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Ben & Jerry’s: Free Cone Day on April 12, 2011

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Photograph Credit: Ben & Jerry's

Are you ready for a free, cool family activity? On Tuesday, April 12, 2011 visit a participating Ben & Jerry’s location to celebrate Free Cone Day! According to the Ben & Jerry’s website:

As a way to thank our customers for their support and to celebrate 33 years of scooping the chunkiest, funkiest ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet, Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops are happily giving it away!

If you are fortunate enough to live near a participating location, then I hope you enjoy your free cone on Tuesday. Eat a little bite for me since all the South Carolina locations are too far away for us to visit. (Don’t feel too sorry for me. There’s another inexpensive ice cream deal coming on April 27.)

$4 Chick-Fil-A Family Lunch with Playtime to Boot

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On the way to pick up my son from school, my daughter kept asking if we could go to Zaxby’s and eat lunch with Daddy. I was surprised by my daughter’s request since we were not close to Zaxby’s when the pleading began. By the time we reached the school, the requesting was subsiding.

Upon entering the car and sitting in his booster seat, my son asked, “Can we go to Chick-Fil-A for lunch?” (I’m guessing that the cool, rainy weather brought on the wish for comfort food like chicken.) Since I needed to make a stop at the credit union which is close to Chick-Fil-A, I responded with, “We’ll see.”

After completing our business at the credit union, I searched my restaurant coupon file from the glove compartment to see if I could put a deal together for under $5. I found 2 coupons for buy a medium sweet tea, and get a 4-count chicken strip entrée. Knowing that I could work a deal for under $5, I announced that our next stop was Chick-Fil-A.

The kids were really excited. The rain had stopped as we pulled into the Chick-Fil-A parking lot. We quickly unloaded and entered the restaurant. Armed with my 2 coupons, we waited in line. At our turn, I handed the cashier my coupons. He confirmed that I wanted 2 sweet teas with each of the 4-piece chicken strips. (When a Chick-Fil-A coupon states a specific beverage (i.e. Sprite), most cashiers allow you to substitute for any comparable beverage.) The cost was 2 orders of chicken strips at $3.99 each for free and 2 teas at $1.49 each. I then ordered 4 buns: 3 toasted and 1 plain at $.15 each. My total with tax came to  . . . $3.87. (If I had purchased 4 chicken sandwiches, I would have spent over $10!)

The kids and I went to a table chosen by my daughter. The cashier brought our food to the table, and I begun to put our meal together.

  • I stopped by the condiment station and picked up a knife, napkins, mayonnaise, ketchup, and placemats.
  • I returned to the table and attached the placemats to each of the kids’ eating area. (I love these placemats. They work great, especially for the baby who is used to eating on the tray of her highchair.)
  • I took out a bun, added requested condiments, and 2 strips of chicken. Next I cut the sandwich in half and placed in front of my daughter. I then made my son’s sandwich, then the baby’s, and finally mine. I was able to make 4 great chicken sandwiches with the food purchased. My son and daughter shared a sweet tea, and the baby and I shared the other one.
  • After completing our meal, I cleaned up, and the kids went to play on the indoor playground.

When I returned home, I checked the receipt of my great restaurant deal. In addition to my purchase, my receipt had a survey invitation in the center section. After taking the survey on-line, I received a validation code which I can now redeem for a free Chick-Fil-A sandwich. I guess we will be planning another visit to Chick-Fil-A soon. Maybe this time Daddy will be able to come with us.

By thinking outside of the box, using some of the options presented in the 10 Ways to Cut the Expense of Eating Out series, and setting a budget, the kids and I gained nourishment and exercise for under $4 on a spontaneous family activity.

What creative ways have you used to save money on a spur-of-the-moment change of plans?

Free Movie for Good Grades

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Last week, I shared about free doughnuts for good grades and how my son participated. Today, I will explain a new-to-me program. Blockbuster is offering a free movie rental for good grades. According to http://www.blockbuster.com/goodgrades, these are the participation requirements:

  • Each eligible student can rent one movie from the Favorites (older movie) collection at participating Blockbuster stores for each grading period.
  • Student must have at least a B average
  • The student’s original signed report card must be presented at time of redemption.
  • Redemption must occur within 30 days of receiving the report card.
  • Program is for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
  • Each student in the family is eligible for redemption.

Since this program is for participating stores, I would call ahead to be sure your store is participating before heading out. Our local Blockbusters participate. Yeah! My son will be thrilled to show his report card for the rewards of doughnuts and a movie.

Wow . . . I’m glad my son gets to participate in these programs. When I was in school, I remember earning an ice cream cone from McDonalds for good grades. The act of taking my report card and showing someone else what I accomplished encouraged me to continue working hard.  I appreciate these companies rewarding my student for his hard work, and I make sure to express my gratitude while visiting their businesses.

Looking for more GOOD GRADE rewards? Chuck E. Cheese rewards up to 15 tokens per student with a food purchase. Also, http://goodgraderewards.com lists many rewards from different businesses. Our family might have to check out some of these.

Doughnuts for Good Grades

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As the third quarter of the school year draws to a close, our family will be making a stop at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. At our Krispy Kreme store, each student (K-6th grade) gets to choose a doughnut for each “A” or Satisfactory earned, up to 6 doughnuts.

I first heard about this program from a friend. She mentioned taking her kids to get doughnuts on the day they received their report card. Since our schedule did not permit me to take our son, my husband took our son that weekend.

At the store, my son presented his report card with the first quarter marks. The cashier took the time to acknowledge his hard work and have him choose 6 doughnuts. The kind-hearted child that he is, my son chose doughnuts to share with the family, like the one with sprinkles for his sister and the chocolate cake one for mom. Yum!

If you are preparing for a report card soon and you live near a Krispy Kreme Doughnut store, I hope your store participates as this program has been encouraging and delicious for our family.

Rita’s: Free Italian Ice on March 20, 2011

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Mark your calendars for a great, free celebration for the first day of spring!

When:                  Sunday, March 20, 2011

What time:            Noon until 9:00 p.m.

Where:                 All open Rita’s Italian Ice locations

What:                   A free regular size Italian ice for each customer

What a nice cool way to enjoy the start of spring! Check out Rita’s website for a participating location near you: http://www.ritasice.com/events-and-promotions/first-day-of-spring.aspx.