When it comes to birthdays, wouldn’t it be great to be able to go ALL OUT for your spouse, your mom or your kids? On the flip side, wouldn’t it be great if your hubby or boyfriend surprised you with that nice steak dinner or, even better, that killer handbag you’ve been eying for YOUR special day?
The problem is, who can afford lavish luxuries these days…especially for birthdays. No worries! If one good thing has come out of this seemingly never-ending recession, it is the availability of better deals, particularly birthday coupons or better yet, FREEBIES!!!
Julie Northrop, is the creator of freebirthdaytreats.com, a website touting birthday freebies and discounts on everything from travel excursions to apparel to high end restaurant meals. She says many of us have it all wrong. “Some misconceptions are that birthday freebies are just for kids and that they are only good on your birthday.” Northrop says everyone deserves special treatment on their birthday, and companies are taking note. “There are offers of free birthday stuff for everyone-adults, kids and even our beloved pets. Most are generally good for the birthday week if not the birthday month as well.”
I know. You’re thinkin’ sure—they’re going to give me a free meal for the the liver and onions special at the local diner. NO! Freebies are now for stuff you want at places you love. Take the birthday deal currently going on at the oh-so-popular upscale Japanese steakhouse Benihana. By signing up online to become a member of the Chef’s Table, free of charge, members will receive a free meal valued up to $30 during their entire birthday month. (That’s more than the equivalent of a free Teriyaki Steak meal or a free Colossal Mango Shrimp order at most U.S. Benihana locations, for those of you who didn’t know.)
Sephora stores also offer particularly enticing birthday deals. By signing up to be a Beauty Insider, whether online or in store, you will receive a free birthday gift with any purchase. Although these gifts often appear to be smaller items, such as lip gloss, eye lash curlers or tweezers, they prove to be very valuable. The Sephora brand lip gloss actually stays on quite nicely. The Sephora eyelash curlers also make for easy styling, especially in a pinch. (That’s my personal review in case you didn’t guess!)
Of course, we must not forget the kids. That’s really what birthday excitement is all about, right? At Toys-R-Us, there’s a promotion that allows your child to receive a free birthday greeting card and gift in the mail every year until he turns 10, if you sign up 6 to 8 weeks in advance of his birthday.
Although it is true that retailers may be offering birthday freebies in pursuit of their own self-interests, in order to expand their customer bases and help build relationships and customer loyalty, according to Northrop, consumers are not complaining.
Interested? We did a little reconnaissance work for you. Here are some of the deals available as of the time of this writing. Have fun and, oh, Happy Birthday!
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