K's Bday: Twenty-10

I'm 10 days out from turning _X_ and the offers have ALREADY started to roll in. Want to see what you too can get for F-R-E-E on your birthday? Follow me!

My day isn't until the 10th, and most of these have about 7 - 14 days on either side of your special day to be used, so every now and then I'd say that my DOB was really the 8th or the 13th, simply to spread the good times a little bit more.

Also, I'm going to keep updating this post, so check back every so often as I add more offers. Ready? GO!

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Received 11/26

~ Buca di Beppo - Free Appetizer (a small app for <5,>5)

~ The Melting Pot - *free Chocolate Fondue (when you buy either the "big night out" or two individual entrees and a cheese fondue.

Received 11/27

~ Sephora - sign up here to be a Beauty Insider and you'll get emails BUT also an email prompting you to claim a free b-day gift. (This year it's a "beautiful eyes kit" and in the years past its been a trio of mini lip gloss as well as a bottle of bubble bath.)

~ Genghis Grill - get a free bowl (aka - a trip though the line)

~ Sonny Bryan's - FREE Sandwich plate (valid within 7 days of birthday) ((sign up on the home page in the lower left hand corner.))

Received 11/28

~ Smashbox - a promo code for free goodies at check out! (goodies = a mini lip gloss, a blush set and a tin case to store them in.) ((*if you're going to partake, wait until a Tuesday or Thursday to place your order - they usually have some super awesome freebies on those days that are included with any order.))

Received 11/30

~ Which Wich - Free Which! Woohoo!

Received 12/10

~ A FREE Large Soda at AMC movie theatres, thanks to my MovieWatcher Rewards card. (*at press time I learned that AMC is overhauling their reward system and will introduce a new and improved program sometime in the near future and until then they aren't enrolling new members.)


Received 12/16

~ an email for a FREE $10 gift card to my favorite GGP (General Growth Properties) Mall (Click here to find a location near you; once you get to that mall's page, look for something like "the club" or "shop club", etc. Sign up to get emails and alerts about sales and promos and you, too, will get a $10 gift card on your bday, redeemable at the main service desk.)

Received 12/21

~ my damn Benihana certificate. Yes, you'll get a free meal up to $30 - so even if you got the $17 chicken and a few a la carte pieces of shush, anything under $30 - excluding alcohol - is on the house. The TWO problems I had with this offer this year - first, I didn't get the email until 11 days after my birthday (the sign up form says they'll go out on the first of the month); and second, I only received this offer to my back up email address. I pretty much ignored all of their other noise from the rest of the year that went to my main email address, but some where along the way I was sent something that said I needed to "update my information" and because I didn't do that when I logged into my "account" from said main email address it said that they only send the emails if your account is current. You'd think that they'd still try to send the certificate to you, because of all of the variables in your life that do change - last name, address, phone number, employer - your date of birth isn't one to move around. (Well, maybe the year, but not the day.) Whatever.

And then thing's I've received in the mail in the past few days:

~ Victoria's Secret - $10 off ANY purchase

~ Origin's - $10 off ANY purchase

~ Henri Bendel - 20% my total purchase

~ Free some-kind-of-dinner-plate post card from Red Hot & Blue.

Point Cards = Rewards (And A Fat Wallet)

Not only will your wallet get fat because you're going to join all of these "card clubs", BUT, your wallet will be fat and happy because of all the money you're NOT spending!

Again, I'm going to work on an ever-updating list of places that have reward card programs where in you collect points to get free things. Fun!

(Note, some of these overlap with these sign up freebies and birthday freebies, so remember to fill in your bday, anniversary and a valid "freebie" email address - so your normal one isn't advertised to death - that can be made here.)

GO!!!

~~~

AMC Movie Watchers Rewards - that's right, you can earn free stuff by going to the movies. You can either register a card HERE online and wait for your card to arrive via snail mail (about two weeks in a super non-busy time) OR I'm told you can sign up at your theatre's guest services box office, but you may want to call and check about that one. So here's the nitty gritty. For every movie ticket you buy, you'll get 2 (two) points, with a max of 4 (four) points earned per transaction, per visit. (So, if you and a special someone are the only ones who see movies together, then maybe one card for the two of you will do. But if you go to movies with kids or friends or whatnot, then I'd register for enough cards to cover everyone in multiples of twos - so two cards for a family of four, three cards for a family of six, etc - and buy tickets by the two's in separate transactions on said separate cards until everyone has a ticket.) BUT, in the FAQ page, they have defined "visit" as to mean every three hours, because some people see more than one movie a day, so you could in theory you buy two tickets at 9am for a 7pm showing, then go back after 1 to buy two more tickets and still get the points, then buy more tickets if need be 3 hours after your last purchase and so on. So, what do you get? For every 10 points you have, you'll get a reward. (I haven't made it to 10 yet, as I always forget my card but I'm trying to get better,) BUT the way I understand it is once you get to every 10th point, a coupon will pop out with your printed tickets (no matter if you print them online, at the ticket booth or at the handy dandy ticket kiosk) and your total will keep rolling. I'm not sure if this is over a lifetime or by a sign up/calendar year, or once you hit 100 points (which, btw is 50 movies by yourself or 25 if you always go with a friend) and then everything resets or what, but if you get there before I do, please do let me know! Also, if you forget to enter your card number or show your card when you buy the tickets, just bring the stubs and your card to the theatres guest services counter and they'll take care of you; same thing if you think you were due for a reward and it didn't print. Also, watch the inbox that is associated with this account; you'll get freebies like free drinks and popcorn!

Carino's - has "pasta points" where you earn a point for every pre-tax dollar you spend; after you collect 100 points (and register your card) you can start redeeming for everything from free apps and entrees to a vacation in Vegas or Italy.

Don Pablo's - This is one I don't know too much about, but it looks like you'll get a free dip just for registering, and then awesome rewards like $10 off around your bday, anniversary and after every 9th visit. Click Here!

Freebirds - if you like Chipolte then go try Freebirds and be prepared to never switch back. (Um, anyway.) Get a "fanatic" card and for every burrito, salad, plate of nachos, combo of 3 tacos or quesadilla you buy you'll get 1 stamp; you'll get 2 stamps for every "Super Monster" sized burrito. You can start collecting stamps before you register the card but you can't redeem them until you do; you can redeem 10 points to get either a FREE burrito (size halfbird, freebird or monster) salad, nachos, 3 tacos, quesadilla OR you can pick a shirt or a hat. (they have a few designs to choose between.) 15 stamps will get you a FREE SUPER MONSTER or better looking shirt. (locations.)

Genghis Grill - a Mongolian barbecue joint - has Khan's Rewards - you can sign up to just get a FREE bowl on your birthday but you can also get a reward card by stopping by and asking for one; this one is pretty simple - get 1 point per bowl, redeem 10 points for a free bowl. Everything (except the bday offer) is kept on your card so there are no emails or snail mail cards to wait on. (I love easy programs like this one.)

Godiva - Yes. Free. Chocolate. (YUM!) Either register here for the Chocolate Rewards Club or you can go in store and they'll help you there. The deets - you'll get: 1 FREE piece of chocolate (in store) every month - just go in and say that you'd like to collect on your free piece; 1 FREE gift each month when you spend over $10 (also only redeemable in store, and it's kind of tricky because you don't collect the gift the same day/month you spend the $10 - so if I went in today, the 2nd of Sept I wouldn't be eligible to collect said free gift until October); 1 FREE online shipping promo code over the life of the account; AND *exclusive* online specials every month. (*If you join in store, you'll get a handy card; but if you join online then you have to either provide your email or your phone number when you go to collect on that sweet piece of chocolate every month, which can be skeevy sometimes.*)

Pei Wei - has a rewards card program, but it is currently only available to those who live/eat in CA, NV and UT. So, bummer for the rest of us - but here is the link to find out more for those who do qualify.

Raising Canes - go to an RC and request a card. (I don't think the points will count until you register the card.) Later when you're at an Internet connection that isn't a phone (I tried and failed) register your card here. Upon doing so you'll get an offer for a FREE BOX COMBO, which is 4 chicken fingers, fries, slaw, bread and a drink, for ab-so-lute-ly F-R-E-E. THEN, for every combo you purchase, you'll get a point. I can't find the rules on the site but I'm pretty sure all you need is 10 points to redeem for another Free Box Combo! Yay!

Red Mango - a pinkberry-esk frozen yogurt place, has "club mango", where you'll collect points towards a $5 off coupon for future use. (This place charges by the ounce and or topping, so the set up isn't super simple like some places.) So stop in, get a card, register it, then you'll get 10 points for every dollar spent in store, 50 points just for registering the card and 500 points on your birthday (as well as emails about specials, promos, events, new flavors and the like.)

Sephora - (which sells make up, make up supplies, perfume, cologne and beauty counter name brands like Clinique and Philosophy) Join the "Beauty Insiders" program in store (where you'll get a card, which is great because it ensures that you always get your points 'cause if you have a weird email address then sometimes they could botch it up upon entering it) OR join here online and you'll get a point per every dollar spent both in store and online. After you collect 100 points, you can redeem them for a fun sized free sample, which changes every week, OR you can save them and when you hit 500 points you can turn those in for a limited edition full sized product, which changes monthly AND You'll get a special birthday gift! (If you hit 350 points in a calendar year, so jan - dec, then you'll qualify to become a VIB - Very Important Beauty - and get even MORE special perks, like exclusive shopping times, coupon offers, sneak previews and more.)

Starbucks - (this program is near and dear to my heart as I recently went Gold.) Basically, get a gift card (either as a gift or buy it for yourself), register it here, and then use that card to pay whenever you go to get your fix. For every drink you buy with a registered card you'll get a star (either keep reloading that same card or get new cards and add them to the account you create with that first card); when starting out you'll be considered a "welcome level" member, which just means that you'll get either a card or an email for a free drink on your birthday! Once you've purchased 5 drinks in a calendar year you'll bump up to a "green" level member and you'll get things like free drink customizations (so if you want soy milk or extra mocha you won't pay the additional $.50), free refills on brewed coffee and tea, special trial offers sent to you in the mail, yadda yadda yadda. After you've hit 30 stars in a calendar year you'll be a Gold member and in addition to the welcome and green benefits, you'll also get personalized coupons (like I buy a lot of oatmeal, and my account tracks that so as a "thank you" I'll get cards for free oatmeal, more so than other "golds" I know who don't purchase oatmeal), a personalized gold card (it has my name on it!!!!) AND you'll get a card in the mail for a free drink with every 15 you purchase. (tip - Starbucks has a GREAT app to track your rewards on your iPhone and blackberry; look for something called "my Starbucks card".)

Sign-Up Freebies

We all know about the loyalty programs that offer a free *something* on our birthday, but what about all the times when it's not our bday and we just want a special, free treat?

I'm in the process of signing up my parents for EVERY bday promo I can find and I realized that no one has made a cohesive list of all the free things you get JUST for signing up for loyalty programs. So I am going to try. (Right now I have listed places that that may or may not be specific to just the DFW area. If you find any more let me know and I'll list them!)

Tips: 1) space these out when signing up, just to give yourself more than 10 days to collect on all of them. 2) you will get tons of email from these places, so go here and make up a new "freebie" email as to not get advertised to death in your real email. AND 3) don't forget to enter your bday if they ask!!!

Ready? Go!

