Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas For Those Who Have Everything, Part 1: Give Experiences!

If you're scratching your head this year trying to come up with gift ideas for those in your life who seem to have all of their needs (and even wants!) covered, we have a few ideas for you. This is part of our series running this week on Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything!
 
Today's Budget-Friendly Gift Idea:

• Give Experiences. Restaurant gift certificates, an offer on your part to do babysitting, a night at a nearby bed and breakfast, a couple of tickets to an amusement park, a concert or evening with a comedy tour. The possibilities are endless! Think about creative ways that you can spur and/or enable the recipient(s) to get out. As an example, earlier this year we gave my dad a gift certificate to Wolf Trap so that he could pick any show or performer(s) that he wanted to see and take my mom along, too.
  
  One budget-friendly way to do this is to keep an eye on the deals from Restaurant.com on restaurant gift certificates. You can score some from anywhere around 60-80% off of the face value (today's example is 80% off with coupon code JOY, making $25 certificates only $2, expires Sunday 12/12 - thanks Frugal Coupon Mom!), which makes a fantastic value on an evening out. A few dollars' investment for you could translate to a very large discount for them.
  
  Be sure that a camera joins your recipients on the outing so that they can look back and savor the memories!

If you missed parts of the series, check them all out:

• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 1: Experiences 
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 2: Consumables
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 3: Discounts

FREE Seattle's Best Coffee at Burger Kings Every Friday in November!

Every Friday in November, you can pick up a free 12 oz. hot Seattle's Best Coffee during breakfast hours at Burger King! Use the FREE COFFEE RESTAURANT LOCATOR to see which locations near you are offering the free coffee.

$2 "BOO-rritos" (Burritos) at Chipotle on Halloween!!

I love this deal! When you dress up as a "horrifying processed food product" and hit up Chipotle after 6 p.m. tomorrow night (Halloween), you can get a burrito, bowl, salad, or an order of tacos for only $2! Considering these normally range $5-$7, this is quite a deal! Details on Chipotle's site. Thanks to reader Jen for the email tip!

Get Your Cow Costume Ready - Chick-Fil-A Dress Like A Cow Day = Freebies!

July 9, 2010 is Dress Like a Cow Day at Chick-Fil-A. If this year's DLACD is the same as past DLACDs, a cow "costume" (loosely defined) will get you some freebies - this year's is rumored to be a combo meal for a head-to-toe cow costume effort, and an entree item for a cow accessory effort.

We mention this now so that you can ponder ahead of time how to coax your entire family (bonus points if you get your teenagers to do it) into earning a nearly-free meal at Chick-Fil-A.

Mmmmm chicken!

FREEBIE Meal at Let's Dish for New Moms! (Babies Born After 05/10/09)

Gina of Moneywise Moms alerted us to the details of this offer (thanks, Gina!):

Let's Dish! is a takeaway restaurant concept which lets customers preassemble meals in-store, to cook at home. May 09 through May 29, any new moms who have had a baby since last Mother's Day (05/10/09) can come to Let's Dish! for a freebie meal - no purchase required. Yum!

Let's Dish locations can be found here.

You can find out more about the offer at www.letsdish.com/moms.

Tuesday Deals Roundup - Free Food, $10/$25 Yankee Candle, and Free Greeting Card!

Free sample of Tropical Chewy Lemonheads. Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom!

$0.50 coupon off Simply Asia - leads to freebies, quite often, when you can double the coupon on a ~$1 sale price. Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

BOGO Pinkberry coupon. Thanks, Mommy's Wish List!

This coming Saturday, 02/20, get a free pretzel at Auntie Anne's, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. On Tuesday 02/23, get a free short stack of pancakes (though a donation to Children's Miracle Network is highly encouraged!). Thanks, Jodi!

Free kids' card from Hallmark stores through March 14. Also: $10/$25 at Yankee Candle - also usable on Yankee Candle products at Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohl's, and Hallmark. Thanks, Frugal Coupon Mom!

