Options!!

Two different article about my Birthday Trek have now been published!  Here are links to both of them in case you missed one or the other:

http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clarkhoward/deals-money-saving-advice/joe-nelson/nXN9R/

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/joe-nelson-uses-birthday-coupons-to-score-free-food-and-clothing-213650114.html

Curl up in a chair under a blanket with a free Starbucks coffee and Enjoy!!

Q&A

Reading through some of the comments left from people after reading (and sometimes not reading) the article written about my Birthday Trek, I've noticed a few things people have been questioning and wondering about.  I don't feel the need to address them, but I would like to address them just to give some clarification for those inquiring.

1.  $22 in tips seems really low you cheap freak!!
          -Yes, at first glance and first thought, it does seem low.  100 free items and only $22 in tips???  I think the people asking this are making a few assumptions.  Assuming that I needed to tip at every location.  We didn't.  Several were drive-thru windows.  Some were department stores.  We only had about 20 places we needed to tip at.

Of the places I got items to-go from a sit-down restaurant, or places we actually did sit down and dine at - we tipped either $1 or $2.  Still seem cheap to you...?  Most items we received for free had an approximate value of $5 on the menu.
10% of that would be $0.50.
20% of that would be $1.
Dining in, 20% is a decent tip.  Take out food is normal to tip 10%-15% at a dine-in restaurant.
I have worked in and out of restaurants for 20+ years.  I think we were fair in our tipping.

2.  Why would you spend $80 doing this???  Donate the money instead!!!
          -I love getting things for free.  It's fun, it's exciting - I love a good deal and getting a good deal.  FREE is a GREAT deal!

It's also a challenge to collect it all in a day.  I drive for a living.  I love driving, it's fun to me - even in traffic.  I love routing and preparing routes.  Not everyone can do what I do and of those people, less people actually enjoy it.  I have a great time doing it start to finish.

Almost everyone I know spends money on their birthday, or has a friend spend money on them for their birthday.
Maybe they buy a nice dinner at a steakhouse?  ($50)
Go to Dave and Busters for a night?  ($60)
Get a hotel room somewhere?  ($70)
Concert tickets?  ($100+ each)
People spend money on what they love to do on that special day - as we all do on our birthday.  This is what I love to do and enjoy doing.  I could do any of the things listed above, but I don't want to.  I could hand $80 over to a food bank or homeless shelter and have my birthday adventure for the year over and done in less than 10 seconds.  But that's too quick and boring.  I want fun and adventure...even if it's for a price!

3.  That is some nasty looking food on Clark Howard's website!!
http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clarkhoward/deals-money-saving-advice/joe-nelson/nXN9R/
          -it's a 'related article' advertisement.  It's not a photo of the food I got from anywhere.  I agree, it looks nasty and looks like plastic.  I wouldn't eat it either, I'd probably poop Lego's the next day.

4.  Why don't you give it away to homeless people - or someone who needs it?
          -I did.  Please, actually read the article.  :)
I seriously saw this question about a dozen times.

5.  Won't you get fat eating all of that food??  You can't get a triple bypass surgery for free!!
          -Same response as above - read the article.  I didn't eat it all.
But also, the food I gave away this year typically went to people already standing in the restaurant.  They were there to buy a pizza or burger or what-have-you already.  I wasn't adding anything to their diet that they weren't intending to eat already.  I was just able to give it to them for free.

6.  People like you drive up the cost of our meals, because your free items get factored into our costs throughout the year!
          -Incorrect.  The cost has already been factored into the cost BEFORE I go and get my free birthday food items, not after.  Yes, it is factored in and the companies have analysts and promotions and number crunchers that have done the math already to figure this out.  They have an idea of how many people are on their email list and have an approximate number of how many people will actually redeem these coupons.  They also take in to account how many people will bring a friend or two with and what their average ticket is.
They are already planning on me coming and getting my free birthday item.  It would be a shame for me not to take advantage of it because if I go and get it OR if I don't - you and I are both already being charged for it throughout the year.  It should be my duty to go and get it since it's already being paid for regardless.
They didn't raise the price after I went and got a free piece of cake, they raised the price assuming I will have my cake and eat it too.

Birthday Trek video

Pay It Forward!!

Several weeks ago, I was ordering a Starbucks coffee at a Target store.  You came up and offered to pay for my coffee.  It felt so good as I walked around Target drinking that coffee and think on about what you did.

Today I went through a drive thru at Wendy's and got a hamburger.  I told the person who was taking my money that I wanted to pay for the person's lunch who was in the car behind me.
I must say that my hamberger tasted really good.  I hope the person behind me will pay it forward.  As for me, I will continue to look for ways to make a stranger's day just a little better.  

