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My Favorite Birthday Freebies

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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Riverside chapter.

April 25th is my favorite day of the year. Why? Because it’s my birthday! I love birthdays – my own and other peoples’. I just think it is so fun to celebrate, whether that’s with gifts or parties or going out for drinks – I love any excuse to get together with my friends. But my personal favorite way to celebrate is birthday freebies!

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/ Unsplash

I am nothing if not a hustler at heart. My grandma is the queen of coupons and I never pass up something if it’s free. I knew about Starbucks free birthday drinks since I was in middle school and solely drinking caramel frappuccinos – we all did it, it’s a canon event. But last year, my friend mentioned that she got a free gift from Sephora. This sent me down a rabbit hole of all the companies giving out free gifts or discounts on your birthday. I became a freebie birthday expert and – as a non-gatekeeper – I am here to depart this knowledge on to you. 

Food and Drinks:

The easiest and best place to start is with food and drinks. Almost every restaurant offers you a free birthday dessert with the purchase of food, but SO many fast food and casual places offer free birthday treats too. Here’s a few of my favorites:

  • Baskin Robbins – free scoop of ice cream
    • Valid on your birthday.
    • Sign up for an account and join the birthday club. 
  • Buffalo Wild Wings – free 6 wings
    • Valid any time during your birth month.
    • Sign up for an account. 
  • Crumbl – free cookie
    • Valid for about a month after your birthday. 
    • Join their loyalty program.
  • Dutch Bros – free any size drink
    • Valid on your birthday.
    • Join their loyalty program. 
  • Starbucks – free any-size drink
    • Valid on your birthday.
    • Join their loyalty program. 
  • Krispy Kreme – free doughnuts
    • Valid any time during your birthday month. 
    • Sign up for an account. 
  • Nothing Bundt Cakes – free mini bundt
    • Valid on your birthday.
    • Join the eClub. 
  • Wetzels – free pretzel
    • Valid on your birthday.
    • Join the app. 
  • Panera – free pastry
    • Valid for one week after your birthday. 
    • Join the rewards program. 
  • Juice It Up – free medium smoothie
    • Valid 15 days after your birthday.
    • Join the rewards program. 

Merchandise:

Another awesome birthday perk is the free merchandise you can get from various companies. While most companies will only give you a discount code, there are a few that offer you completely free items. Here’s a few examples:

  • Ulta – free gift and 2x points
    • Valid any time during your birthday month. 
    • Join the rewards program.
  • Sephora – free gift
    • Valid any time during your birthday month. 
    • Join the rewards program. 
  • Bath and Body Works – free gift
    • Valid for a month after your birthday. 
    • Join the rewards program. 

If you’re in Riverside for your birthday, here is my perfect birthday freebie tour. First start your morning with a free starbucks or dutch bros coffee and krispy kreme. Then, in the afternoon, make your way to the Riverside Plaza. Here, you’ll find Ulta, Crumbl, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Juice It Up, and Panera. Then, head on over to the Tyler Mall. Once there, you can go ahead and visit Wetzel’s, Bath and Body Works, and Sephora. In the evening, stop by Buffalo Wild Wings and Baskin Robbins.

Plus, there are so many more birthday freebies and discounts than I mentioned here. So, if you have a particular place or company you love, I would look up their birthday rewards, almost everyone has something. Now go out and hustle! Oh, and happy birthday!

Megan Gillam

UC Riverside '24

I am an undergraduate student at the University of California, Riverside. I am a double major in English Literature and Psychology. At UCR, I am a writer for Her Campus magazine, on the executive board of my sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, and am apart of the Psi Chi honor society. I enjoy writing, reading, horseback riding, hanging out with friends, shopping, cooking, and playing with my dog.