Birthday Freebie List 2020
Hi all, it’s that time of year! November has begun and with it, the litany of birthday offers. This is my annual post with a listing of what birthday offers have rolled in this year (you can find my 2019 list, 2018 list, and 2016 list on my blog). Last year, I received a total of 94 different offers and redeemed 52 of them. This year I received a total of 93 offers and I’m still redeeming!
2020 I suspect will be quite a bit different in the offers – just on day 1 I’m already noticing a few changes from previous years (Denny’s is offering a different item for all month rather than a Grand Slam just on the day as in the past). It seems like redemption windows are being extended or different offers are being sent.
I will be updating this post throughout the month as more offers roll in – usually the first ones come in on the first of the month or sometimes before (I did have three come before this year), and the last ones arrive on the day (the 17th). If you want to rake in the rewards it’s best to sign up before your birthday month, I try to sign up for new stuff or update existing stuff by mid-October. Too close to the start of your month and automated systems may not trigger.
Also, I do ask that if you find this list helpful (or my previous years’ lists), please consider tossing me a Ko-Fi or a few bucks on PayPal? Especially this year, I’ve been out of work for a while and unemployment ran out and I could definitely use a bit of help paying bills like the cost of this webspace. I also have an Amazon wishlist and a Gift Hero wishlist, too! Thank you!!
On to the freebies/rewards! These are listed in chronological order of when the emails arrived.
Adagio Teas – 5% off entire order until 11-17. Sign up for an account and add your birthday to get the reward. They also have a good loyalty program where you earn points that can be redeemed for discounts or items.
Hollywood Palms Cinema – 4 free movie tickets, good all month. This is no change from previous years, just sign up for their birthday club online or in the theater. It’s a nice movie theater that serves great food, I’ve been going since they first opened. (I won’t be going this year though because I don’t feel safe doing indoor dining or indoor movie theaters). I also now get a similar offer from Star Cinema Grill, which I gather is the company that bought Hollywood Palms when they were split off from Hollywood Blvd a while ago. Star Cinema sends two free tickets.
The Melting Pot – a free box of 6 signature chocolate covered strawberries, good until 12-30. This is their usual offer, for those who sign up on their mailing list, but it’s actually a shorter redemption period than previous years (last year my coupon was good until February).
Superdawg – one free Supersandwich and a large drink, good for 30 days past your birthday month (so end of December for me). Sign up for their birthday club at the restaurant (you also get a treat for your anniversary if you give them that date too). This is a Chicago institution and if you haven’t been there yet, GO! And yes, even now, because it’s an old-fashioned drive-up place so you can eat there safely, just park and order from your car and eat right there. The Superdawg is of course the signature item but I also love the Superchic (bbq chicken sandwich), Supershrimp (fried shrimp), and especially the Supersoda (strawberry is my favorite but chocolate is great too)!
Tokyo Otaku Mode – $5 off your next purchase, until 12-1. This is one of many sites I’ve gotten Japanese merchandise from. You can get a $10 coupon just for signing up for an account and then $5 for your birthday. Purchases earn you points that can be used for discounts. Looking at my profile on there…I’ve been a member for 5 years, wow!
Krispy Kreme – free original glazed dozen, good until 11-30. This is one that has changed thanks to the situation this year, usually it’s one donut. I appreciate that they’re trying to pick up spirits! Sign up for an account online or in their app. Purchases earn you freebies!
Smashburger – free classic Smash, good until 12-1. Sign up for their rewards program online & earn points toward free items.
Denny’s – free stack of pancakes, good until 11-30. This is another one changed for this year, in the past it was a free Grand Slam on your birthday only.
Hidden Valley Ranch – birthday badge! Hidden Valley added a rewards program this year. The badge isn’t much, but they do have rewards based on the number of badges you earn. I’ve already gotten a coupon and a free bottle of ranch thanks to the badges I’ve earned, and there’s another reward gift on the way. Plus they have some great recipes!
Red Robin – free burger, good until 11-30. This one I try to redeem every year because I love their burgers! Plus when you sign up for their Royalty Rewards, not only do you get the free burger for your birthday but every 10th burger is free as well! Plus they’ll occasionally send out decent coupons.
