no restriction on this deal to buy another entree, but it must be redeemed for dine-in only.  If you don't mind a nice meal to yourself, this is the birthday meal for you!  Join Brio's Pasta Tuscana E-Club to partake in this delicious freebie.
Phew...what a list!  You might want to ask for an elliptical for your birthday so you can work off all these yummy calories ;)

Go get your "birthday hat" on!

1 comment: