Freebies and Discounts

When it's time for a holiday weekend, everyone's looking forward to the extra day off — as well as the sales and discounts. Memorial Day is no different. We know it's a little early, but don't you know the early bird catches the worm? Or, in this case, bags the biggest discounts. Here are a couple of great sales going on:

• Amazon: Up to 60 percent off on footwear and accessories.
• Bath & Body Works: Four for $15 or six for $20 on antibacterial hand soap. Ends June 2.
• Dell: Use code 0H9Q3PQ6L3744C to get an extra $50 off a Dell Inspiron 15z Ultrabook.
• Disney: 30 percent off swimwear.
• Ecko: 50 percent off sitewide with code 50VANDALS.
• Eddie Bauer: Use code HARBOR for free shipping on purchases over $99.
• Best Buy: 10 to 30 percent off major appliances.
• Home Depot: Memorial Day savings on a variety of items.
• Macy's: 20 to 50 percent off and free shipping on purchases over $99.
• Perry Ellis: 40 percent off all online purchases with the code PEMEMORIAL.
• West Elm: 20 percent off rugs, 20 percent off select bedroom furniture, and over 250 new markdowns.
• REI: Save up to 30 percent on clothing and outdoor and sports gear.
• JC Penney: Lots of online sales across many categories.

Keep watching this space, because we'll be updating this as more Memorial Day discounts are announced.

Are books one of your biggest spending vices? You may think that great literature is worth any price, but buying books here and there can quickly add up. If you're a voracious reader, try to save money by getting some of your books for free through these means:

• Library: You won't need to spend a cent on books when you borrow from the library. And if you can't find a book you want in your local branch, you can put in a request for a book that's available in other branches to be sent to a library near you. And if ebooks are your favored way of reading, you can borrow ebooks for free from most libraries. Check out the other freebies from the library.
• Become a well-known reviewer: You can get free books from authors, even the acclaimed and famous ones, if you try this trick. A lot of times, you can even get the book ahead of its release. All you have to do is start building up a nice repertoire of really solid and detailed book reviews on Amazon or Good Reads, the social network for book recommendations. If your Amazon reviews are good, people will start voting on them, which may qualify you for Amazon's Vine program, an exclusive club that "invites the most trusted reviewers on Amazon to post opinions about new and prerelease items." And if you're a popular Good Reads reviewer, authors will start reaching out to you to review their books.
• Follow authors and book blogs: If you don't have time to review books, you can follow other reviewers or the authors themselves on their blogs to see when they host giveaways for their latest books. You may even get books ahead of their releases.
• Amazon free list: Online superstore Amazon has a huge collection of free ebooks. It has a top 100 free ebooks list that's regularly updated.
• Book swap: There are many sites that let you swap books with others for free. This includes bookmooch, paperbackswap, and even one that swaps eBooks, eBookFling. There may also be in-person book swaps in your city, so check out event sites like meetup to see if there are any local book swaps.

Read on for more.

Don't fret once the glow of Tax Day freebies wears off. Earth Day is another great day that's chock-full of free stuff and discounts. Retailers everywhere celebrate being green by offering consumers free loot that, naturally, has an eco tie-in. Here are some you shouldn't miss out on:

Amazon: The online retailer is offering many products for sale in its Earth Day store, including 15 percent off select Brita pitchers. 

Anthropologie: Check out these Anthropologie locations to see what free Earth Day craft workshops will be held near you.

The Body Shop: Get a free Earth Lovers Shower Gel with any purchase using this coupon or using the 3MINUTE promo code at checkout.

Caribou Coffee: Get a free cup of coffee at any Caribou location on April 22 when you bring in a reusable cup.

Disney: Get a free (and really cute!) tote bag at the Disney store in exchange for five plastic bags on April 22. 

Drugstore.com: Shop green products that are natural and organic at Drugstore.com today, and get 20 percent off.

Evos: Get a free organic milkshake at Evos on April 22. 

Jo-Ann: On April 21, stop by your local Jo-Ann's fabric and craft store and participate in a workshop and get a free bell-jar planter. The first 50 customers on April 22 will get a free reusuable bag. 

Michael's: Free t-shirt upcycling demonstration on April 20. 

National Parks: Enter a national park from April 22-26, and you won't have to pay an admission fee! 

Origins: Get a tree planted for free if you buy one of these products.

Pottery Barn: Pottery Barn Kids is giving away free seeds from April 20-22.

Peet's: Get a free medium beverage with every purchased tumbler or mug from April 20-22. 

Target: Every customer gets one free reusable bag on April 21 starting at 10 a.m. while supplies last.

Wegman's: At your local Wegman's on April 20, the first 300 customers can exchange a plastic bag for a reusable one. 

Tax day is here! If you're done, then breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate, because it's also a day when a lot of businesses, who are sympathetic to your tax stress, are gifting consumers with a lot of freebies. Reward yourself for getting your taxes done in time (if you're not filing for an extension) by taking advantage of one of these free giveaways: 

• 7-Eleven: Receive a free medium slurpee when you text "Slurp7" to "711711" — the offer ends at the end of this month. 
• Arby’s: Get free curly fries or potato cakes at participating Arby's restaurants on April 15. Keep an eye on its Facebook page to get the coupon on tax day.
• AMC theater: Free small popcorn at participating AMC theaters from April 12 to April 15. Use this coupon.
• Boston Market: Get two rib meals for just $10.40 on tax day. No coupon needed.
• Bruegger's: "Like" Bruegger's Facebook page, and you'll have access to a coupon that'll get you a dozen bagels and two tubs of cream cheese for $10.40.
• Chili's: Like their facebook page to get a free appetizer or dessert. Offer lasts until April 15.
• Cinnabon: Get two free Cinnabon Bites on April 15, while stocks last at participating outlets.
• Great American Cookies: Get a free b'day cake cookie on April 15.
• HydroMassage: Make an appointment at your free HydroMassage outlet using this coupon. Offer ends April 19.
• Panda Express: Free samurai surf and turf with this coupon on April 17.
• Pinkberry: Every Wednesday this month, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., get a free full-size serving of pinkberrygreek. 
• Office Depot: Shred up to five pounds of sensitive paperwork for free at Office Depot with this coupon. 
• Schlotzsky’s: Get a free small The Original^® sandwich with the purchase of a 32 oz. drink and chips on tax day.
• Sonic: Drinks and slushes for 50 percent off at participating restaurants on April 15.
• Subway: Buy a six-inch sandwich before 9 a.m. to get one more for free. Ends April 30.

We will be updating this list as more companies announce their tax day freebies, so keep watching this spot!

Presidents' Day is arguably one of the best shopping days of the year. In fact, data from Shop It to Me, a site that sends personalized sales alerts to shoppers, revealed that Presidents' Day online deals average better discounts than any other holiday. Here are a couple to look out for:

• J.Crew: Free shipping and an extra 40 percent off final-sale items with the code STYLE40. Offer ends Feb. 18.
• Urban Outfitters: Women's and men's apparel and home items on sale.
• Tory Burch: 25 percent off orders of $400 or more with code WEEKEND; ends today.
• Madewell: 30 percent off sale styles plus free shipping on all orders with code LOVEIT. Deal ends today.
• Neiman Marcus 25 percent off sitewide; ends today.
• Nordstrom: 33 percent off shoes.
• Forever 21: Up to 70 percent off select items.
• Crate and Barrel: Free shipping with no minimum purchase for items bought online today. Up to 20 percent off beds and bedding.
• Best Buy: Lots of deals on computers, TVs, and more. Deal ends today.
• Bloomingdale's: 20 to 40 percent off a wide range of select items online and in-store. Deal ends today.
• American Eagle: 25 percent off and free shipping on all online orders with the code 94369611. Deal ends today.
• Loft: 30 percent off everything, excluding jeans, with code ENJOY30.
• Ann Taylor: 40 percent off discounted items and 30 percent off select full-priced items with code SHOPCHIC.
• Staples: Save up to 75 percent on laptops, software, printers, consumer electronics, and more. Deal ends tomorrow.