AMC Theatres – free large popcorn, good until 11-30. Sign up for their rewards program – there’s different tiers, free and paid. The free level is pretty decent if you only go occasionally, it gets you discounted tickets on Tuesday and free refills on drinks among other things.
California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) – free dessert, good for three months past your birthday month this year. Usually their redemption window is shorter but they extended it this year due to the circumstances. Join their rewards program through their app or online and they have various rewards throughout the year as well as coupons.
World Market – 15% off coupon (in-store or online), good until 12-31. Sign up for their rewards in-store or online, and you can earn discounts when you build up enough points.
Lou Malnati’s – free slice of tiramisu, good until 11-30. Sign up on their app and earn freebies for purchases. Malnati’s is my personal favorite Chicago pizza (I like other places but when it comes to Chicago deep dish give me Lou’s any day!)
Build a Bear Workshop – $5 off a purchase of $25 or more (in-store or online), good until 12-31. Sign up for their rewards program and add your birthday to get the reward. You can also add kids birthdays – they can get a furry friend for the same price as their age (so a 5 year old would pay just $5).
Pizza Hut – free cinnamon sticks or breadsticks when ordering online, good until 11-30. Sign up for an account, and you can earn free items when you build up points. You also get decent coupons at times throughout the year.
Dippin’ Dots – free small cup of Dots, good until 11-30. I love this reward because a small cup of Dots is just the right amount for me! Sign up for their email club to get the reward.
Kohl’s – $5 Kohl’s Cash, good until 11-30. Sign up for Kohl’s Rewards program, and earn Kohl’s cash through purchases. This is a store where I love to play the game of “Can I make the you-saved number be higher than the you-spent?” – and I often succeed! Plus at certain sale times you can earn bonus Kohl’s Cash, usually it’ll be $10 cash for every $50 spent, and that helps too.
Box Lunch – $5 off your next purchase, good until 12-16. Sign up for an account online or in store to earn points toward discounts.
Hot Topic – $5 off your next purchase, good until 12-16. Sign up for an account online or in store. Purchases build up points toward discounts and they do send out coupons on occasion.
Cinemark Theatres – free large popcorn, good until 12-31. Sign up online or in the theatre for their reward program, which gives discounts based on earned points and also stuff like discount tickets on Tuesdays.
Best Buy – 10% off one item coupon, good until 11-30. Sign up for My Best Buy rewards and earn discounts from purchases. They also have member prices and other reward items.
Torrid – $10 birthday reward, good until 12-1. Sign up for their rewards program in-store or online. Points build up to discounts and they do sometimes send out coupons.
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt – $5 in Menchie’s money, good until 12-2. Sign up for their points program & earn points toward discounts.
Crayola – 15% off your next order, good until 11-30. Sign up for their email list, and get craft ideas and coupons throughout the year.
The Body Shop – $10 reward, good until 12-1. Sign up for their loyalty program in-store or online and earn points toward discounts.
Buffalo Wild Wings – free order of 6 wings with $10 purchase, good until 11-30. Sign up for Blazin’ Rewards in restaurant, online, or in their app and earn points toward freebies.
Shop Disney – 20% off entire purchase, good until 11-30. Sign up for their email list to get the reward.
Flat Top Grill – Buy one bowl, get one free, good until 11-30. Sign up for their email list to get the reward as well as occasional coupons throughout the year. This year I actually got three emails because I got one from Flat Top and then one for each of the two locations I’ve gone to recently.
Tsukasa of Tokyo – $15 off (min $50 spend), good until 11-17. Sign up for their email list. This is a local restaurant, with a couple of locations in Chicago’s northern suburbs.
Buca di Beppo – Free dessert, your choice of a dark chocolate cake with a to-go order or the colossal brownie sundae for dine-in, good until 12-3. In the past they’ve sent the brownie sundae (and before that a mini cake), but I’m happy to see that this year they’re offering a to-go option. Especially because that brownie sundae is impossible for 3 or even 4 people to finish! We have been doing Buca for Thanksgiving dinner for a few years now (it’s right by the hotel where I staff a convention that weekend so it works out well), and even with my great-aunt joining us last year, we have yet to finish that sundae! Sign up for their email list in restaurant or online, and they send out coupons year round.
The Container Store – 15% off your purchase, good until 11-30. Sign up for their POP! rewards in store or online, and they send out a coupon a month (usually 20-30% off one item).
