The Best Bargains You’ve Never Heard Of

Don’t deprive yourself to stay on budget. Try these secret discounts and freebies.

13 Birthday Discounts and Freebies

Getting dibs on the first piece of cake isn’t the only upside to turning a year older. Check out these sweet perks.

• Aveda: Birthday-club members receive a free product—up to a $25 value—custom blended with the aroma of their choice to be redeemed within two months.
  
  
• Baskin-Robbins: You’ll receive an e-mail coupon for a free scoop of ice cream and a discount on a birthday cake when you join the Birthday Club.
  
  
• Benihana: Sign up for the Chef’s Table e-newsletter and you will get an e-mail with a gift certificate for dinner worth up to $30 to be used during your birth month.
  
  
• Cold Stone Creamery: Sign up for its birthday club and receive a free treat on your special day.
  
  
• DSW: Loyalty members, who participate in a rewards program, get a $5 certificate that’s good through the member’s entire birthday month.
  
  
• Express: Customers who are store credit-card holders receive a $10 coupon to be applied toward their next purchase during their birth month.
  
  
• IHOP: By joining the Pancake Revolution, you’ll eat for free three times—once when you sign up for IHOP’s mailing list, once on your birthday, and once a year after you register.
  
  
• New York & Company: Store credit-card holders receive a coupon for up to 25 percent off purchases (in store and online), valid during their birth month.
  
  
• Old Navy: Subscribe to Old Navy e-mails and receive $10 off purchases of $50 or more (online and in stores) for two weeks during your birth month.
  
  
• Red Robin: Enroll in the eClub or the Red Royalty program and score a free burger.
  
  
• Ruby Tuesday’s: Sign up for the So Connected list at rubytuesday.com and get a free burger on your birthday and other food and bar redemption offers during the year.
  
  
• Starbucks: Toast your day with a free cappuccino (or another drink of your choice) when you have a My Starbucks Rewards card. (Pick one up at any location.) The more you use it, the more freebies you can get, including gratis syrups and refills.
  
  
• Victoria’s Secret: Angel credit-card holders receive either a $10-off coupon for in-store purchases or an e-mailed coupon code good for $10 off online during their birth month.

and…

1 Birthday Gift for Your Pet

• Petco: Register Buster’s D.O.B. (or adoption date) in the Birthday Club and get 10 percent off products during that month.