~~~

Abuelo's - Free Entree on your next Visit. (Eclub!)

AMF Bowling - $5 off PER PERSON up to four people. (not sure if it's per game or just one game.)

Applebee's - Free Appetizer

Arby's - Join Arby's Extras and get an email for a free offer; Mine was for a free Regular Roast Beef Sand which when you buy a drink. (Expires 7 days from date sent; You can only view it once so make sure you are ready to print when you open the offer.)

AuntieAnnes - Join "Pretzel Perks" and get a BOGO coupon; expires 2 weeks from sign-up date.

Aveda - Make an account here and you'll get an instant "thank you" in the form of a printable offer that you can redeem in an Aveda store. (note, not all salons participate because not all are company owned. find a location here and call before you go. Also note, The "Aveda Stores" will always accept them, like Stonebriar, Willow Bend, NorthPark and the institute across from NorthPark.)

Ben & Jerry's - (please note that this is for the scoop shops, not for pints at the store.) - sign up here and you'll get an email for a FREE single scoop in either a cup or a cone. Yum!

Bone Daddy's - join the VIP club here and get an email for a free appetizer. (4 locations - Arlington, Austin, Dallas and Grapevine.)

Brio Tuscan Grille - join here for a complimentary appetizer.

Buca di Beppo - sign up here and you'll get a free small appetizer.

Caribou Coffee - sign up here and get an email for $1 off any larger "Wild" Beverage and free shipping on an online order over $40.

Carino's - sign up (at the bottom of the main page) and get an email for 1/2 off any entree.

Carrabba's - Complimentary Appetizer!!! (FYI, I'm typing this at 1:30 in the am and now I'm jonesing for the calamari that is pictured in this email that I can't have because they are closed. And I should be in bed.)

Chili's - join here and get an email for free Chips & Queso.

Chuck E. Cheese - (BAR TRIVIA!!! Did you know that the E. stands for Entertainment? Fun!) Ok. Sign up here and you'll get an email with 4 coupons - one for a large 1 topping pizza, 4 drinks and 30 tokes for $19.99; the 2nd is for a Large 1 topping, 1 Medium cheese, 4 soft drinks and 35 tokens for $29.99; the 3rd is for 100 tokens for $15; and the last is for 175 tokens for $25.)

Corner Bakery - get an email for a free cookie, no other purchase necessary!

Cotton Patch - join the e-club here and you'll get an email for a free appetizer.

Dairy Queen - Join the Blizzard Club here and you'll get an email for a BOGO 12 or 16 oz blizzard.

Dave and Busters - join HERE and get an email for $10 in free game play. (coupon for free play expires 30 days from date of registration.)

Denny's - join the rewards club here and get an email for 20% off your entire check.

Dickey's Barbecue Pit - Join the Big Yellow Cup club here and you'll get an email for a free drink, no other purchase necessary. (These things are huge. Also fun? Add Ice Cream to the cup before you get your drink. Just sayin'.)

Dippin' Dots - join the "Forty Below Zero Club" and you'll get an email for 10% off AND a free Mug OR cell phone charm with your first online order. (who orders dippin dots online?)

Einstein Brothers - sign up here and get an email for a BOGO breakfast or lunch sandwich.

El Fenix - sign up here and get an email for a BOGO entree!!

Firehouse Subs - They changed the way they offer Birthday Subs (now just present your photo id instead of waiting for a card in the mail) BUT join their email newsletter program and get a coupon for a free Large Fountain Drink or Bottled Beverage with purchase of any sub.

Fish City Grill (AND Half Shells) - Join here (for fish city) and here (for half shells) and you'll get an email for $5 off your next visit.

Fox and Hound (also Bailey's Sports Grille) - Join the Pub Club here and get an email for a free app.

Fuddruckers - join Club Fudd and get an email for a 1/3lb Burger, Fries and a soft drink for $7 flat.