Joann Fabrics – 20% off total purchase, good until 11-30. Sign up for their rewards in the app. The app is definitely worth having because you get coupons all the time, and it helps!
Godiva Chocolatiers – $10 off $10 or more purchase, good until 12-31. My mom likes to get the set of chocolate bars that are 4 for $10 (and her bill ends up $0!) but I like getting the dark chocolate pearls, I got three of them and just paid $2. They’ll send out coupons throughout the year too. Just sign up with phone number and email in-store or online. They extended the birthday reward for everyone until the end of the year because of the circumstances (my mom has a March birthday & was able to redeem in Nov when I got my reward).
IKEA – free frozen yogurt & $10 off purchase, good until 11-30. This was a postcard sent in the mail. Just sign up for an IKEA Family card, and there’s discounts year round with the card.
Thriftbooks – 20 bonus points with any order placed between Nov 9 and 22. Just sign up for an account on their website. I also got an email that mentioned 50 extra points for placing an order in the app, so I should have 70 bonus points coming! 500 points earns a free book, and it’s not hard to earn them (I’ve gotten a few already!)
IHOP – free full stack of pancakes, good until 12-1. Sign up for their myHOP rewards program online.
Domo 77 – $25 off $75, good until 12-10. This is a local restaurant located in Aurora, serving hibachi meals (think Benihana type of place). Their food is quite good!
Cold Stone Creamery – Buy one “Like It”, “Love It”, or “Gotta Have It” and get one free, good until 1-9. This is always one of my favorite birthday treats and this year they extended the redemption time (it’s usually good for a week before and a week after but this year it’s good for several weeks after). Just sign up for their rewards program in-store or online. There’s the occasional coupon throughout the year as well.
Au Bon Pain – free coffee or other drink plus free bakery item, good until 11-24. Sign up for their eClub, and you get a reusable travel mug that nets coffee discounts, plus other rewards.
TCBY – first 3 oz free, good until 12-10. Sign up for their email list.
Auntie Anne’s Pretzels – free pretzel, good for 90 days (2-8). Sign up in their app. There’s coupons and rewards throughout the year.
Cinnabon – free 16 oz cold brew drink, good until 11-24. Sign up for their email list.
Eli’s Cheesecake – Free shipping & 10% off online orders, good until 11-24. Sign up for their email list online.
Portillo’s – free slice of chocolate cake, good until 11-17. Their chocolate cake is AMAZING and the slice they give you is pretty big so I always end up sharing it. Definitely worth signing up for their email list.
Red Lobster – free “Chocolate Wave” (chocolate cake with fudge frosting), for dine in or to go, good until 12/10. Sign up for their rewards program in the app or online, there’s good coupons throughout the year and points earn you free food.
Wingstop – free large order of fries, no other purchase necessary, good until 11-24. Sign up for their email list. This is another favorite of mine, I really love their fries and the large fries is almost a meal all by itself!
Shop Your Way Rewards – $5 in freecash points to spend on a purchase of $15 or more in-store or online at Sears or Kmart. Not sure I’ll be able to redeem this because all the Sears and Kmart locations I went to are gone. This is from their rewards program, I’m not even sure if you can still sign up for it.
TGIFridays – free dessert, good until 12-8. Sign up for their rewards program in-restaurant or online. Just for being a rewards member you get free chips & salsa anytime you dine in (just have to ask) and you earn points that can lead to free food – I’ve gotten free steaks!
Famous Dave’s – free dessert, good until 11-24. Sign up for their rewards program in their app, earn free food based on purchases plus a freebie for signing up. They also send out deals and coupons at times.
Sprinkles Bakery – free cupcake, for delivery or pickup, good until 12-11. Sign up for their rewards program and earn free cupcakes based on spend, plus they send out offers on occasion.
Benihana – $30 certificate, which can be used on takeout orders, valid after minimum $30 spend, good until 12-9. Sign up for their online mailing list, adults get special offers and a $30 certificate while kids can get a souvenir mug with their meal under their “Kabuki Kids” program.
Longhorn Steakhouse – free dessert with adult entree purchase, good until 12-3. Sign up for their email list, they send out a freebie just for joining and send out the occasional coupon as well.
