Beauty on the Cheap: Free Make-Up Sample

Okay, I’m not much of a make-up person. (My attempts at “high glam” come off as “Happy the Clown,” so I stuck with the natural look.) But I love Bare Escentuals, with their simple application process, their natural coverage (no more clown face!) and the lightness of their foundation – no heavy mask feel! And for a limited time (until they run out, natch), you can pick up a free sample of bareMinerals Matte SPF 15 Foundation & a free brush. It’s a cheap way to try out their make-up – or to stock up before your tan fades and you really need it!

Of course, there’s a catch – you can’t use this offer online. So head on over to a BareEscentuals boutique and put your best face forward! Click here to find a location in our area.

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.

Music on the Mall – Free this Thursday

Music on the Mall, the city’s free summer concert series, which runs the first Thursday of each month, concludes this week with a special presentation of World Music on August 6. The event will feature the stylings of Paprika, a Brazilian-influenced girl group, from 6 to 7 pm and Casplash, a Carribean band, from 7 to 8. So put on your boogie shoes and come on out to Independence Mall.

And save this date – on September 3, the series will close out the season with a “Battle of the School Bands” right before the first bell rings. Find more info here.

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 Baseball Clinic – Hurry!

The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association is offering a free (say it with me!) one day baseball clinic for kids 6-15.  The clinic will be held at the Richie Ashburn fields at FDR Park.  No word on the starting line-up of instructors, but they’re former major league baseball player who know their stuff. 

Sign up here – and hurry, as registration is limited to the first 250 kids. All registrations will be confirmed by email.

Fast Five for Free Friday

Hey you guys!

Since we’re now headed into the summer and good weather, I know you’ll want to be out and about more. How can you do that and keep a reign on your cash flow?

Well, let me present the OnTheCheap solution for this common dilemma – the Fast Five For Free Friday. (See, Mrs. Ackerman, I wasn’t sleeping through that lesson on alliteration!) Every Friday I’ll shoot off a quick list of things you can do that weekend for free…so just check back when you have some time on your hands, m’kay?

Without further ado, here’s the first list of Five For Free.  And according to the Weather Channel, all signals point to a beautiful weekend. Go enjoy – without busting the budget.

*Speaking of Peace: A Festival of the Arts – What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding? Find out through the photo essays, storytelling and music at this festival, presented by the Frazer Mennonite Church
in Frazer, PA. Tomorrow, 1-7 pm. Call 610-644-3397 or check the web site for details.

* Ruby’s Walk Across America – Reality star Ruby Gettinger’s anti-obesity walk kicks off in Philly (just in time for swimsuit season, eh?).  Meet Ruby and the other walkers at Lloyd Hall, One Boathouse Row, from 8 am to 2 pm.

* Lincoln High School Glory Days – Ah, nostalgia! Apparently Lincoln High School is scheduled for demolition – but not before one last blow-out celebration. Flea markets, music, tours, games and memorabilia will mark the goodbyes from 8 am to 2 pm tomorrow. 3201 Ryan Avenue; 215-335-5653.

* ARTspiration! – Billed as a free community arts festival for the whole family, this event will be held at the Fleisher Art Memorial from 10-4 on Sunday. Check out the arts and crafts, book sale, bake sale and free performances at the nation’s oldest tuition-free art school. Tip: don’t miss the “Play With Your Food” booth.

* And, for those headed to the shore – the Boardwalk Spring Family Fun Fest will be going on all weekend in Ocean City. Face painters, bands, pony rides and a juried art show are some of the featured attractions on the boards from 9-6. Call 609-457-1151 for info.

Free Resume Copies and Business Cards At Staples

Saw this post by our chief price checker at CitiesOnTheCheap:

“Job hunting? If so, you’re not alone. While the government works out the details of its economic stimulus plan, you can take advantage of a Career Stimulus Plan at Staples. Stop by participating stores through June 13, 2009, and you can get 20 resume copies & 40 business cards free.”

There are Staples all over the Delaware Valley, so stop in today.

Free Comic Book Day – May 2

I found this deal while checking out our friends at CitiesOnTheCheap:

“Since 2002, independent comic book shops have been participating in Free Comic Book Day. Go into a comic book shop on May 2nd and get a free comic book. It’s that simple. Some of the comic books being given away are Star Wars: Clone Wars, Alien/Predator, and Attack of the Alterna-Zombies. Selections will vary at individual stores.

To find which stores are closest to you, use the store locator.”

I did check out the store locator, and there are a lot of participating indies in our area, including Fat Jack’s Comicrypt on Sansom and Atomic City Comics on South Street. So head on over, and save an Archie and Jughead for me.