$2.00 off Land O'Frost lunchmeat. This is around two and a half bucks at my local WalMart, so this is a steal! Thanks, Christy!
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Tuesday Deals Roundup - Free Einstein Bros. Bagel, Kids' Clothing Deeply Discounted, 20% off Coach Coupon, and More!

Here are some deals, coupons, and freebies that we've spotted lately on the frugality blogosphere!

Free bagel and cream cheese at Einstein Bros. Bagels. Details (thanks Mrs. Moneysaver!) here! Mrs. Moneysaver also recently posted on 10 freebie contemporary Christian MP3s.

Hot $1/2 Classico Pasta Sauce printable coupon. When paired with a buy-one-get-one (BOGO) sale on Classico, this could make the pasta sauce in the neighborhood of $0.75/jar. Thanks, Christy! Christy also reports that there could be a surge in markdowns in children's clothing at your local Target.

Bargain Briana showed us how to get kids' Disney crocs for $8/pair. Thanks, Briana! Think summer and buy a size or two up!

If you're near a Coach outlet, this 20% off coupon could possibly make a post-holiday deal even sweeter. Thanks, Frugal Coupon Living! FCL also mentioned recently that you could get a free half-gallon of milk.

Never Pay Retail Again has a post on how to save 40%+ at Justice (a girls' clothing retailer). Thanks, Jodi!

Any other smokin' deals you'd care to share via comment? :)
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Tuesday Deals Roundup: FREE Gillette Razor, Johnson's Baby Shampoo, and Proctor and Gamble coupons!

Here are some of the hot deals we've seen lighting up the frugality blogosphere:

Get a coupon for free kids' meal with adult meal purchase at Friendly's (or a $5/$25 coupon!). Thanks to Mommy's Wish List for this one! Mommy's Wish List also recently shared a post with a smokin' hot $10/$25 coupon for Yankee Candle Company.

Bath and Body Works has a $10/$40 coupon out, which could make holiday clearanced items even cheaper! Thanks, Jodi!

Frugal Coupon Living has a phone number to call to get your FREE Gillette Fusion razor - good for one per household while supplies last! Thanks, FCL!

Christy of The Bargain Jargon has the scoop on where to sign up for a Proctor and Gamble coupon booklet featuring $15 worth of coupons. Thanks, Christy!

Money Saving Mom's Crystal shared (thanks!) how to score free Johnson & Johnson's travel-size baby shampoos. Great for diaper bags and overnight bags - and not just for babies!

Tuesday Deals Roundup: Freebies, Toys R Us and Babies R Us Black Friday Scoops, and Free Organic Coupons by Mail!

This time of year, the deals and freebies just come at you like a firehose on full blast. But there are still some jaw-dropping standouts. Check'em out:

Jamba Juice is giving away free flatbreads (Tomo Artichoki, Four Cheesy, Smokehouse Chicken or MediterraneYUM) to the first 150 customers TODAY, Tuesday November17, 2-5 p.m. Thanks, Lea Ann!

Baby Cheapskate has the scoop on the Toys R Us Black Friday Ad and the Babies R Us Black Friday Ad. Thanks, BC!

Frugal in Virginia rounded up all FREEBIES at SeeHere. Get 100 free photo prints for joining (you pay shipping on these), plus up to 100 free photo cards with envelopes (both sets ship to you free!) via two 50 photo card freebie deals. Thanks, Dana!

If you're doing a lot of Amazon shipping this year, check out FillerItem.com, where you can search for minimally priced fillers to get your order eked over $25 for FREE Super Saver shipping. The lowest I saw today was a $0.15 item! Paying $0.15 extra to avoid $6+ in shipping charges is so worthwhile.

FREE Dunkin' Donuts coffee sample - just read Bargain Briana's post. Thanks, Briana!

Crystal Paine told readers how to get a FREE booklet with $10 in coupons from Organic Valley. Thanks, Crystal!
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Tuesday Deals Roundup - Free Juice Coupon, $2 Halloween Costumes, and Much More!

Here are some great deals and steals we've seen around the blogosphere lately:

Get a coupon mailed to you for a free Old Orchard juice. Sweet! Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom!

Bargain Briana reported that on Friday 10/30 and Saturday 10/31, you can get Halloween costumes at Old Navy for just $2! Thanks, Briana!

Per Frugal in Virginia, any orders placed today will net you a $25 gift certificate back at Piperlime's online shoe store. What a terrific deal! Thanks, Dana!

Printable Hasbro board game coupons (like for Connect Four and Cranium) are available! Thanks, Mommy's Wish List!

Via VistaPrint, you can snag 140 personalized address labels just in time for Christmas - and pay only $3 shipping. Caricature labels with cartoon versions of your family members are available. Thanks, Frugal Coupon Mom!

Money Saving Mom gave the scoop on two of the hottest online coupons around, both for $10 off a $10 or more purchase - at Lands' End (must be regular-priced item, must pay shipping), and JCPenney (must pay shipping and taxes). Thanks, Crystal!

Never Pay Retail Again posted on how to get a coupon good for a chicken meal at Boston Market - chicken, mashed potatoes, and cornbread, all for just $1, through November 1. Thanks, Jodi!
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Savings Good on Saturday, Oct. 24 - Starbucks Freebies, Babies R Us 20% Coupon, Free Breakfast at IKEA, and $5/$10 Build-a-Bear Coupon

The freebies and discounts for the kiddoes are in abundance tomorrow!

• Here's a Babies R Us coupon good for 20% off any baby item (there are some exclusions in the fine print), good tomorrow, October 24 only.
  
  
• Here's a coupon good for a free small cookie and small Starbucks hot chocolate for your child - at participating Barnes and Noble locations only on Saturday, October 24!
  
  
• Here's a coupon for $5 off a $10 purchase at Build-a-Bear Workshop (with thanks to Bargain Briana!).
  
  
• Participating IKEAs are offering kids a FREE breakfast valued at up to $2.49, through 10/25. Go here to find your local IKEA info - so that you can call and verify if your location is participating.

Know of any other hot weekend deals for those wheeling and dealing over the next couple of days? Post a comment! :)

Printable Coupon for FREE 12 oz. Hot Drink at 7-Eleven (Coffee, Cappuccino, Tea, Hot Chocolate), No Print Limit, Through 10/31!

Voila a freebie drink coupon good for a free 12 oz. Coffee, Cappuccino, Tea, or Hot Chocolate, through Oct. 31. Zowie! Print a few copies of this so if you happen to pass a 7-Eleven while errand-running, you can fortify yourself. :) Or plan a trip by finding your nearest 7-Eleven here.

Credit for this incredible coupon find goes to Money Saving Mom and The Thrifty Mama. Thank you!!
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Tuesday Deals Roundup - Borders & Children's Place Coupons, free Einstein Bagel snacks, free Olay Regenerist Roller, and More!

This Tuesday we have some new beginning-of-the-month October coupons to share.

Click here for a 40% off one item coupon at Borders. Expires 10/12. Must be a Borders Rewards member to participate. *Great coupon for a Christmas gift! It's not too early to start shopping!

The October Children's Place coupon is available here. 15% off any purchase, including the outlet!

Click here to print a coupon for a free order of Einstein Bagels' new "bagel poppers" with a beverage purchase. Expires 10/14. Sounds like a great fall compliment to hazelnut coffee! Thanks, Coupon Cravings.

Coach anyone? Click here to print a coupon for 20% off any Coach Factory Store purchase. Expires 10/14. Thanks, Deal Seeking Mom!

If you are a Pantene fan, check out this $20 Olay Regenerist rebate, with thanks to Frugal in Virginia. You need only buy a bottle of Pantene and an Olay Regenerist roller to get a $20 rebate check, and since the roller runs $20 or so, (and you can use a Pantene coupon), you're getting a beauty gadget for free!

Free Oregon Chai Sample! Mmmmm. (Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom!)

A boatload of toy and board game coupons, thanks to Mommy's Wish List. Think Christmas!

Cheap or FREE Bumble Bee Tuna pouches, via the printable Bumble Bee pouch coupon available here. Thanks, Frugal Coupon Mom!

