The last line is sung, the candles are blown out and the wish is made. Happy Birthday.
Birthdays, if uncontrolled, are expensive events with a flood of exorbitant food, decorations and desserts. It doesn't have to be this way. Make the right moves, and a dime may not even be thrown down for the oh-so-special day. Hundreds of restaurants and stores have birthday clubs full of freebies, buy-one-get-one deals and other coupons.
The most well known is Red Robin. Known for mouth-watering burgers and bottomless fries, Red Robin gives away free burgers for birthdays. That's right. An entire Gourmet Burger. But be sure to pick up a Red Royalty card at any participating Red Robin prior to your birthday. It's a rewards card. And to top it off, after registering the card online, bring it in on your birthday and get a free Gourmet Burger. Score! Ruby Tuesdayoffers a similar deal as well. After joining their 'So Connected' club, they will send an email on your birthday for a free burger. Megan Moyles from Colorado Springs, Colo., said she's used Red Robin plenty of times to get her birthday burger. She celebrated her birthday March 17 and utilized the coupon well.
Anastaza Coleman, a freshman from Dalton, Ga., found an unexpected surprise on her last birthday, from Tucanos.
'They send you a postcard coupon in the mail,' Coleman said. 'It's always exciting to get mail, and when the mail means free food, that's automatically better.'
Expect to leave feeling 30 pounds heavier after a plentiful meal at Tucanos. The menu ranges from top sirloin to turkey wrapped in bacon. A carnivore's heaven. Unfortunately, while it's heavy on the portions, Tucanos can be heavy on the wallet as well, more than $20 for a full meal. So while the candles go out on the special day, chow down on some free grilled pineapple, courtesy of Tucanos.
Play your cards right, and your birthday can last even longer than just your special day. Jon Nash, a junior from Fort Collins, Colo., studying psychology, was challenged to go a month without paying for food. He succeeded, thanks to scores of coupons and birthday clubs.
'I was signed up for like 22 or 23 of them,' Nash said.
Nash said most birthday coupons are good for two weeks before and a week and a half following the birthday. For him, his birthday practically becomes a birth month.
'There are like 50 different opportunities for free stuff online,' Nash said. He said among these opportunities are many buy-one-get-one deals. This is great for dates or bringing friends along.
The possibilities are nearly endless. Baskin Robbins, Dairy Queen and Cold Stone Creamery offer free ice cream. Benihana's, a popular Japanese grill where food is cooked on the customers' tables, gives away a $30 certificate for use during the entire month of your birthday. Denny's provides a free Grand Slam on birthdays and IHOP provides a free breakfast. Scores of other restaurants, such as Joe's Crab Shack, Red Lobster and TGI Fridays, give free appetizers with the purchase of a meal.
More than just your friends and family want to blow out the candles with you! Sign up for these birthday clubs and expect more presents than your stomach has room for. For more birthday clubs and coupons, scan the QR code below.