Birthday Free Food Round-Up
Mr. K recently celebrated his birthday and much like last year’s tradition, he wanted to try to get as many of the free birthday items available in San Diego as possible. Here’s a round-up of what we found/redeemed:
Godiva
If you sign up for their rewards program, you get a free truffle once a month and $10 to spend during your birthday month (online or in-store). One recent restriction they added is that you must have spent $10 at Godiva within the last 12 months to keep your membership active.
Here we redeemed our free chocolate of the month (tiramisu truffle), and we also used the $10 towards this $12 tin of assorted chocolates. For $12, you get to keep the tin and fill it with as many of the this type of wrapped truffle chocolates as possible. Challenge accepted. We managed to squeeze in 30 pieces!
Sprinkles
If you sign up for the Sprinkles birthday club you receive a free cupcake of your choice. This is only redeemable on your actual birthday and they do check ID.
Starbucks
Sign up for their Starbucks rewards card and they will add a free drink of your choice (any drink with various customizations) to your Starbucks card, which expires a few weeks after your birthday. This is one of Mr. K’s favorites. Each year he tries to add more options to his drink to make it more expensive (i.e., four extra shots). To date, the most expensive drink he was able to redeem was about $9.
Rubio’s
If you sign up for their Beach Club, Rubio’s will send you a coupon for up to $7 off a meal. They send it a few days before your birthday about give you about two weeks to use it. There’s not many meals under $7, so we got the basic 2 original fish taco, with beans, chips and a drink.
Baskin Robbin’s
Sign up for their birthday club and receive a coupon for a free scoop or a soft serve swirl. Coupon expires a little under a week after your birthday.
Hometown Buffet
Sign up for their e-club and receive a buy 1 meal and get 1 free coupon for your birthday (expires a few weeks after). We actually redeemed this one this year (future post), mainly because we have been seeing all those commercials about Hometown undergoing a complete makeover and the CEO saying that he guarantees you will have a great experience now. Spoiler alert: the one we went to did indeed get a fresh new update and I think the quality of food has improved, basically restoring it to what it used to be, but that’s about it.
Del Mar Rendezvous
Sign up for their Loyalty program and get a free entree during your birthday month. Simply write your membership number on your check to redeem. We’ll be redeeming this one soon.
So those are the ones we found. My friend CC also alerted me to the free entree at Cafe21 (but I couldn’t figure out how to sign up on the website), as well as a free mini bundt from Nothing Bundt Cakes.
That’s it for now. Did I miss out on anything good that I should be aware of for next year?
Happy birthday to Mr. K! On the last Thursday of your birthday month, they do a free prime rib dinner at the Boathouse (near the airport). Red Robin also does the free birthday burger if you have one of their cards but we haven’t done that one in awhile. Saska’s also does a free entree but I didn’t get the chance to use that one. Cafe 21 was my favorite new birthday find last year!
Oh, Boathouse! We used to do that one but haven’t done it in several years. thanks for all the tips!
Godiva seems like such a good deal
it is!
Pinkberry offers a free small yogurt with toppings for your birthday if you have a registered Pinkcard. 🙂
oooh, thanks for the tip!
Ah, wish I had known about Rubio’s. Noodles and Company gives you a free entree!
When I was writing this post, I saw that I did Noodles & Co last year. but this year they didn’t send me or my husband anything!
https://www.heyitsfree.net/birthday-freebies/
Since mine is coming up, a friend of mine sent me that link…
awesome, thank you!
Just signed up for the Sprinkles one! Another one I know of is Benihana’s, they give you a $30 dollar certificate for your birthday 🙂
Oh right! My sis did Benihana’s a few years back. Thanks for the reminder!
Oooh, I MUST do Godiva next year!
Were you ever able to sign up on Cafe 21? I just checked their website. Click on “about” and on the right hand side bar there should be a brown box (looks like a gift) where you enter your email for your bday meal.
I was able to sign up for their mailing list, but not bday. I will need to look into it again!
Ha! I do this too! Didn’t know about Godiva.
If you sign up for Chunk Mail, you receive a free scoop and a few dollars off a cake at Ben and Jerry’s on your birthday (I think two weeks expiration date after you print). You also receive BOGOs throughout the year (including your half birthday!).
I think Panera adds $5 or so to your loyalty card– I’m not sure, I haven’t signed up.
Baja Fresh offers a free burrito with a purchase of a drink (valid between 1 week before and 1 week prior to your birthday).
Veggie Grill offers a free meal if you sign up to their loyalty program. Also, after you initially sign up, you receive a free dessert coupon. I signed up close to my birthday so redeemed both at the same time!
There are a couple of Portland, OR specific locations that I have signed up for– but it wouldn’t hep you in San Diego 🙁
wow, thank you for this list! I will def add these places for next year!
I think I’m signed up for all these, but if you add any more ideas, I have time to sign up since my birthday is 3 months away 🙂 I’m impressed that you got so many truffles into the tin!
there was a definite strategy in how to pack them in! haha
Happy bday Mr K!
That was a great round up. I’m going to try to sign up for all of those. Do you have to sign up the year before? Or is it still possible to get these freebie THIS year (if your bday hasn’t passed). I’ve seen ones where you have to be registered for a full year or something before you get the freebie (I think).
I don’t think you need to be registered for a full year for these, you can just sign up a month or so beforehand.
I think the Godiva one was one of my favorite new finds. I didn’t know about the free mini bundt cake, though!
It’s not food related, but if you sign up for Sephora’s Beauty Rewards, you get a free mini gift for your birthday. Oh, and Bare Escentuals does a free gift, too!
The Pearl restaurant gives you a free birthday entree, but you have to go on your actual birthday.
Happy belated birthday to Mr. K!
You know, I was just reminded of the Sephora one when doing this post because I am signed up and I didn’t receive any notice for my bday and now it’s already passed. ugh. Oh well, I will keep aware for next year. thanks for the other tips and the bday wishes to Mr. k!
Kirbie –
I host a list of over 600 free birthday offers. There are quite a lot of them in San Diego. Maybe next year your husband can get even more free birthday food!
https://www.freebie-depot.com/birthday-freebie-list/
FreebieTim – Freebie Depot
thank you!
This was a good round up. Red robin offers a free burger. You have to sign up for their loyalty card. I believe there is a physical card. But you can still sign up online. I think they would just use your phone number to track it back to you instead of having a card.
Ooh, I remember doing Red Robin a long, long time ago. Need to sign up again!