For vegan or dairy-eschewing readers, get your cartons of Rice Dream beverage for just $0.67/carton, thanks to the $1 coupon posted by Money Saving Mom!

If you have a Family Dollar nearby, you can score Snuggle fabric softener sheets for FREE or Snuggle liquid fabric softener for just $0.75. Bargain Briana (thank you!!) tells us all how.
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1st of the Month = FREE Chocolate Chip Mrs. Field's Cookie, CVS Quarterly ExtraCare Bucks Printable Online, and Refreshed Printable/Upromise Coupons!

If there is a Mrs. Fields in your neck of the woods, stop by between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for your FREE chocolate chip cookie, today 10/01 only! Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom! Find a Mrs. Fields near you by clicking here.

Also, since today is the first of the month, your CVS ExtraCare Bucks rewards are available for the past quarter! You don't even need to make a purchase - just go to the coupon kiosk/scanner at CVS and scan your ExtraCare card. You'll get $0.50 for every $25 that you spent July-September. You can also see your quarterly ECB rewards online - and print them (unlike most ECBs).


Finally, head over to coupons.com, redplum.com, and smartsource.com for refreshed and new coupons now that it is October. There are also new October ecoupons available at upromise.com for you to link to your accounts, so jump on it. ;)
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Tuesday Deals Roundup - 80% off Uggs, Freebies at La Madeleine, and More!

We're going to post this early because the Uggs deal is moving so quickly - but check back through today for any other additions to the deals roundup. :)

• Sweet shearling linings, Uggs are 80% off until Sept. 15th at 6pm.com. The most common styles and sizes are moving lightning fast, so shop now for the biggest selection. Remember that unlike most shoe sites, this one charges a flat $6.95 shipping fee. With thanks to Frugal Coupon Mom.
  
  
• If you go to see Julie and Julia, keep your ticket stub - it will get you free small soup or salad at La Madeleine. Quelle bonne chance! Merci, Mommy's Wish List (Souhaites de Maman?)!
  
  
• In the weekly Diaper and Formula deals roundup, Baby Cheapskate calculates that buying Huggies at Target this week is an opportunity to stock up on diapers at $0.20/each for the size 3s. Thanks, BC!
  
  
• Orders over $10 ship free through Sept. 20 at ArtsCow.com. Use code FSOVER10.
  
  
• Through Thursday, Sept. 10, use the code EXTRA20 to get an additional 20% off final sale items at JCrew. Remember that all sales on these items are final. Going to JCrew through ebates will net you an additional 1.5% cash back.
  
  
• CVS Summer Clearance is on, baby, on! Pay pennies on the dollar prices for summer wear, summer deco, etc. Thanks go to Frugal in Virginia for sending up the alert.
  

And besides the deals, a few fun savings and frugality posts worth checking out:

• If you have a Shopper's Food Warehouse nearby, here is a sample scenario by Laura of Frugal Friends which shows how she used the Kraft Back to School promotion in combination with this week's sale prices to get $25.90 worth of Capri-Suns, Easy Mac, and Oreos for $5.90 (in her case, $0.90 after $5 Catalina!). Way to work it, girl!
  
  
• Gina busted out a Lego-themed party for her son. The Danish would be proud. Hygge!!
  
  
• Via The Simple Dollar's Time Machine, the value of creating versus consuming.

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DEALS ROUNDUP: Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day is rapidly approaching, and many stores & restaurants are offering coupons, sales, and other promotions. Here are some highlights - let us know if you partake in any so we can plan our sale runs for next year!

For more hot deals coming at you this weekend (and other hot frugal tips), check out our "shared items" Google Reader list in the right-hand column of our homepage, or here directly at the Google Reader source - and pay a visit to fellow frugality bloggers.

Shopping
Babies 'R Us - the Great Trade-in Event. Get 20% off new baby gear or cribs when you bring in select used items, through 9/20. Go here for more details.

Carter's - Extra 30% off Labor Day Sale. Print this coupon for 20% off any purchase of $50 or more, good through 9/9.