Read on for more.

Now that Super Bowl is nearing, more freebies and deals are popping up. It seems like the bulk of the deals are on snacks and fast food, which although is good for your bank, is bad for your belt. Here are a couple of discounts to look out for:

• Chipotle: If you order six or more burritos and pick them up on game day, you'll get a free burrito, bowl, salad or tacos when you bring the receipt in to a store by Feb. 28.
• KFC: If you're planning on skipping the game-day buckets, there are plenty of coupons that will help you save on KFC items if you look up deals available in your area. For example, in San Francisco, there is a coupon for $3 off a 12-piece family meal.
• Papa John's: Join Papa John's coin toss Super Bowl challenge, and you'll get a 50/50 chance to win one large pizza. The code will be sent to you on Monday.
• Game-day snacks: Get discounts off game-day snacks with these coupons from Coupons.com. Some coupons include a buy two get one free Digiorno deal and $1 off any Oscar Mayer carving board meat.
• Groceries: If you have a Publix near you, there are some pretty cool Super Bowl deals to check out, such as a buy one get one free cocktail shrimp platter, buy two 12-packs of Pepsi and get two free, and up to $1.20 off per pound of pork spareribs. Print out the coupons or download them to your phone to redeem.
• Instant streaming: Speaking of TVs, get this one-month free access to instant streaming of Hulu Plus at Gilt City. Offer ends Feb. 7
• Super Bowl essentials: Amazon has created a Super Bowl store, in which you can find lots of deals on Super Bowl-related items, such as team paraphernalia, groceries, and hosting supplies like paper towels.
• TV deals: Research shows that the biggest football event of the year tends to influence people into getting new TVs, which is why you can find a lot of great deals on TVs. Target has a bunch of deals on TVs including $50 off a Vizio 32" HDTV.

If you're looking to download a travel checklist for your next big trip and the printables you find online seem too generic, then take a look at TravelsChecklist.com. The site creates a free checklist tailored for your trip after you input options such as where you're traveling to, your gender, and what activities you plan on doing.

It's really easy to use, and the number of options isn't too overwhelming, but they are enough to create a pretty comprehensive checklist. What's great about this checklist is that it actually shows you the temperature and gives travel advice on the destination you're going to. Furthermore, if you're using the online version of the checklist, then there's even an option for calculating the currency conversion.

The weekend is a time for fun, but that doesn't mean that your wallet has to go along for the ride. Give your bucks a rest, and consider doing activities that won't cost you any money. After all, the best things in life are for free, right? Have a fun and frugal weekend with these suggestions:

• Play a sport: Even if you're not athletic, playing a friendly game of basketball or tag football can be a great way to spend your Saturday afternoon. You'll be spending quality time with your favorite pals and keeping your body in tip-top shape at the same time — a win-win situation!
• Start a DIY project: Try to recycle things you usually throw away and create something out of them. To start with, here's what you can do with old coffee grounds, newspaper, and used books.
• Try nail art: Use the time this weekend to paint a creative manicure and pedicure. Invite some friends over to do nails together and ask them to bring more colors if you want some variety. For inspiration, check out all these cool nail ideas on our Pinterest page.
• Write out your bucket list: Take the time this weekend to write out your bucket list. List places you want to go, goals you want to achieve, and tasks you want to pursue.
• Join meetups: Want to make friends with people who share your own interest? Join Meetup.com, a social networking site that helps people meet up in real life. You can choose anything from networking with professionals in your field to meeting up with fellow doggy owners.

Read on for more free weekend activities.