GAP Inc. - sign up here and you can subscribe to Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Piper Lime updates, alerts and offers all in one swoop. (just make sure you select what you want to hear about - so don't check baby gap if you don't care about baby gap.) ((*you'll get an instant free shipping offer from Banana, same thing with Gap, a $ off when you spend $X at Old Navy and free shipping from Piperlime.))

Great American Cookies - join here and you'll get an email for a BOGO regular cookie.

Houlihan's - click here and get an email for a free appetizer.

Joe's Crab Shack -Join and you'll get an instant email for a free appetizer.

La Madeleine - get a free cup of soup or a small salad - just for signing up!!!

Malls - Ok. This one is tricky. Go to this page to find your favorite GGP property and this one to find a mall owned by Simon. These are the two main players, as together they own and opperiate more than 70% of the shopping centers in this country. Anyway, find a mall that you frequent (or two or three) and sign up (in your junk email, because they WILL email you, about every super big and very small sale) for that malls club or eblast or whatever they've named it; you should find something about it on that malls "page", which is linked off of the propriety site. I can't guarantee that you'll get something from every mall (or malls) you do choose, but I got an email for "a free $10 gift card when I spend $75 from Stonebriar", so there's at least that. (And if you don't find your favorite shopping haunt on one of those pages, google - or *bing* - it and I'm sure with a little surfing you'll find some place to enter your email on that centers website.)

Marble Slab Creamery - B1G1 Ice Cream Combination. (Expires 2 weeks from sign-up.)

Maggiano's - sign up and get $10 off your next meal. (bottom right of the main page.) Click HERE to fill in more info, like an anniversary and bday and stuff.

The Melting Pot - join "Club Fondue" and you'll get an email for a free pot of chocolate fondue.

Mimi's Cafe - FREE breakfast entree (with purchase of another entree.) ((*3 area locations, Allen, Arlington and Grapevine.)

Mooyah - dallas/fort worth people - what is up with the EXPLOSION of burger joints poppin' up as of late? I'm not saying I hate it, but I am saying that I haven't consumed this much beef in a while. Anyway, this one is a text-message only kind of deal, and you can only be "connected" to one location to get their specials and deals and what not. Opt in by texting "MOOYAH" to 89686 and then you'll get a text saying something along the lines of selecting your fav location. SO, if you love the location by work, enter that one, but know that those deals can't be applied to the location by your church/house/mall/gym, etc. I'm not sure how often they'll text you, but I'm sure never more than 4 times a month AND you can always opt out at anytime.

On The Border - join here and get an email for free Queso or Sopapillas.

Outback Steakhouse - join Outback Rewards and get an email for a free "Aussie-Tizer" (I see what they did there) when you buy two entrees.

Papa Murphy's - go here and look for the "eClub" box near the bottom left; fill in your info and once you confirm the email, in the 2nd window confirmation screen you'll be able to print a B1B1 half off coupon. (expires two weeks after sign up.)

Patrizio's - click here to sign up; get an email for a free appetizer.

Philosophy - create an account here and you'll get a free gift with a purchase of $25 or more.

Qdoba - sign up here and you'll get an email for free chips and salsa.

Quiznos - join the Q-Club and get an email for $2 off a regular or large sub.

Raising Cane's - *this one requires you to get a membership card* Step 1 - go to an RC, get a "Caniac Club" Card. (Totally free, you don't even have to order anything. Just run in or drive through.) Step 2 - Go home (or the office, but you can't do it from your iPhone, because I tried it) and REGISTER your card HERE. AS SOON AS YOU'RE done, you will see an offer for a FREE Box Combo! (That's 4 fingers, fries, slaw, bread AND a DRINK. Not too shabbs for the extra work.) Don't forget to hand your card over every time you buy a combo - for every 10 stamps/points/punches/combos purchased you'll get another FREE box combo!

Red Hot and Blue - sign up here and get an email for a free prok barbeque sandwich.

Red Robin - join here and get $3 off your next purchase.

Romano's Macaroni Grill - enter your email address on the bottom of the homepage and you'll then go to a second page where you fill in the rest of your info. Once you confirm your email subscription (via an email) you'll get a SECOND email with a coupon for $5 your next purchase of 2 Entrees. (expires a month from sign up.)

Ruby Tuesday - join the "So Connected" club and get an email for a BOGO entree, up to $10. (expires two weeks after sent.)

Schlotzskys - Join the "Bun and Fun" club you'll get an email for a ___ but be careful!!! They have one of those fancy email stalker things that only lets you view the offer once, so if you don't print it right then, then you're out of luck.

Smoothie King - join "The Kingdom" and get an email for a BOGO 20oz Smoothie!

Souper Salad - join the Souper Fresh Club (click the bird) and you'll get an email for 20% off a Lunch of Dinner Buffet.

The Spaghetti Warehouse - Sign up here and you'll get an email for a free appetizer.

Sonny Bryans - enter your name, email address and DOB in the lower left-hand "email sign up" box on the main page and after submitting you'll be redirected to a confirmation page; that page will list a coupon for 25% off your first ONLINE order meant for TAKEOUT. (PS - if you ever plan to visit Dallas you HAVE to stop by this place for authentic Dallas BBQ. It's been around forever - the original is here and this is where Rachel Ray goes to get her meat kick when she's in town.) *Update* About 8 days after I signed up I got an email for their "monthly offering" which was for a FREE entree! So even if you can't use the online take out offer, still sign up with them as you'll get something FREE monthly!!!

Sweet Tomatoes (and/or Souplantation) - sign up for Club Veg and get an email for b1g1 half off.

Texas de Brazil - sign up here for the club and you'll get an email for 25% off of your full price dinners. (but not your water or soda. sorry.)

Texas Roadhouse - sign up here to become a Texas Roadie VIP and you'll get an email for a free appetizer.

Victoria's Secret Pink Nation - "Pink" is the collection/brand targeted to college age girls BUT anyone can join. Go here and sign up to get a freebie - the offer changes every 6-8 weeks but in the past it's been things like free panties, body lotion, tank tops (valued at $19!!), tote bags, bracelets, etc. Usually you do have to make a purchase first, but look for inexpensive things, like clearance and sale items, travel sized lotions OR lollipops (yes, the candy - still counts and is priced at $1) BUT from time to time it's just a straight out free item. Make sure to fill in your bday AND physical address when signing up because you'll get mailings for MORE offers - like money off your next in store or online purchase AND MORE FREE panties, often times at No Purchase Necessary! (I know I'm talking too much about this but whatever.) OFTEN TIMES there will be in-store specials - like a free pair of panties or tote bag or flip flops - with any Pink purchase that also with work WITH these printable coupons; you could literally walk in there, buy a lollipop, use the printable coupon for the free whatever AND get the in -store promo, NO questions asked! (last one and I'm done.) And this is from my personal experience and may be a gray area - You don't need a vaild email address to sign up. The coupon appears after you first sign up - so you don't need to go check your email for the offer; so in the future if you see a coupon that says "for new members only", just make up a fake email when registering and you'll get the new offer! But shh! Don't let the cat out of the bag too loudly or else they may go and change this on us. (PS - thanks to this program I haven't purchase underwear outright in Lord knows how long.)

Wendy's - sign up for Wendy Mail (do you think that's a play on e-mail?) and instantly get a coupon for $1 off a premium burger.

Which Wich - Join their "Vibe Club" and get an email for a free regular 'wich when you purchase a large fountain drink.

World Market - join here and get a $10 off your next $30 printable. Yay!


~K

Free Reusable Shopping Bag at Target

Have you ever run into a store only needing a few things but you forgot your reusable bag(s)? Don't you hate it?