Gymboree & Crazy 8 are both running big sales this weekend, 40% to 50% off. I've never been to a Crazy 8 store, but there is some really cute stuff (and cheap, compared to Gymboree!) on their website sale right now. Get the scoop at Baby Cheapskate.

OshKosh B'gosh - Extra 30% off Labor Day Sale. Print this coupon for 20% off any purchase of $50 or more, good through 9/9.

Payless - now through Tuesday, buy one pair get one at 1/2 price. Get one pair for you and one for hubby or little one! Payless is one of the few places that sells wide children's shoes. The stores I shop doesn't have a large collection, but you can ship to store for free if you order through the website. Ground shipping is $5.95.

The Children's Place - take an additional 25% off fall markdowns, plus summer sale items now $2.99 and under. Here's a printable coupon good for 15% off your entire purchase, good through Monday 09/07. Stockup time for next year!


Free Shipping
JC Penney - Free shipping on orders of $49 or more. Enter promo code LABOR49 when checking out online.

Lands' End - Free shipping sitewide through 9/9 with Promotion Code SEPT1 and PIN 00001145.


Restaurants
Bertucci's has a printable coupon out that is good through 9/30 for a free dessert with any food purchase over $25. Thanks, Coupon Cravings!

Borders - get a free small flavored cup of Seattle's Best coffee with this printable coupon. Thanks, Coupon Cravings! While you're at it, buy any one book for 40% off with this coupon. Both expire 9/7.

Boston Market - save 50% off any Family Meal or Market Feast purchase. This is significant - these meals cost at least $22! Print your coupon here. Thanks, Slickdeals!

Chick-fil-A - A. already posted on the Labor Day Giveaway and other coupons here, but don't forget to go pick up your free original chicken sandwich on Monday from 10:30 am - closing. All you have to do is wear any sports team logo. My husband & I wore our college t-shirts through the drive-through last year and didn't have any trouble getting our freebies. I'm sure we'll return this year!

Denny's - here's a coupon for a BOGO build-your-own grand slam breakfast. Expires 9/6. Thanks, Mommy Saves Big!

IKEA - kids eat free 9/5 - 9/7. No adult purchase is necessary. Kids 12 and under. Best part - choose your own 3 kid-sized items! Click here for more info. For all BOGO and half-price meal deals and regular FREEBIES (coffee, baby food, anybody?) at the IKEA restaurant through the new year, check out our recent post here.

Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill has a $10/$20 printable coupon out that expires 9/9. Thanks Coupon Cravings!

IKEA for Meals Out - Deals Through Christmas, Includes FREEBIES!

The other morning, my husband and I made it to IKEA's restaurant for the first time for breakfast with our daughter. We were totally wowed! Not only was the food generously portioned and delicious, but we paid less than one breakfast at IHOP or Denny's would have cost - to feed all three of us. We got four small breakfasts (boy were we surprised to see the size of the small in real life) - $0.99 each.

Each small breakfast includes a generous helping of home fries (technically sold as hash browns, but they're cubed potato chunks, so...), scrambled eggs, and two slices of bacon. We also got two free coffees (see below) and a free fountain drink glass (also see below) - and our final ringup was ~$4.19. For everything. Whoa! Breakfast for a family doesn't get much cheaper than that - not even at a fast food drive-through. You can also get a $1.99 breakfast that includes the bacon, eggs, and home fries, along with three large french toast sticks.

At IKEA, the restaurant opens 30 minutes before the rest of the store does. If you arrive in this 30 minute window, you get FREE COFFEE! This was delicious coffee - I had the decaf and my husband had the regular, and we both remarked that we wished we could linger over the FREE refills. (You get free refills on coffee, tea, and soft drinks any time of day, regardless of whether it was free or bought.) This free coffee is advertised by IKEA, but we also got a fountain drink glass for my daughter's water in this time window and were not charged for it, so it may be that all drinks are free before the store opens.