Thank you for the Starbuck's coffee and opening my eyes as to how we all can help one another in this crazy world of ours.  

June Gregory

Newk It!

I'm still collecting freebies I wasn't able to get to on my Birthday Trek. Today was Newks. Cute little deli. I had never been there before. They give you an entree and beverage for your bday!

Lenny's subs (but no Squiggys)

Free sandwich today from Lenny's Subs! I split it with my boss.

Nowhere on the package does it mention to 'remove wrapper prior to eating'. 

Luckily my boss knew to unwrap it first!!

Picking up where I left off...

I took a few days off from getting freebies. After 51 on my birthday last year, getting 350+ freebies throughout the last year every single day, and getting 104 on my birthday this year I needed a mini-break. 

But last night I went to AuBonPain and got a free birthday sandwich for myself. I went with my friend Debi and gave her the free coffee mug they have me for signing up and they also gave her the first cup on the house!  Great customer service there!!

VIDEO!!

going to start filming some more footage, editing video that we already have and putting together a final video soon!  Can't wait to show you all that we did and all that we have!  There is so much for us to share with everyone!

Leftovers

Here is a list of the coupons I still have left that were either too far to drive, or the hours did not fit right with our trek or for whatever other reason:

Au Bon Pain
Newks
Lenny's Subs
Taco Cabana
Bruegger's Bagels
Rays on the Creek
Mellow Mushroom
Armanado's Caribe
Movie Tavern
Buffalo's
DSW
Ted's Montana Grill
Sonic
Brunswick Zone
Long John Silvers
Cartridge World
20 oz Coke
Wild Wing Cafe

Most of those listed here were sign up on their website for their eClub offers.

They Just Keep Coming...

In my mail today I got two more free coupons!  One for Wild Wing Cafe: free appetizer for signing up for their loyalty program.  And a Free 20oz Coke from MyCokeRewards.  I still have a few more coupons I am waiting on in the mail, but I just wish I had gotten these one week earlier. Oh well.

Also in my mail today, I already got two of the DVD's that I ordered on Friday!!
Casa De Mi Padre
Pride & Glory
That be some really quick shippin' Marge!!

Bedtime Stories

Instead of updating one big long post, I updated under each picture of how we gave things away.  We gave away more than I updated, but I don't remember how we gave every single item away, so some of it remains blank for the moment.  I do know that over half of what we collected was given away...I am just not sure where or how for each individual item.

By The Numbers:

Preliminary total value of items collected on my birthday: $576.85!!!!!
I had to guess on a few items that we didn't have listed and didn't have the prices posted online or would not answer their phone, but that's pretty close to the right total amount!!

Miles Driven: 177 miles

Gas spent (approx): $46.46 
Tax & Tips: $21.69

Gave away 65/104 items 

Sorry, I missed you yesterday...

I had some more freebie emails come in yesterday on my birthday while we were out 'trekking'.  We were so caught up in trying to get everything done, I never got a chance even to check and see what we could have gotten until this morning.

Lenny's Subs - free sub (as always)
Ted's Montana Grill - dessert (somehow I got a lot from Ted's this year, they must love me)
DSW - $5 coupon (I'll probably be getting me some more Happy Socks if they have them discounted)
Sonic Drive-In - Choice of a free drink or tots or shake (Cherry slush - yumm-o!)

So, if you are signing up for what is on the master list - don't miss out on these because I won't be adding them.  Too late to add anything else to the master list.

Down to the last seconds!!

Literally midnight to midnight!!

Just placed an order with iTunes and with Amazon.com for the last 8 items needed to make it to 100!!

iTunes:
Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience

Amazon.com:
Robin Hood DVD
Pride and Glory DVD
Looper DVD
Warm Bodies DVD
Shutter Island DVD
The A-Team DVD
Anchorman Poster

Ahhhh...sigh...now off to bed!  I NEED SLEEP!!!!

92 Saigon Cafe

Fried rice with pork and chicken.  This will be the last physical location we go to besides home. I'm going to try and get the remaining ones using online gift cards and resources. So close...

I am so exhausted. We've been collecting things for 20.5 hours of the 

Last 23 hours. It's been an amazing day and adventure to say the least. I loved every minute of hanging out with such great friends as Jennifer, JennMarie and Mary.  I will be updating this blog soon with stories of how we shared the food we got. We are only going home with about 7 boxes of food, and the non-edibles. The rest of it we payed it forward and gave it away as we went. It was a great way to get rid of everything, not just the cold food and desserts like year. 

91 RaceTrac

Apple crisp muffin. 

89 & 90 Burger 21

Fries and a shake. One for birthday, one for signing up. :)

88 Bojangles

Ham biscuit. 

87 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

Royale Burger. (With a fried egg on top!)

86 teds Montana grill

Wild berry cheesecake.