Honeybaked Ham – buy one classic ham sandwich, get one free, good until 11-21. Sign up for their email list to get the reward.
Halal Guys – free regular platter, good for 90 days (from email send, I assume, which would be 2-14?) Join their rewards program through the app and you can earn freebies (I’ve gotten a few free drinks and sides already).
Potbelly – free dessert up to $5, good until 12-13. Join their perks program and earn free food, plus they’ll occasionally send out decent coupons. I’ve gotten a lot of free sandwiches through their rewards!
Meatheads – $7 to spend added to account, no expiration given. Join their rewards program in their app, and you can earn free food.
Naf Naf Grill – free entree, good until 12-14. Join their Naf Perks program, points are earned based on spend and can get you free food (a $10 credit is enough for a free pita).
Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream – free mini cup or cone, good until 11-24. Join their rewards program in their app, points build up to free items and they occasionally send out coupons to use in their shops.
Dunkin Donuts – free beverage, good until 11-22. Sign up for DD Perks and register a reloadable gift card. Points are earned for purchases and lead up to free drinks – I’ve lost track of how many free strawberry Coolattas I’ve earned!
Red Mango – 500 points (equivalent to $5) loaded to account, good for a month. Join their Club Mango rewards program, and earn points toward $5 off certificates.
Starbucks – free drink or food item, good on your birthday only. Just register a reloadable gift card and earn stars with purchases. Stars can be used to pay for all sorts of freebies, from an extra flavor shot up to a pound of coffee for home.
Corner Bakery – free sweet, good until 11-30. Sign up for their rewards program online or in their app and earn points and perks (they just changed their reward program and it looks like there’s a lot more goodies now!)
Boston Market – free individual dessert, good until 11-30. Sign up for their rewards program (online or in their app) and earn points toward free food.
Steak n’ Shake – free double Steakburger & fries, good until 11-30. Sign up for their rewards program in their app and earn points toward free food. They also will pop up with coupons on occasion.
Artist’s Frame Service – free 5×7 print and 20% off your purchase on your next visit, no expiration given. This is a local framing store with three Chicago locations. Signing up for their email list nets this deal.
Swagbucks – earn an additional 55 Swagbucks on your next gift card redemption, good until 12-16. Swagbucks is a site where you can answer surveys and do other activities to earn gift cards.
Hobbylink Japan – 5% off your next order, no expiration given. HLJ is one of the middleman sites I’ve used to import my Japanese toys in the past – their service is spectacular. You can order all sorts of items through them and one of the great features they offer is a private warehouse – you can hold your items for 45 days and decide when to ship. This is great for when several items have different release dates, that way you can combine shipping (which gets expensive from Japan! EMS has always started at around $20 and I hear it might be going up soon). Signing up for an account on their website is what I suspect lead to this reward (it’s new this year!)
Applebee’s – $5 off a $25 or more purchase, good until 12-17. Sign up for their e-club to get this and other offers.
Marcus Theatres – free fountain drink, good until 12-17. Sign up for Marcus Rewards in their app and you can earn points from ticket purchases and concessions purchases, plus they have various offers. One great perk I’ve always enjoyed is they will waive the convenience fee if you buy tickets through Fandango – so when I order $5 Tuesday tickets, I just pay $5. Not quite sure what’s going to happen with this and other rewards though, as in my area theatres are closing again.
Penguin Random House – 50% off at Out of Print, no expiration given. Sign up for Penguin Random House Reader Rewards – purchasing their books earns points toward free books, plus they send out recommendations and info on upcoming titles.
TomboyX – 125 reward points, no expiration given. These are hands down my favorite underwear, I haven’t worn anything else since I discovered them three years ago. Points earned from purchases can be redeemed for discounts on future orders. The link I’ve given here will net you $20 off your first order (and earn me a discount too). They have a Love at First Wear guarantee – if you don’t love them, they’ll refund your first pair or three pack. But trust me. You’ll love them!
Pepsi Tasty Rewards – This was a happy birthday email that just basically lead to their regular coupon page. But, hey, this is worth signing up for if you want coupons! They send out physical coupons and also have some limited digital ones. It covers a load of snacks too – Lays, Cheetos, Quaker, etc.