And talk about family-friendly: As IKEA advertises, you also get FREE BABY FOOD (one jar) in combination with an adult meal. (If I remember rightly, ours had Beech Nut baby foods.) Choose any kid-sized item for $0.99/each or three items for $2.49. Finally, there is a play area by the cafe for children, too, and in many IKEAs, a restroom with changing tables nearby. What more could you want in an outing with little ones?

There are organic and vegetarian offers every day, as well. For instance, a bowl of the organic soup of the season is $1.99. Talk about appealing to a wide variety of eaters!

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My IKEA 2010 catalogue arrived recently, and the back few pages of it has some listed deals at the IKEA restaurant. Considering our wonderful breakfast experience, I have a feeling we'll be snagging some cheap meals out using these offers. This catalogue was targeted to a Woodbridge, VA, IKEA visitor, so if you're closer to another IKEA, be sure to check the deals at yours ahead of time by looking through your catalogue or calling to check on offers. Go here to subscribe to receive the IKEA catalogs.

A good deal, that's tasty, too! (Go here to see the IKEA 2010 catalog online, and move the scroll all the way to the right, to pages 372-373)

Swedish Meatballs with potatoes, cream sauce, and lingonberry jam, $2.49 (normally $4.99)
Every Tuesday, 4 p.m. to close, Sept. 1 through Dec. 29, 2009

Swedish Princess Cake (pastry made of sponge cake, raspberry jam, whipped cream, and marzipan) and a cup of coffee, $0.99
Aug. 24 - Sept. 4

BOGO on the $1.99 Breakfasts: Get TWO breakfasts of scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries, and French toast sticks for $1.99!
Sept. 14 - Oct. 2

BOGO on the Swedish open-faced shrimp and egg sandwich (w/side salad), normally $2.99 for one.
Oct. 5 - Oct. 23

Organic Penne Pasta with Marinara Suace, $0.99 (normally $1.99)
Oct. 26 - Nov. 13

BOGO on Swedish Marinated Salmon, normally one for $4.99
Dec. 7 - Dec. 24

In the Swedish Cafe Section (By the Bistro Behind the Regular Checkout):
1 bag of frozen Swedish meatballs, $21.5 lbs.
2 packages of cream sauce, 1.4 oz./ea.
2 packages of rosti potatoes, 16.9 oz./ea
1 jar of lingonberry jam, 14.1 oz.
All this normally $17.14, half-priced at $8.57.
Nov. 16 - Dec. 4

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Find your local IKEA here (this will lead you to restaurant and store hours in the store page's left-hand column, so that you can plan your FREE coffee run). NOVA/DC/MD folks, you're likely to seek out the IKEAs of Woodbridge, VA, Baltimore, MD, and College Park, MD.
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TWO Easy Ways to Get a FREE Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich - One with Limited-Quantity Coupon!

The first 250,000 people who request a coupon for a FREE Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich will receive one by mail via ChickenWave.com. (The next 750,000 applicants should receive a coupon for a free drink.) Submit your free sandwich coupon request on the Chicken Wave site today!

(In addition, those who wear their team's logo from 10:30 a.m. to close on Labor Day will also receive a free chicken sandwich, so start sprucing up those lucky jerseys...)

With moochas gracias to Christy!
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Eet Mor Chiken - Dress Like A Cow, Get Free Chick-Fil-A

Today, when you dress like a cow for Chick-Fil-A's cow appreciation day, you can score some free Chick-Fil-A. Head-to-toe cow costumes will get you a free meal; partial costumes will get you a free entree. FAQs here. Happy freebie-ing!
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Today's 07/08 Arby's Wednesday Freebie

This one isn't quite as good of a value as some of the other Arby's Wednesday freebies, but if you're already planning a fast lunch out today, it's still a freebie! If you're into orange creamsicle flavors, it should really hit the spot:

FREE Orange Cream Swirl milkshake at participating Arby's locations when you buy any sandwich. (Please call your nearest location to find out if they are participating in this summer's Wednesday freebies.)

Check out the intrepid Mommy's Wish List for a complete listing of what's FREE at Arby's this summer on Wednesdays. Thanks, Lea Ann!
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