I hate buying more bags because I know i'll just end up forgetting about those too, but I really hate just staring at all of those plastic bags in the junk cabinet, just waiting for me to take them to be recycled. (... sooooo ... lazy ...) ((*my community doesn't have a recycling program; it'd be different if we had one of those bins that you put out with the garbage, because i'm not that lazy; but if I'm the one at the store re-buying more of those damn flimzy totes for $1 because I forgot mine at home you can be damn sure that i'm also the one driving around with a trashbag full of the plastic bags in my trunk because I keep forgetting to take them inside the store, to be dropped off to be recycled.))

SOOOOO here is a way to get a few for free.

Target is famous for having creative gift cards that are more than just plastic rectangles that hold a store balance. (I have one that is not only a picture of Barbie shopping in a SuperTarget, but it also came with a limited edition Barbie dress. I'm also 25 going on 7.) This gift card in question (can you guess where I'm going with this?) COMES with a somewhat small - yet really sturdy - reusable bag that once folded can be ziped up into itself (like an anorack pullover) and is the size of the gift card - perfect for keeping in a purse or possibly on a key chain.

How to get it for free? If you find them at your store (look for them by the greeting cards or makeup), buy the giftcard in a first transaction (put like, $1 or $5 on the card), then either go and shop or if you've already done so, just turn around and use both the bag and the gift card in a second transaction, much like how one would roll a Walgreens Register Reward or a CVS Extra Care Buck.

Is it worth it to go through the trouble? For some, not so much. For those hung up on freebies and these bags, sure. Just think, you'll also be saving the environment (one plastic bag at a time; although you'll eventually have to deal with the old gift card and the thing in which it comes ... hum ... ) BUT more importantly (for some) you'll get your nickel discount per bag. Score!

Happy Shopping!

~K

PS - here is what the *free* bag looks like once unfolded; the cardboard holder said it can carry UP TO (so not all at the same time) two 2-liters of soda, four loafs of bread, 10 sticks of deodorant, etc etc etc. So again, perfect for light trips.

Johnson Soap Buddies JACKPOT

We're about to be overflowing in those super cute Johnson's Soap Buddies.

If your Target has their Catalina machines installed and running, buy the soap buddies three at a time - after you pay, a $2.50/3 Johnson's Product cat will pop out!

The best thing, this deal is ROLLING!!! (So when you go back to use the cat, another one comes out!)

The only three downsides I can see about this are you'll have to pay a little out of pocket (about $.41 - $.86 cents total depending on what your store charges), the cat is a MFQ so you can't stack it with the current prints we have and this will further deplete the store supplies if you already have trouble finding them.

YAY!!!!! I hope you have a GREAT DAY!

Free Sample of Spark

There is a company called Advocare which operates like Mary Kay, Avon or any other "home-biased", "pyramid" independent distributor company, where one person sells the products directly to others via catalogues, home parties and the Internet.

Advocare sells "healthy supplements" and things of that nature; go here and get a free sample of "spark", which (I'd say) is a combination of energy drink + crystal light.

Now, I can't be 100% on this, but, I would assume that a distributor in your area will receive your information from this sample request and contact you in the future. (IE - make up a fake phone number and send them your junk email address.)

Have a great day!

~K

(Ps - Advocare is biased in Dallas! Yay for hometown love!)

HOT Bath and Body Works Professional Skin Care Deal

Wow, could that title have been any longer?

While flippin' through the latest issue of Marie Claire (of which I have a free subscription; those who are skeptical of those "free magazine" offers should really reconsider) I found an ad and coupon for $10 off ANY Patricia Wexler Dermatology Purchase at *Bath and Body Works. (*in-store only.)

I don't know who Dr. Wexler is, but I've take up skin care as a new years resolution after seeing A's mom post-chemical peel. So if Wexlers "stuff" is cheap enough I'll try her fancy skin creams with no problem.

Here is the link to her page-of-products over at Bath and Body Works.com; The best part? There are 9 items that come out to $10 OR UNDER after the coupon, 4 of which come out to under $6!!!

Again, the coupon cannot be used online, and was found in the Feb issue of Marie Claire - but I'm sure will appear in other glossies shortly.

Oh, wait. There is still more. In case you don't want to buy a mag to save some cash, you can **text the word "Marie" to LUVBBW (588229) to get the offer sent to your mobile phone.

Offer valid now through feb. 28th.

Happy Shopping!

~K

Important! If you decide to go the text coupon route, make sure not to delete the text; there should be a way on older, non-smart phones where you can go in and "lock" or "save" the message in your inbox permanently until you're ready to delete it. Since the cashiers don't need a tangible card or print-out to scan in order for you to save, you can literally use this offer OVER AND OVER again until it expires at the end of Feb, so if you find a product that you like you should have no problem being able to stock up on the cheap.

((**standard text message fees occur; check your current plan people. At AT&T a single text for those without plans is $.20 cents, whereas the cheapest plan is $5 a month and gets you 200 texts. If you still don't have text messaging - ahem, MOM - I HIGHLY recommend it as you will start to see more and more companies going in this tech-savvy savings direction.))

A Perfect Storm Target Match-Up Post! (ie - get a super fun game on the cheap side)

(I'm sorry about all of the ' action going on in this post, something is up with blogger and it simply will not let me space this post the way I really want to.)

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I've said it before but I'm saying it again -I'm all about games. Right now at Target you can get The Game of Things, plus a card deck game, (a $32 value!) for only $9.99! (Or $9.94 after the bag credit. :p)

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The Game of Things is similar to most group games - you can make it serious, funny, naughty, opposite, whatever! The rules are sorta simple - pretty much everyone writes a response to the topic card and whoever is not matched to their response at the end of a round by the other players wins! (Actual rules can be found here, but I will dumb them down at the bottom of this post.)

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Right now Toys R Us has "The Game of Things" on sale in their weekly ad (page 11A, top left corner) for $14.99. (Normally $27!)

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AND go HERE for a $5 off coupon - making it $9.99 (Saving you, like, $17!) There is a 2 print-per-computer limit, so if you haven't used this one yet, you should be able to print it twice.

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Now, you can pick this up at TRU when you're there this week getting all the child-centric board games that count towards the Hasbro/Toys R Us rebate,

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OR,

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you can take the Toys R Us ad (actual print ad, not Internet print out, unless your store is lax on that rule) to Target to price match the game (also normally around $27) and get a free hasbro card game as well. (page 16 of this week's Target ad talks about the promo; The Game of Things isn't listed or shown on the ad but is a game by Hasbro and has a promo sticker/tag by its normal shelf price tag in-store. If you still aren't sure about this, go to a scanner or ask an employee to scan it for you - the promo should come up on their screen.)

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You may be squeamish about "doing this deal" at Target, because the new coupon and price-matching policies exclude other stores "buy-one-get-X" promotions AND they also exclude you from price matching and then using a Target coupon on said item being price matched. Plus its a bit involved and there are a lot of you out there who have been very turned off by Target lately.

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However, the buy-game-get-card freebie is Targets own promotion, so you will be able to price match, get the free card game AND use the manufacturer coupon to get everything for $9.99!

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Here's where it gets complicated - normal cashiers don't have the power to price match at their individual registers, so you can check out "up front" or just go straight to Customer Service, since you'll have to stop there anyway.

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AND ideally the way that Target wants its "guests" to perform price adjusting when using a coupon is to use said coupon at time of purchase at the front registers and then get reimbursed later, as to keep the wait time down for the rest of us in line at Customer Service, but they'll still take a coupon at CS. However, I see this as bringing in more people than necessary to error the transaction, so you need to decide if you want to make one long purchase at the registers and then get reimbursed at Customer Service (for convenience and sake of time), OR if you want to make this purchase first at customer service and then continue with your other shopping and do two transactions at Target, that is assuming that you are there to purchase more in the first place.

