That Time of the Month!

Tomorrow is the first of October.  If my memory serves me right, that means I should be getting my second largest batch of emails sometime while I sleep (if I get to bed at a reasonable hour).  I started making a list of restaurant email offers I am missing, and I have quite a few still on that list...

RaceTrac, QT, Steak'N'Shake, Hooters, Benihana, Brio, Dairy Queen, Lenny's Subs, CVS, Movie Tavern, Pampas Steakhouse, Backyard Burger, Chipotle, Cap'n D's, Frontera, Zaxbys, Zoe's Kitchen, Red Robin, DSW, Waffle House, Yogurt Mountain

I am getting emails from other places I don't remember now but signed up for at some point, so there may be even more than this list I am waiting on, haha!!

Corner Bakery Cafe

One more email today : free Bakery Fresh Sweet!

Meet The Crew! Part 1 : JennMarie

JennMarie and I met a few years ago on the set of Teen Wolf (MTV series) working as extras.  JennMarie is presently seeking a degree in legal studies.

Why do like going on the Birthday Trek?
"This is fun for me.  I truly enjoy the celebration.  Since I cannot afford the elaborate birthday material items I think you deserve, spending time with you helping you do something that means a lot to you is fulfilling - almost in a selfish way.  It makes me happy and we have so much fun doing it. Starting so early and ending so late is extreme but its amazing to see how many others are so giving.
This year I am going about it as a game. My mother was the greatest birthday planner for my family. She made sure we had wonderful fun games to play at our birthday parties. She created many. So your birthday is a celebration of so many things to me. Celebrate the gift of giving. Celebrate the memories of my childhood. Celebrate the games we forget to make of life while being a grown up. And to celebrate my friend for his greatness and the great life he celebrates with others."

Monthly Freebies

Added on the free truffle I get from Godiva Chocolatier ever month for being a 'member'.
Also my ChickFilA freebie from my 'cowlander' was added.  October is a free brownie!

Whatever Shall I Order...?

Unsure of what I will be in the mood for, I can go online and print out a menu listing my options ahead of time!  Luckily at Houlihan's everything on the lunch entree menu is under $15!  I won't be able to get more Almond Encrusted Tilapia (because it's only a dinner menu item), but there are other great options to choose from!

Contact Info On The Go

For each restaurant coupon that has call ahead ordering (mostly non-fast food locations) I wrote down the info for each possible location.  That way
1. we can order before we arrive so all we have to do is walk in, grab it and walk out.
2. if we miss a location for some reason, we already have the info for the next option ready to go.  No time lost searching the internet by phone or Wifi somewhere.

Each folder is separated with two stacks in two locations.  Shown here is Northpoint Parkway on the left and Windward/John's Creek on the right.  Any coupon that is not a full-page gets put into an envelope and placed in front of all the other coupons so we don't forget about them as we go.

Color Coded Folder Organization

The Ninja Turtles folder roundhouse-kicks-off the Birthday Trek!  Then from there we go in a semi-rainbow order, skipping over orange and never reaching blue, indigo or violet.

Andele, andele - Amando Caribe!

Signed up for emails from Armando's Caribe.  Instantly got a coupon for a free appetizer!  Add one more to the list!

Restaurant Swap

While mapping out the Trek, I noticed that Marble Slab (#52 on the Master List) is nowhere near where we will be at any time and the hours of operation are not conducive to our timing...I decided to remove it from the list for Friday.  BUT...I replaced it with a new coupon I got for Saigon Cafe for $10.  Seems like a fair even trade to me.

Keep 'em comin', pumkin'

3 more items added today bringing the total to over 80 items!!

-Baskin Robbins
-Starbucks
-Mr Clean Car Wash

I also started a list of locations I should be getting an offer or email from (compared to last year, assuming they didn't change to a 'BS Get Something' offer).  About 20 emails in total still waiting to arrive.  Maybe even more that I don't remember or signed up later throughout the year.

Birthday emails!

A Few More

I added on two of my Kroger Free Friday Downloadable coupons I forgot to add previously. I also received an email from L'Occitane for some free Creme.

2 more for the road...

RaceTrac receipt survey gave me a free pastry! For being a part of the Wendy's ePanel, they gave me some coupons. One is $1 off any frosty. Value Frosty's are usually less than $1 = FREE!

The Motherload

Added to the list of freebies. 26 new items. Not going to list them here, you can just check the right hand side of the blog. :)

One week before = Birthday Emails

Woke up to 43 birthday offer emails in my inbox. 26 of them are completely free/no purchase necessary. That brings my grand total to over 75!!! (Will update the lists and blog later when I have more time)

First Friday Freebie Email!

Jersey Mike's - free sub and drink. Just cuz I was born!

Cup of Joe

I got an email from Panera tonight giving me a free cup of coffee...for no reason. Just to be nice I guess. Oh well, I am not complaining.

