Mongolian BBQ

My mom and I went to get my free bowl of stir fry and I also discovered (just in time) ten free Mongo Bucks that we were able to use toward the same meal. Basically we both almost ate for free.

Still to come...

Coming soon: IHOP, Baskin Robbins, and Coldstone Creamery

These are all clubs you have to sign up for in advance. They e-mailed me BOGO coupons that still haven't expired.

Dairy Queen neglected to send me any BOGO Blizzard coupons this year. Did I accidentally unsubscribe from their e-mail list? Not sure.

Notable absences this year: Northside Grill, Starbucks, and Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. I'm getting lazy in my old age. Northside Grill takes too long and is too filling. To see a comedy show for free you have to call in advance to reserve tickets--requiring more foresight than I am equipped with these days.

Panera

Panera was the first of my post-birthday freebies. Since I am a MyPanera cardholder, they put a free pastry on my account to be used within one week after my birthday. I chose a chocolate pastry. Somehow I also won(?) a free month of bagels, so I will be working my way through their whole selection of bagels over the course of the next 28 days. First up was Asiago, always a solid choice.

Roos Roast

We walked all the way to Iorio's just to find it was closed, as always, for my birthday. It was so cold we stopped in Ragstock to warm up and found this gem:

as well as a very similar one featuring cats surfing on slices of pizza instead of donuts. But I resisted the urge to buy more clothes I don't need and focused on my free, consumable goods mission.

At Roos Roast Liberty I got a free hot chocolate. They put a cute flower design in the foam and I drank it while Alex and I played PacMan on one of the tables. I <3 PacMan and I <3 hot chocolate. (I also <3 Alex.)

Cupcake Station

This year I got a free "What's Up Doc?" mini cupcake. With all the chocolate I'd been ingesting, it was a wise choice to switch things up at the Cupcake Station. The carrot cake with cream cheese frosting was delightful and refreshing.

Argus Farm Stop

Another free hot cider at Argus this year. As always, the employees were very friendly. These people are doing something right.

Alex bought some Calder's Dairy chocolate milk and half and half here, too. He liked the cow on the roof.

Frita Batidos

Free giant birthday churro from Frita Batidos!

It's a toss-up for my favorite Ann Arbor restaurant, but Frita Batidos is definitely in my top 5. Since Alex (my boyfriend/photographer) hadn't been there before, we also ordered a Best Snack Ever to share--rice, beans, cheese, and salsa. We played dominoes there, too.

Schakolad

I ordered the strawberry ganache instead of the raspberry one that I always get, but the lady behind the counter gave me raspberry anyway. I guess the universe didn't want me to deviate.

TeaHaus

For the first time ever I didn't get Shogun for my free birthday drink. I tried something new and drank the Paradise instead and it was at least as good, if not better. I'd have to do a side-by-side taste test to be sure. The Paradise blend is fresh strawberry and apricot pieces with hibiscus blossoms, apple pieces, rose hips, elderberries, and orange peel. Yum!

PSA: If I was rich I would go to TeaHaus every day.

The Lunch Room

I got a chocolate crinkle cookie for free. It was just OK. Kind of dry. Still love the Lunch Room.

Found

Free candles? Yes please. Found seems to be doing well despite selling a lot of overpriced knick-knacks. On the plus side the coins placed in the mechanical horse go to Food Gatherers.

Biggby Coffee

Biggby sent me a postcard in the mail with a coupon for a free birthday drink, so I went a few days before my birthday to cash it in. It wasn't valid for the 32 or 64 oz drinks, so I got the next biggest one--24 oz. Basically my dinner that night was peppermint hot chocolate.

Noodles & Co

They sent me my e-coupon for a free rice crispy treat, and I went a few days before my birthday to cash it in.

Yeah I accidentally took the screenshot after I'd already started typing in SnapChat. Oops.