Kobo – 20% off select titles, good until 11-30. Kobo is one of my favorite ebook sites, I have their app on my iPad and it’s also installed on my mom’s – she’s been tearing through their selection of free titles like crazy! Just sign up for an account. Their rewards program can also earn you free books.
Jersey Mike’s – free regular sub & drink, good until 11-16-2021. This is hands down the best redemption period of any reward I get, you’ve got a whole year to redeem! Plus it’s a whole free meal. Signing up for their rewards program can also earn you other freebies.
Arby’s – free small curly fries & free small shake with sandwich purchase, good until 1-17-21. Signing up for their email list nets free fries & a drink just for signing up plus the birthday reward.
Sbarro – free slice of pizza, good until 12-1. Signing up for their Slice Society email list on their website earns you a free slice just for signing up plus the occasional coupon.
Michael’s – 50% off one item, good until 11-24. Sign up for their rewards program and get lots of coupons! Their app is definitely worth having if you ever shop there. There’s almost always a coupon.
Target – 5% off your next shopping trip, good until 12-17. Sign up for their Target Circle reward program – there’s extra coupons in the app all the time, and now you can earn two ways. Scan your barcode when buying and it’ll apply all the coupons you saved and you can also attach your RedCard payment too and have that applied with the barcode (makes checkout simple). If you’re not using your RedCard, enter your phone and get 1% back as credit to use at Target later. Plus purchases earn you votes to decide what charities get a slice of Target’s charitable donations that month.
Subway – free cookie, good until 12-2. Sign up for their rewards program, the app lets you order ahead and earn points toward freebies.
Illinois Lotto – free Mega Millions play, good until 12-1. This is a new one, they now have an app and you can buy lotto tickets right in the app for stuff like Powerball, Mega Millions, Pick 3, etc. No scratch offs, but you can scan the barcode of the scratch off tickets to double check if you’ve won. That’s why I downloaded the app in the first place! But I’ve got my Mega Millions ticket, cross your fingers for me!
Visionworks – 50% off a complete pair of glasses or sunglasses, good until 12-1. This is where I got my eye exam this year (closest location that was covered by my current insurance) and so my email was in their system for that. Not a bad deal, but I’m good with the pair I already picked up with insurance.
Redbox – free one night rental, good until 1-17-21. Sign up for an account, their perks program leads to lots of free rentals, plus they’re always sending me coupons for a discount on rentals.
Noodles & Co. – free crispy or cookie when ordering online, good until 12-17. Sign up for their rewards program in their app to earn freebies.
Culver’s – free one scoop sundae, good until 12-1. Sign up for MyCulvers and get an email with a calendar of the flavor of the day for your favorite location plus various offers at times throughout the year.
Panera Bread – free pastry or sweet, good until 11-24. Sign up for MyPanera and earn freebies after visits (free drinks, pastries, etc.)
Betty Crocker – free digital wallpaper. I got this for signing up for an account on their website. You can bookmark favorite recipes and also print some coupons from their site.
Popeye’s – free apple pie with $10 purchase. Sign up for an account on their website or in their app, which also lets you place online orders for pickup or delivery, and they do offer lots of coupons in the app.
Chipotle Mexican Grill – free chips & guac, good until 12-17. Sign up for their rewards program, points earn free food plus they’ll send out the occasional coupon.
Nintendo – 300 Platinum Points. This was a second birthday email, a follow up to their email from earlier in the month. The points are part of their MyNintendo reward program, and can be redeemed for various digital and now some physical rewards. I just used a bunch of my Platinum Points to get a super cute reusable Dodo Airlines tote bag (from the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game).
Right Stuf Anime – 5% off next purchase, good until 12-17. This is a store I’ve picked up some anime DVDs and manga titles from at good prices, pointed to by a friend of mine who I work anime conventions with. They also have had a booth at Anime Central in the past. You can get a discount code just for signing up for their email list.
Bath & Body Works – free body care item (up to $7.50 value) with any purchase, good until 12-17. Sign up for their reward program, there’s frequent coupons and it doesn’t take super long to build up to a free item (which is up to like $14 so you can get a full size shower gel with that reward! The birthday freebie is like a travel shower gel, I haven’t paid for travel shower gel in ages).
And that’s it for this year! 94 total offers, same last year (though I did find out at least one I got last year had changed their system and deleted my account, fooey!)