Just for signing on the dotted line:

I signed up for a few more e-clubs tonight. Probably about 20 if not 2 dozen. Not sure how many I will actually get birthday offers from since it is within a couple weeks of my birthday. BUT, I did get these offers already tonight just for signing up: Appetizer from Wild Wing Cafe Smoothie from Robeks Appetizer or dessert from Ray's on the River Single cheeseburger from Cheeseburger Bobby's Fries from Burger 21 Not a bad way to spend a couple hours of your night.

New Sign-ups!!!

I used my trusty internets machine to surf the webs and signed up for a few more freebies. I am hoping to have signed up early enough to receive my birthday email goodies!! -El Rey Del Taco -Church's Chicken -LaParilla -Cheeseburger Bobby's -Goldberg's Bagel's -Max & Erma's -Mirage Persian Cuisine -The Roswell Tap -Miller's Ale House -Wild Wing Cafe -Mia's Pizza and Eats -Backyard Burger -Burger 21 ...and a few others...

Hey Mr. Bojangles!

I got an email for a free biscuit from Bojangles today!

Over the Hill!!!

I was able to pass the 40 freebie mark today, but only because I realized I had not added a few of the freebies that need no coupon to receive. Those included: - admission to the Georgia Aquarium (just show ID) - sub from Firehouse Subs (show Driver's License or ID with birthdate) - Pasta dinner from Firehouse subs (I was able to do this last year, she didn't even check my ID, haha)

38!! That's the same age as I will be!!

I am up to 38 free items now! Just added: -Irish Nachos from the Tilted Kilt. -Orville Redenbacher popped corn from Kroger. I got this as a Free Friday Download on my Kroger card!

Less than two weeks to go!

Three more emails cam in today for completely free items for my birthday!! -Dessert from Houlihan's (actually an anniversary coupon from when I signed up, the bday email should arrive soon) -Snack size boneless wings from Buffalo Wild Wings (praise Jesus I can get boneless!!) -Jack Black shaving cream from Sephora ...keep 'em coming!!!

Talk like a pirate day!!

I collected a lot of free things yesterday: Krispy Kreme donuts, chips and queso from Moe's Southwestern Grill and a piece of fish from Long John Silvers. During my quest I was thirsty, so I bought a beverage from LJS's. On the cup was a pull tab where I won a free beverage! I almost threw out the cup when I finished drinking it all because I didn't even know there was a tab on there - close call!

birthday emails...finally!!

I finally received some birthday emails today. I was so excited at first when there was 4 of them!! Genghis Grill The Melting Pot Hungry Howies Brunswick Zone ...but only two of them were free items...the other two were with purchase. Half bummer. :/

Lost and Found

I went to a Regal movie last week. I actually paid for a movie - it was weird!! But, with that purchase, I passed a level on my rewards card giving me a free small soda! Woohoo - another drink to add to my birthday trek list!!

Papa Pizza Poop

I ordered a pizza a week ago when I moved from Papa Johns. For ordering online, they gave me a free pizza next time I order! Yay!!! I was going to use that free pizza for my birthday, until today when I found out it expires on September 30th. ...well, poop...

iTunes

Just added: $25 gift card to iTunes. I got it from redeeming points I collected from E-Rewards (taking online surveys) One thing that is great about this gift card in particular is that I can use it at any point during the day/night. Even at 3AM, if I want to!

Chugging Along...

I have spent the last couple of days writing down names of restaurants as I drive around Gwinnett. Restaurants the I don't already belong to their eclubs. I have a few more that I signed up for, but I am not sure what to expect as far as a birthday email - if anything. New today: Twisted Taco, Flying Biscuit. Trying to sign up for Pappadeaux's, but the website is not working!!! Grr!! :(

Kerfuffled

I'm finding it a little odd this year that I am not receiving as many 'anniversary' email offers as I have in the past couple of years. This makes me nervous that I may have been purged out of some systems, or that the establishments are getting cheaper. I already received an email from Benihana explaining that they have changed their birthday offer to be a BSGS (buy something get something) this year. I also got an email from Lenny's subs threatening to deactivate my account if I didn't buy a sub within 7 days. They did send out another email redacting the first one, but still...what are these companies thinking?? Don't get cheap on me now restaurants - we have a good thing going.

ScoutMob had a deal just released today for a free bubble tea from Lattea in Duluth. It is saved in my 'stache' and ready for redemption come Oct. 4th! I also visited Arby's today and on the back of my receipt was a survey I could take to give me a free turnover or free shake on my next visit...which will be redeemed on my birthday!

Today, using 'Loclly' I was able to get a coupon voucher for a free cupcake. It expires next year, so I will definitely be redeeming it on my birthday!!

Beginnings

I started out getting free things on my birthday a few years ago. I would go to Applebee's and Chili's to get the free dessert with purchase of a meal. I then looked into other deals and found I could get A LOT of free things for my birthday without having to buy anything! The first year I only was able to get a handful of things, the next year I was up to 30, last year I achieved 51. My goal this year is to get 60. I'm hoping to break 75, but I'm going to try and break 100!