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Read More →How to grab birthday freebies and discounts
Your birthday is an event that comes once (or, if you’re the Queen, twice) a year. Other than being a blatant reminder that you’re getting older, and are thus another year closer to death, it’s also a good excuse to spoil yourself with some much needed treats.
However, if splashing out isn’t your thing, it’s also a great opportunity to bag yourself some freebies and much appreciated discounts. Here’s how.
Free Krispy Kreme Donut
You get a free donut just for signing up to the ‘Friends of Krispy Kreme’ mailing list, but they’ll also send you a voucher once a year for a free birthday treat too. Krispy Kremes are expensive, so this makes for a delicious birthday indulgence! Yum!
Free £5 Paperchase Voucher
I’ve been a member of the Paperchase ‘Treat Me’ loyalty card scheme, ever since it first trialled in Scotland – it was later, thankfully, introduced to the rest of the UK, so even since moving away I was able to hold on to the perks.
Basically, the way the card works, you get a £5 voucher for every £50 you spend in store. You also get a bonus £5 when your birthday comes around. The downside to this is that you have to remember to spend it – you only have two weeks before the credit disappears! Luckily, Paperchase has lots of cute stationery items for £5 and below, so you could even grab yourself a freebie!
Birthday Discounts and Free Prosecco at Restaurants
A lot of chain restaurants will send you special offers when you sign up to their mailing lists. These vary from a bottle of free prosecco at Zizzi, to a free main course at Bella Italia, and £20 off a £50 spend at Ask Italian.
Free Cookie at Subway
If you sign up for a SUBWAY card, and download the app, you can claim a free cookie on your birthday from Subway.
Bonus discounts at M&S
If you have a Marks and Spencer Sparks card you get bonus vouchers when your birthday rolls around, including an extra 10% off food if you feel like getting yourself a Colin the Caterpillar cake to accompany your free cookie and doughnut. If you know where to look, you can find a lot of different discounts. If there’s a shop that you use a lot, it might be worth signing up to their mailing list just to see. If you don’t like receiving a lot of potentially ‘junk’ emails, you might want to quickly create a throwaway email account so that you can receive relevant offers.
Maddy Sutherland
Maddy is a freelance illustrator who lives in Glasgow. She's recently graduated and is working hard to make ends meet. Self-employed? Read Maddy's experiences here.