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If I were you (which I was, 'cause I already did this and it totally worked) I'd do the transaction first at CS and then continue shopping and purchase everything else separately, which looks like this: find the game (it's in a wooden box and can be found in the "party" or "adult" section of the game isle), pick out which free card game you'd like (you get to choose between scrabble slam, monopoly deal and something that is like pictureika; they should all be well marked that they are the free-game-with-purchase) and then go to Customer Service. Wait your turn (obvs.) and then let the service person know that you are going to price match the big item. They will scan the Game of Things, do some fancy button pushin' to adjust the price and then scan the card game, which will automatically show up as free. (They might go in a different order with the card game scanning and price adjustment, but that part should not matter.) Your total should say $14.99 (plus whatever your sales tax is; so in the D/FW area it'd be $16.23) - then when you go to pay hand over your coupon for $5 off. They'll scan it and then you're down to $9.99! ($10.84 D/FW - because the tax is adjusted to what you pay after the coupon) Done!

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I didn't ring this up at a normal register, because I thought the whole thing would give all parties involved - the cashier, the CS person and myself - a headache, but here is what it should look like if you choose to go this way. When you buy both games and use the coupon, the receipt will print out as all are apart of the special promotion - so there will be all of these fancy price numbers everywhere inside a separate box that is marked like so:

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-------Special Promotion -------

##### '''''''''GameofThings '''''$27.00 (or whatever price in which your target has the game listed)

##### '''''''''MFR Coupon '''''''''$5.00-

'''''''''''''''''''Refund Value ''' $23.12 (or some other number) T

###### '''''''Card Game ''''''''''''$5.24

'''''''''''''''''''Refund Value ''''$3.88 T

'''''''''''''''''''--------------

''''''''''''''''Package Subtotal $32.24

'''''''''''''''''''''Card Game Free $5.24-

'''''''''============

'''''''''''''''''''Package Total $27.00 (or again, whatever price yours is going for.)

'''''All Items Must Be returned For Full Refund

----------------------------------

'''''''''''''''''''Subtotal ''''''''''''''''$22.00 (unless you bought more stuff)

'''''%Tax on $22 '''''''''''''''''''$ tax amount

''''''''''''''''''''''''''Total ''''''''''''''''$ whatever total is

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THEN you'll go up to CS and price adjust the NORMAL PRICE, the one that is on the same line as the sku number and the game title (the one that I've highlighted in lime green for you). They should in NO WAY tell you any of the following:

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~ You can't do that. (Yes, I can because it's your matching policy, a current ad, your promotion, and a manufacture coupon.)

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~ The Price Adjustment is only on the $22 or only on the $23.24 so you'll be getting $7.01 or $8.25 back. (No, the $22 is the price after the Manufactures coupon, and the $*23 is the *stores promo price. Stand up for yourself on this one - point to the "MFR Coupon" words on your receipt and then point to your copies of the *New and Improved* Target Coupon and Price Matching Policies. The 5th Question states that MFR Coupons will be used AFTER the price adjustment, so then point to the original price.)

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~ You can't get the free card game. (Again, YES I can because the store promotion is valid on games over $10, of which this game still is after the price adjustment.)

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~ I don't get what is going on. (Speak more slowly. Tell the person that you would like to buy these two items but one needs to be price adjusted, but don't mention the coupon. Show them the ad and it's valid dates, then let the employee do their thing. Once it's time to pay, then pull out the coupon.)

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~ I can't price match the package total. (That's fine, employee, because you're not matching the package total, you are matching the original sales price, which is also currently the same as the package total.)

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The prices in *light blue on the fake receipt indicate what you would receive if you tried to return either game without the other. This is Targets part in trying to prevent anyone from "pulling a fast one" by buying both, keeping one, and getting the full price of the other back, or keeping one for free in the end.

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I hope that this hasn't left you completely lost. Getting a great deal sometimes doesn't seem worth it if you have to go through so much trouble. (Which I assure you this post just makes it all seem like a bigger hassle than it really is.) The Game of Things really is a blast to play with friends but because you run out of the included paper fairly fast (it comes with 500 answer slips - if you have 10 people play 2 complete games that's 10 slips per round, 10 rounds per game, times 2 games = 200 slips, or 100 if you go front and back) I personally would NEVER pay full price for it ever; why should you shell out $27 and then need to supply your own paper after 2 - 5 parties? But if I can get it for $10 AND get something else for free out of it then I guarantee you that everyone at that party will have heard about my great score by the end of the night.

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~K

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*And don't forget that there is also a $5 off coupon for Connect 4X4 on the same coupon site, which is also part of the free card game promotion.

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As promised, "The Game of Things" Rules, as read by K:

1) First select a Reader (who can also act as the score keeper) for that round and then everyone gets a piece of included paper.

2)The Reader selects a topic card and reads it aloud - so it could be "Things you shouldn't do while skiing" or "Things you can always count on".

3) Everyone (including the reader) then thinks of and writes down their answer and gives said response to the reader, who then reads them all aloud.

4) Player A will now have the chance to guess who said what - however, you cannot guess the reader (and in turn the reader of the round cannot guess either, because s/he can see every ones handwriting). So if person A guesses person C said response 1 and is correct, then person C is now out and person A gets to guess until s/he fails to correctly identify another response, at which time the next remaining player has a chance to identify the remaining responses.

5) The end of the round features two players guessing who-wrote-what determined over three response slips, because one slip is the readers, thus making it an intentional throw-someone-off answer. Once the round is over, tally up all the points given, then select another player to be the reader/score keeper. A new round can start once everyone has fresh slip of paper and a new topic card has been drawn.

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Scoring: You get 1 (one) point for every correct person/response connection YOU make; 6 (six) points are awarded to the person who wins the round; The winner of the round is the person still standing, aside from the reader of course. Then you start another round until everyone has had a chance to be the reader; then winner of the game is the person with the most overall points.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

Wow, shameless self promotion time!

It is my birthday, and I plan on celebrating by getting a lot of free stuff, doing some Christmas shopping and then hanging out with my friends. Woohoo!

I've been working on a birthday freebie list for a few weeks now, and while I'm sad that I didn't get every single offer that I've seen posted on various blogs, I did get quite a few so I'm not complaining. (That much. Come on, Starbucks. I've been a registered card holder for forever. Where the hell is my free drink mailer/coupon?)

http://startoutsaving.blogspot.com/2009/11/ks-birthday-comes-again.html

Anyway, I hope you have a good day and I'll be sure to post soon!

~K

A Heartfelt Message from A and K

So I don't know if it's been mentioned, but we're only doing this because it's fun. There are too many other coupon and freebie-ers out there who have awesome websites and are always updating and do a much better job than we ever could (unless we were also banking from it, then I feel that we could spare the time), but A is busying graduating so she can teach the youth of the future and make a difference and junk and I already spend too much time in front of the computer. Plue, I'd also hate to have to knife someone because she/he posted something and didn't link back to us. (You know I'd do it too.)

Why the site then?

Again, there are so many wonderful people who sit down and do match ups and find coupons in the little corners of the interwebs but sometimes, just sometimes, A and I stumble onto good deals and steals of which no one else has yet found. (I personally take credit with the Free Fiber Pop-tarts at Target a few months ago.) And we would like to be a voice for the Northern Dallas area - if we find a price or deal and post said price, you can expect to pay somewhere around that in the area, unlike when someone from Florida or Washington State sends something in and it's a drastically different price when you go to the store to score.

And I live in a suburb that includes the next weeks Target ad in their free Friday paper so I feel somewhat empowered on Friday.

So, to all the nay-sayers, I'm sorry that we don't advertise, sell our blank space or include a banner - personally there are some sites that have way too much of that already. It's like a Yahoo v. Google (visually speaking) thing.

