Free Food At Mickey Dee’s

I’ve never been a huge fan of McDonald’s. It all stems from my childhood, you see. I was such a picky eater that I would only eat plain cheeseburgers – no ketchup, no onions, no nothing. In the days before the “have it your way” craze (or microwaves, for that matter), that meant waiting…and waiting…and waiting for my burger while the rest of the family’s food got cold. “Mary, you defeat the whole purpose of fast food,” my father told me, and he eventually stopped buying us fast food altogether, earning me the disdain of my siblings who were stuck eating bologna and cheese when my parents needed a quick meal.

Anyway, that’s just a rambling intro. My kids love Mickey Dee’s, so we’ll probably try this one, which I found on our main site:

Download & print this coupon for free medium fries & a free medium soft drink or tea with the purchase of a third-pound Angus burger at McDonald’s. Per the fine print, the coupon is valid at participating locations only, and it expires on August 31, 2009.

Summer Reading: Free Harlequin E-Books

Hey, how can you beat reading material as hot and heavy as an August day at the shore? Make it free, that’s how!

If you just love a steamy romance, the kind with a lot of heavy breathing and fervent glances and flushed checks, the kind with a woman in a tight corset embracing Fabio on the cover, then this is the deal for you.

Harlequin, the queen bee of the genre, is celebrating 60 years of romance by sharing 16 different e-books with its readers – absolutely free! Check out the list here, then download your favorite titles – or all of them – for a great summer read.

Free Pastry Tomorrow At Starbucks

You are cordially invited to enjoy a free pastry tomorrow at Starbucks – as long as you buy a beverage to go with it.

Just take this invitation to your nearest highbrow coffee shop, fork over a couple of bucks for a mocha grande (or whatever it is you drink in the morning) and your scone, muffin or danish is absolutely free. (We have no idea why Starbucks calls it an “invitation” when the rest of the world calls it a “coupon,” but free is free, people!)

You’ll have to hurry in, though….this deal expires at 10:30 am tomorrow. So set your alarm for this one!

Read All About It – Free Books from Random

Wanna read a book hot off the presses? Wanna read it for free? Well, then, check out the “Read it forward” program, offered by Random House (Crown Publishing division). The publisher is giving away copies of three new titles – complete with author signatures! To get yours, use this link to request one via email .

Current selections include:

• Something Missing by Matthew Dicks
• The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha
• Where the River Ends by Charles Martin

Just one per email address, please. After all, we’re bookworms – not freebie hogs!

Free Double Check for Your Tax Return

No joke – tax time is approaching. If you’ve already finished filing (I’m SO jealous), you can still find money with a second look from our buddies at H&R Block…for free!  Read all about it in this post from the CitiesOnTheCheap main site:

“If you’ve already completed your taxes & would like a professional to look it over & make sure you didn’t miss anything, take advantage of this deal at participating H&R Block locations: On April 3, 4, & 5, you can get a free second opinion from a tax professional.

Don’t think you missed anything? Don’t be too sure. Common errors are cost taxpayers millions of dollars: H&R Block found $1.8 million in errors on Friday, March 27, alone, and the company claims to find errors on 4 out of 5 tax returns they review. “

Secret Freebies (Pssst….Pass It On)

There are freebies all around, if you just know where to look. And if you don’t know where to look, I’m gonna tell ya! Here are some secret freebies for you artsy types:

Check out the Curtis Institute of Music on Locust Street, where you can catch rising stars of the music scene at the free student recital series held most Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. Call 215-893-5261 to learn more.

Arby’s Roast Beef – Free

Hankering for a beefy sandwich – or just looking to save a buck on fast food? Well, from now until March 9, the good folks at Arby’s are offering a great deal – they’ll give you a free full-sized roastburger with the purchase of any drink.

The roastburger is their latest menu offering, a sandwich of thinly sliced roast beef done up like a burger, with your choice of toppings (all-American, bacon and cheddar or bacon and bleu).

Read more about it here.