But we're here just to have fun as A finishes up undergrad and then takes on Grad school next fall, and I start to plan to think about getting married and possibly move across the country.

With that said, we hope you have a great day!

~A & K

K's Birthday comes again

updated 7/8 at 1:30 am.

Ugh. I'm turning 25 next week, the 10th, and it's not that I hate getting older, its just that I haven't accomplished anything that I had planned on by the time I got to the quarter-century mark.

So, I've decided I'm turning 24 for the second time and I'm going to celebrate by getting a bunch of free stuff! (What better way?)

I've been signing up for clubs, loyalty programs, email enrollments and you name it for a few months now and we're going to see what happens. There are a lot of bloggers who have complied lists that will tell you where to go, what to do and what you'll get, but I'm going to post here (and update as the day gets closer) as to what really pans out.

(One of the best - and most frequently updated - lists out there can be found over at Hey It's Free. I literally signed up for ever offer that is available in the Dallas/Fort Worth area so we'll see what works out!)

(Dates in parenthesise = when I received said offer. I'm telling you that so you'll know when to look for your freebies!)

((Ps - you may need to have a lot of friends to collect on a lot of these as there are a lot of bogo's or certain amounts to spend - or just make sure you have have a lot of freezer space.)

Ready? Go!

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~Academy Sports and Outdoors - Try reading that and not singing the rest of the jingle. Sign up and get a FREE $5 gift card for your bday! (*Mine came in January, you may have to wait for this one.)

Aerie - the underwear and dorm-centric side of American Eagle Outfitters (read - target market is GIRLS ages 17-24, who are sizes 00 - 14.) offers the A-List club - if you hit their store (Aerie only, not a regular American Eagle, but a side store that has it's own mall entrance) on a Thursday during your birth month you'll get a gift! (I wrote this up before actually getting my gift; I hear that it changes month - to - month.) ** The program has since changed, so instead of a free gift you get 15% off your purchase both in-store and on-line.

~ Arby's - free Swirl Shake with any roastburger sandwich purchase. (expires 14 days from date sent, minimum purchase of full price roastburger. Not sure if the freebie is also a swirl shake; seems to be an odd choice for December people but whatev's. Also, I can't tell what exactly it's swirled with so good luck.) (12/3)

~ Auntie Anne's - the "pretzel perks" club is for "V.I.P.s (Very Important Pretzel-lovers)" (<~All that was thought up by AA, NOT me.) but really, anyone can join. I receive coupons via email for BOGO's - a new one each month - and for my birthday I was sent a bogo as well. (*Stipulations - free item must be of equal or lesser value of paid item, not valid on dips, sauces or drinks.) AND it doesn't expire until the end of the month. (came on 12/3)

~ Aveda - I got a birthday card via snail mail for a free pure-blends product of my choice. I'm excited!!! (12/5) (Update - I went to collect and it was great. You get to choose one product between a lotion, body oil, bath salt, perfume and something else but you get to choose the scent and they *flavor* it right infront of you. Plus, just for going into the store you get a *cup of tea and if it's slow and your Aveda person isn't a total bitch you'll also get a hand massage.) ((*I starred the word cup because it was more like a shot glass and the flavor is mint and licorice, so, not for everyone.))

~ Aveda Pure Privilege - this is different than the above Aveda club - this is like an airline miles program, only for spa services. There is a one-time-fee of $10 to join but after you collect points from things like hair cuts, spa days and product purchases, you can redeem your points for cool things like vacations, more spa services and coupons for free pints of Haagen-Dazs ice cream. This is also how you get those AWESOME emails for their larger free samples. (The same ones that you sometimes see floating around on freebie websites - only if you're a member you won't have to worry about getting dirty looks from the staff because you're a member!) FOR your bday you'll get a card with some other free sample thing, as well as a certificate for triple bonus points on your next spa service. (Again, this is probably better if you actually get a lot of *work* done or you already visit an Aveda Salon or Spa.)

~ Banana Republic - 15% off my next purchase, valid online only (boo!). Valid the whole month (yay!) but cannot be combined with other offers. (12/1)

~ Baskin Robbins - Free scoop! It expires on the 15, so 10 days from when I got it. (12/5)

~ Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops - free single scoop. (present id, cert good for single scoop cup or cone) expires two weeks from date sent. sign up for the chunk-spelunker (not a dirty word, just a play on words because B&J love chunks in their ice cream and spelunker because that means exploring) email club here. (please do not email me yelling how the grocery store would not let you use this coupon on a pint, because it's only valid at scoop shops - so like malls, airports and strip mall locations.) (12/3)

~ Benihana - Free dinner (up to $30) for joining the "Chef's Table" club. Valid the whole month and again, good up to $30 on anything you order excluding alcohol and tax. (So, get the $17 or $22 chicken thing and then a few pieces of sushi.) There is a whole list of limitations, like one offer per table, only valid in 24 states (sorry, HI), must be at least 13, only applies to dine-in orders; if you spend less than $30 there will be no reimbursement, etc, blah blah blah. (12/4, but I also entered the wrong bday (?), so I'm sure that added a few days to the send time.)

~ BJ's Restaurant/Brewhouse - Free Pizookie!!! (AHHH!!! I love these so much - it's a cookie/brownie cooked in a small deep dish pizza pan and topped with vanilla ice cream - we usually get one as an appetizer, which is why we don't often go to BJ's.) There isn't any word of "buy one entree" or "spend this amount", so I'm going out for drinks and shall be eating a pizookie as well! (12/3)

~ Buca de Beppo - free dessert, exp's on jan 2, so a full 30 days after I got it. (must purchase one entree, not valid on dolce platter.) (12/3)

~ Chili's - free dessert (with purchase of any entree), expires on the 17th (so 14 days from date sent or a week after the day), good only in the continental US and does not exclude carry-out orders. (12/3)

~ Cold Stone Creamery - a free Cold Stone Creation AND a $3 off any cake coupon. Expires one week from my birthday. (Downer? I have to log into their site to print both, which means that I have to remember a password and I definitely don't.) It seems like in the years past it wasn't good for a creation, rather a single flavor and one mix in or topping, so this program has improved. (12/3)

~ Crayola.com - did you know that Crayola is a combination of the french (maybe?) words for chalk and art oil? A little bar trivia for you later. Anyway, they sent me an e-card and a 15% off coupon to be used in their online store. (I know, I can't print it out to make $1 box of crayons $.85. boo.) (12/6)

~ CVS. I have a registered reward card so I received a coupon for $2 off my next purchase. (Which, as we all know, $2 will go a long way at CVS.) ((CVS stands for Customer Value Store, for those who wanted more trivia.)) (12/10)

~ Dairy Queen - BOGO 16oz Blizzard. (14 days from date sent, and when signing up you have to select which DQ you'll visit.) (12/3)

~ Dickey's Barbecue Pit - Join the "Big Yellow Cup Club" (the soda cups are massive, and yellow, so when you purchase a soda you get to keep the cup. You know a true dickey's fan when you go over to their house/apt/whatever and their main supply of cups are from Dickey's.) and on your bday you will get a BOGO sandwich email. Expires 14 days from date sent, must have ID, free sandwich must be of equal or lesser value of purchased one. (this would make a good to go deal.) (12/5)

~ DSW - I received an email for $5 off my total purchase, no minimum listed. (But lets be honest now, how often have you ever spent under $5 in a shoe store?) The offer is good the whole month of my birth so that is another generous offer. Also, you can combine up to 3 DSW certificates at once, so if you have been buying from them all year and accumulating points, then you can use 2 more rewards certs with the $5 bday one. (12/1)

~ Firehouse Subs - they used to offer a birthday mail out for a free sub, but as of July 1, 2010 the program changed to where you just need to flash your id on your bday to get the free medium sub. (Which is a good thing, because I finally got my free sub card in March.) If you still want to get on a mailing list with them, click here, and you'll get a cert. for a free drink with your next sub purchase.

~ Fox and Hound - (which also operates Bailey's Sports Grille, which we don't have in Dallas but I'm reading about online, so if you don't have one, maybe you have the other?) Free entree with purchase of another at equal or greater value. Offer expires 14 days from date sent. (I literally signed up for this one two days ago, too.) (12/5)

~ Fuddruckers - Free 1/3 lb burger (but in smaller print below it says "burger, entree, sandwich or salad up to $8 in value" - which is great because if you don't like burgers then you have a choice.) - limit one per guest, expires 14 days from day sent, need to show ID. (12/3)

~ Genghis Grill - sign up for Khan's Club and get a free bowl at lunch or dinner. There are some exclusions, but a free meal is still pretty sweet. I received the email a full two weeks before and it's good for up to a week after my actual day. Pretty sweet indeed. (go here for locations) (11/27)

~ Godiva Chocolatier - not exactly a birthday freebie, but if you're going to be at the mall, then stop by and collect your monthly free piece of chocolate. (They also offer other nice perks with this program.) ((Also, it's pronounced "guh-dive-uh", NOT "go" *pauseofbreath* "diva".))

~ Great American Cookies - free slice of cookie cake! (expires two weeks from date sent, valid only at participating locations - must select fav location when signing up and that verifies if said location accepts coupon.) (12/3)

~ HomeMadeSimple - (The section of P&G who are behind those coupon booklets for products like swiffer and fabreeze) sent me an e-card. (Thanks, Guys!) (12/1)

~ Houlihan's - a free entree, and it doesn't appear that there are any other strings attached. I have two weeks from my bday to use it and standard rules - dine in only, one coupon per table, bring ID, etc etc. You do have to pick your favorite location when signing up for the club and that is the location listed on the print out, but I'm sure if you wanted to use it at another location and you called ahead of time they will "do you a solid" 'cause it's your birthday. (can you tell I've never used that phrase before in my life?) (12/6)

~ Jack in the Box - now, this is a place of which I normally do not frequent, unless a friend decides she needs a Breakfast Jack at midnight (A) or a certain boyfriend needs to pee. But, I do belong to the Secret Society of Cool People (click the words "sign up" on the left side of the screen) and as a member I received a coupon for a free dessert - either a "chocolate overload cake" (it looks like a baby chocolate bunt cake drizzled in chocolate sauce and is hopefully served warm and with a defibrillator) or a slice of "New York Cheesecake" (which just looks like cheesecake). No other purchase necessary, present coupon when ordering and show ID. Interestingly enough, there is no expiration date on this one. (12/10)

~ La Madeleine - email for free pastry. Expires two weeks from date sent, must show ID, no other purchase required. (12/3)

~ Lancome - yes, the make-up and skin care people - sign up here to create an account; my birthday "gift" is a skincare sampler collection that I will receive when I enter the given code on my next $35 purchase which can be made up to the end of my birth month. (12/3)

~ Maggiano's - $10 off any check of $30 or more. (Which is easily done at Maggiano's.) One certificate per table, dine-in only, expires 30 days from date sent. (12/3)

~ Marble Slab Creamery - free regular cone (I hope it includes ice cream! harharhar) and $3 off a cake (wait, I feel like I've seen this offer already). (Expires 14 days from date sent, mix-ins not included.) Join the marble mail club here. (12/3)

~ Origins - $10 off my next $25 online purchase. (Read, not valid in-store.) Place order by the end of January (so, month and a half, two month window); AND free shipping with an order over $75. (12/10)

~ Philosophy.com - free 6 oz. "vanilla birthday cake" shampoo/shower gel/bubble bag with my next order of $15 or more. (I'd rather save my $15 and shipping costs and get a $16 full sized bottle at Sephora, but birthday freebies are birthday freebies!) The code is good for like, 3 months though, so I have a while to deliberate on what I should purchase. (12/10)

~ Qdoba - BOGO entree (the free one must be of equal or lesser value of paid entree.) Expires two weeks from date sent. (12/3)

~ Quiznos - join the qclub (I did not see that coming) and you'll get a free cookie. (They even made it a point to mention it in THREE separate places that if I ask they'll heat it up for me in their oven.) It looks like there is no other purchase necessary ... but you will have to select a specific store and redeem only a that location. (12/10 - day of birth)

~ Red Robin - Free Gourmet Burger (of my choice!) - offer may only be printed and used once, only one coupon per table, except for families with multiple bday's in a two week period. Dine-in only, not good with any other offers, discounts or promotions; must present ID; expires 14 days from date sent. (12/3)

~ Schlotzsky's - free small "the original" sandwich (expires a week after, please bring ID, non-transferable; multiple uses of coupon would have me kicked out of the "Bun & Fun club"; not valid with any other offer, meal deal, combo meal or kids meal.) and it appears that I don't have to buy anything else ... unless I want chips and a drink. (12/3)

~ Sephora - As a beauty insider I received an email to pick up my gift a full two weeks before my birthday; I also have until the 23rd, or two weeks after the day, to pick it up so if there is too much going on I have a very generous window and I love that they are allowing that. *Valid only at Sephora stores, IE, cannot be picked up at the Sephora inside JCPenny's. (11/27) (PS - the gift changes every year.)

~ Sonny Bryan's - I hate barbecue - I hate the fatty meat, the sauce, the need to serve it with sides the size of meals themselves - but I CANNOT get ENOUGH of Sonny Bryan's. This place is nationally ranked, they have 9 metro local's (and have even started to franchise - who has $750K and wants to show New York or Boston a good time?) AND this is THE PLACE Rachel Ray comes for some authentic Dallas BBQ when she's in town. ANYWAY - sign up in the bottom left-hand corner and you'll get an email for a free combo in celebration of your bday. (Received 12/3, expires 7 days after bday.)

~ Souper Salad - free lunch of dinner buffet - dine-in only, beverage not included, not valid with any other offers. This one doesn't expire until January 9th ... so like, 5 weeks! Score. (12/3)

~ Smoothie King - bogo 20 oz smoothie. Join the Kingdom here. (12/4)

~ Texas de Brazil - Complimentary dinner (with purchase of full price dinner, not valid on Saturdays, one cert per table; Alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages, desserts, tax, gratuity, salad and children prices not included.), expires on 1/2 - so a full month after I received it. (12/3)

~ Texas Roadhouse - Free appetizer or sidekick of *ribs. (*ribs added to your meal - so say you order a salad or 20 pound steak, you can add some ribs to it.) One free app or side with purchase of one adult entree, combo app is excluded. Dine-in only, one cert. per table. Must redeem within 5 days of birthday, ID required, must present whole printout. (12/5)

~ Victoria's Secret - I received a "$10 off any purchase" card via snail mail. I'm assuming that because I get their emails and catalogue that's where they got my bday info, but I am always in that store (they have the best freebies year-round) so maybe that also helped? This came before Thanksgiving, but my day is surrounded by holidays so I'm not sure if this is a standard time or not. (11/25)

~ Vocalpoint - So, with all seriousness this is what I was thinking: "An email from Vocalpoint? Yay! I love all of the stuff they send me; the media kits, the generously sized sample products, the high value coupons, they are really going to treat me well and make my unforgiving bday worth while." ... then I opened the damn email. There are 3 "tips" - one is to make my own "creme fraiche" (or "freedom mousse" for those of us who are still American), one about pampering myself ("draw a bath, light a few candles and smear an avocado/honey mixture on your face" - seriously? It's my birthday, I wasn't just stood up from the prom.) and the last is letting me know how I can get into a free yoga class - by calling around to see who offers a free first class. (You do have to be a member of Vocalpoint, and they are pretty picky when it comes to accepting people; since they are a marketing research company owned and operated by P&G they may rule you out if you live in a certain area, are of the certain age or occupation as current "members", or if you have a little too much penis.) ((But even if they reject you, I literally just told you what all the email contained ... so just email me if you'd like the cream fry-shae recipe.)) (12/10)

~ Wendy's - woohoo! Have you seen that movie "waiting", where the WT couple goes into the restaurant for the wife's birthday and the husband orders for her and he's all "hell, she can have a soda, it is her birthday" ... this feels kind of like that. (Although Wendy is a hot and fiery red-head.) ((20 bonus points to anyone who got "The Office" reference.)) ANYWAY, join Wendymail and you'll get coupons from time to time as well as a $1 off any "premium combo meal" coupon on your birthday. (12/10)

Free Leap Frog Book

Remember those damn alphabet pal's that had us all in a tizzy a few weeks ago? Well go here, create an account and register your product (any leap frog toy) and you'll qualify for a free Leap Frog book!

~K

Oh, and if you need any help about what to do when your child becomes too old with this toy, be like this guy and take out the chip that filters it's giggleing.

Cheap Fall Fun

How do you kill time and have fun when you've already done *everything*? I've cleaned out the closet, baked a whole gross of cookies and watched every dvd about 3 times. It's like we're back to being children who are constantly "so bored we could die", only with bank accounts and cars.

While Dallas is still climbing the middle rungs on a list of "great destination" cities, we do have some well-known qualities: world-renowned shopping, wonderful restaurants, longer periods of warmer weather, shopping ... the 6th floor museum, shopping, Chase Crawford, oh! sports teams ... and that's about it.

However, with the weather doing its thing (rain, cold, heat, cold, rain, heat, etc.), Columbus Day hosting the last good sale weekend until Thanksgiving and restaurants being filled due to homecoming groups (HUGE deal here), we're going a little crazy with cabin fever and are racking our brains trying to think of new, different and fun things to do. (We're looking on the non-commitment, one-day-of-fun side; not that we're not opposed to volunteering or getting a part-time job, we're just trying to think of ways to blow off steam from outside the box.)

Enter the Internet and creativity.

~ Got $5? Take a friend and 20 minutes to the (insert favorite place that provides goods in exchange for money) and buy a present that represents said friend or the friendship that you share. Like, I might buy The Boy a baseball and a bag of Hershey Kisses (because he likes baseball, chocolate and makin' out) and he might get me a latte or a Target gift card. This could also work with a group of friends; each person could pull a name out of a hat and then later everyone has to guess which item(s) describes each friend, or even who bought the gift.

~ Host a game night! Tell everyone to come in pjs, pop some corn and bring out the classics (like Twister - remember how hard that was when we were 9? Imagine being drunk, enjoying the fact that its co-ed and laughing that everyone is slightly less flexible) OR make sure that the batteries are charged in your game-station and go rent a multi-player "party" title like Carnival or Mario Cart.

~ Head to a big box store and try (rather play with) everything you can; thinking Walmart (did you know it isn't hyphenated anymore) or Target? Create a fashion show or your perfect outfit in the apparel department - up the challenge by limiting yourself to what is only on the clearance racks. Head to a toy store and play the latest video game, try a bike, jump on a big stuffed animal or take a trip down memory lane by perusing your favorite aisle and thinking about the fun you had of yesteryear, and see how much those toys have changed now. (Take current Barbie - skank alert! But I still love her.) Head to a club wholesale store (Sam's, Costco, BJ's, etc.) on the weekend and not only will you see the latest and greatest new items, you'll also get stuffed on samples galore! (If you're not a member, you can easily get in by saying that you're thinking about getting a membership. Once you're in the door, you're golden. BUT, be careful! Should you decide to purchase that years supply of toilet paper or a full metric ton of cheese-balls you will be charged a non-member fee of up to 20% of your total purchase.)

~ Are you close to a professional or semi-professional sports team? Take a tour of the stadium! (Or field or park or arena. Whatever.) There are usually price breaks for students and if you visit during the teams off-season then you'll for-sure see more (say, a locker room) than you would if the team were due back later that day or week. No pro's nearby? Check out behind-the-scenes-tours of ice skating rinks, zoo's, bottling and distribution plants (soda, beer) or other local attractions, like a franchised McDonald's or Chick-Fil-A, the town/city newspaper or even a television station. (Granted some of these may require a minimum participation number and a few phone calls, but consider it an opportunity to learn about and see something new.)

~ Make a day trip! Pick an amount of time of which you feel comfortable sitting in a car, select a direction and then get a map. 90 minutes South of Dallas = Waco. Check out Baylor, visit the Dr. Pepper museum, get a kolache in West. Fun! Did you choose 2 Hours North? You'll be in an Indian Casino before you know it. Or hell, just get on a street of which you're somewhat familiar and start driving. If you usually drive that way to work, looking at the same path on a slower speed could open your eyes to your new favorite coffee place or after-hours bar. Does your area have a "loop" or stretch of road or highway that circles the city? Pack a cooler, load up some friends and see how long it takes you to go all the way around.

~ Do you like something enough to devote a whole day or weekend to it? Go over to Festivals.com and search by your desired noun - do you not care what you do but are only willing to drive 30 miles from the heart of Chicago? Would you like to hear a speech by a guy whose name starts with the letter "R"? Do you like Irish Jig Music so much your dream is to travel the country and see each states take on such a timeless art? You'll find it ALL and then some by taking a few minutes to plan it out ahead of time. You can even find out which vendors will be there ... well, you know, if they've given word and signed in and junk.

~ Take a cooking class - find out if your local grocery store, community college, PTA, place of worship or even speciality/gourmet food and or kitchen retailer (ie - Williams-Sonoma) sponsor such thing. This can usually be done by a quick web search or even phone call. (If the location you call doesn't do it, they may have information about other places in the area who do.) Usually grocery stores or retail outlets will do so free of charge or at a minimal cost, because cooking is one of those "scary" things for a lot of people and if they can get you confident, then you'll remember them and want to purchase things from them in the future.

~ Do you have a hobby, passion or love? Type it into Google (or yahoo or "ask") with your desired location (city and state) and see what you find. (There is also a website database called meetup.com which helps you locate others in your area with whom you should be friends. Can't find anyone interested in the same thing? Not a problem - create a group!) Here's a site of Pug fans and owners in the Austin area; a remote controlled airplane club in Colorado; and really just for fun, a group of Pirate Enthusiasts in North Carolina.

~ Do something repeatedly and then blog about it! Like this family over at 52 Zoo's - they joined the Association of Zoo's and Aquariums where they paid a huge amount per person up front but that gave them unlimited access for a full year (from date joined) to any Zoo, Aquarium or Wildlife ... place? ... that also belonged to the AZA. They made the choice to fly and drive to a lot of the far-away renowned institutions - Like the Houston Zoo and all 5 Seaworlds (which, btw, if I was their kid, I'd be asking some serious questions as to how Shamu gets around and always ahead of us) - but if you live somewhere that you can access 8 or 9 places within a reasonable driving distance, like a few zoo's, aquariums and wildlife sanctuaries, then it might be a good investment. I've seen the same type of program for all types of educational and historical things - like Flight Museums or a State's "Society of Historic Homes". Or think smaller - what about visiting every McDonald's in your area and then rating them? Most are franchises and are owned by the same person/group - does the one on "South" street look like the one on "First" avenue? Who has the better play-place or seems to have a slower lunch rush?


What about you? How do you have fun whilst staying on a budget?

~K