freebies

For those of you who missed out on Tax Day freebies, don't despair. The free loot you're getting for Earth Day and Easter is even better! Big-name retailers like Starbucks and Disney will be handing out freebies, so be sure to take advantage of them.

Amazon: The online retailer is offering four Earth Day-themed ebooks downloads for free.

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

Caribou Coffee: Get a free cup of coffee at any Caribou location today 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 this Sunday.

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

For more great freebies and discounts, read on!

This year's a lucky one for American taxpayers — not only do we get two extra days to file our taxes due to a Sunday and a less-than-widely-known holiday, we also have more opportunities than ever to snag deals at some of the country's most popular restaurants. Taxing? We think not. Here, we bring you a compilation of Tax Day's best nationwide deals.

Tax Day Deals

• Bruegger's: Download a Facebook coupon for a $10.40 Big Bagel Bundle (a baker's dozen of bagels and two containers of cream cheese).
• Chevys: Stop by participating Chevys locations today and have two premium Herradura margaritas for $10.40 — then have the Mexican restaurant pick up the tax on your meal.
• Hooters: Wing it with 20 boneless wings for $9.99.
• McCormick & Schmick's: Enjoy an extended happy hour — complete with special-edition tax-themed cocktails — that lasts through 11 p.m. Bloody Mary tax code, anyone?
• P.F. Chang's: Score a discount of 15 percent off everything, excluding drinks or happy hour menu items.
• Sonic: Half-priced fountain drinks and slushies all day.

To see more deals — including stuff that's entirely free, no purchase required! — keep reading

If you find yourself craving a tasty scoop of Ben & Jerry's ice cream today, you're in luck. Run on over to your nearest Scoop Shop between noon and 8 p.m. to get your cone of choice for free! The company is celebrating 34 years that have been chock-full of unique flavors. Today's a great opportunity to try out the new line of Greek frozen yogurt, but if you'd rather enjoy a scoop of your Phish Food or Chunky Monkey standby, go right ahead.

What is your favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor?

Thank your lucky stars: because today's National Pancake Day, you now have an excuse to eat pancakes not just for breakfast, but all day long. We urge you to celebrate in as many ways as you can; here, check out four of our most creative ways.

• Go the free route: Each IHOP gives away free pancakes on National Pancake Day, and today's no exception. Go for the gratis — a generous short stack of buttermilk pancakes with an optional donation to the Children's Miracle Network Hospital — anytime before 10 p.m.
• Go the gourmand route: Make Bon Appétit's blueberry pancakes for yourself or someone you love. They're loaded with buttermilk, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and wild blueberries. If you're new to pancakes, try Alton Brown's best tips.
• Go the healthier route: Make a spa-like version of your childhood favorite with Lake Austin Spa Resort's blueberry-cornmeal griddle cakes, made healthier with the addition of ground cornmeal.
• Go the lazy route: Don't want to mix your own batter? You can always try obliterating those intense flapjack cravings with Batter Blaster, a spray-it-yourself pancake batter. The high-powered spray bottle's ideal if, say, you just want one or two pancakes.

Tell us how you're ringing in National Pancake Day!

We live in a consumer nation, where it has long been the case that many of us are encouraged to spend and to pay it off with money we don't have, which then racks up our debt. This mentality has shifted little during the recession; people are gradually spending less and saving more. However, there are still a lot of things we're paying for that we don't need. Here are nine things you should be getting for free:

• Books: Don't buy books. Instead, borrow them from the library or from a friend, and explore sites that will let you swap books with other people such as BookMooch, PaperBackSwap and GoodReads has a section dedicated to swapping. Alternatively, there are plenty of wonderful free ebooks on Amazon if you're game enough to try an indie author.
• Cable: A record number of Americans are canceling their cable services, reports the AP. Paying for cable almost seems pointless when you look at all the free options out there such as Hulu and network websites that offer free streaming of their hit shows online.
• Credit report and score: Get your free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com, which allots you a free report per year. If you're looking to get a free credit score (you can't get it through AnnualCreditReport.com), head on down to Credit Karma, a free service that tracks your score for you.
• Shipping: Hunt around the web for free shipping when you're shopping online. Go to freeshipping.org and find promo codes for free shipping on the website; you can even subscribe to get free shipping alerts from the site. Be sure to also check out retailmenot.com for free shipping codes.

Read on for more items we shouldn't pay for.

Need an excuse to kick off your Friday with a sweet indulgence? Now you've got one. It happens to be National Donut Day, and to celebrate, Dunkin' Donuts is giving away a free doughnut of your choice with the purchase of a drink (excluding bottled cooler beverages).

Interesting fact: National Donut Day, which customarily takes place the first Friday of June, was established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army as a way to honor women who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I.

Although Northern California isn't lucky enough to be home to a DD location just yet, no doubt a healthy chunk of the chain's 5.3 million daily customers will be walking away with the likes of free Bavarian Kreme and Chocolate Frosted Cake doughnuts. Will you be one of them?

Source: Flickr User DislOck

I'm sure all of you agree that there's nothing as gratifying as getting a freebie. It's hard enough to scour the web for coupon codes, which a lot of the times don't work or have expired, so the best thing to do is to call in an expert. Kathy Spencer, author of the How to Shop For Free, spills the dirt on how to get some really awesome freebies. She calls them her "Lucky 7 Tips," because you’ll feel lucky after you get such good stuff for free! Be sure to also check out her website at HowtoShopForFree.net.

• Have a free girls’ night out. Call up Bath and Body Works and ask to reserve one. They’ll close the store down for you and your friends, and give you free foot soaks, mini facials, make up applications, and more.
• Get your make up done for free at Sephora. Sephora offers complimentary 15-minute make up applications during which they teach you how to do it yourself—things like smoky eyes and luscious lips. You’ll walk out feeling beautiful, and you’ll get free samples.
• Free monthly gifts. Register for an Aerie store card and get a free gift like lotions, gift bags, or undies once a month.
• Shop for free at Kohl's. Register for email alerts at Kohl's.com and they’ll email you a 5/5 coupon. It’s like a $5.00 bill to play with. Grab a free beach towel or tank top.

For more amazing freebies, read on.

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? Get down and frugal with these fun suggestions for Saturday and Sunday:

• Watch Some Hulu Videos: You know the hit show that everyone's talking about that you never got to watch? It's time to catch up with the episodes this weekend courtesy of online free video streaming service Hulu. If you want older episodes that you can't find on Hulu, ask a friend to see if she'll share her Netflix account with you and pick a video you'd both love to watch.
• Plan a Trip: Ah, I can already feel the beginnings of Summer. You know what that means right? Vacation time! Start making a list of places you want to go to, and do some research on the spots you want to visit when you get there. Check out what the prices are like on Bing Travel or Kayak, and start doing some comparison shopping and look for deals. Keep in mind that the best times to buy your plane tickets are generally on a Tuesday or Wednesday, so be sure to hold off buying anything.
• Learn a Language: Have you always wanted to learn French, the language of love? Now's your chance this weekend. If you're looking to learn a language, search the web for sites that will teach you the basics. You can also check to see what language apps are out there in iTunes. There are plenty of YouTube videos and podcasts that people use to teach languages, so be sure to check those resources out.

Read on for more free activities to do this weekend.

It has come to light that Pippa Middleton refused a freebie from Aruna Seth shoes and paid for the pair she wore during the royal wedding. A spokeswoman from the shoe company told the Telegraph, "We offered her a pair as a gift, actually, but there was no way Pippa would not pay." This compares with an unknown freebie-loving celebrity who the spokesperson said demanded 20 free pairs from the retailer.

I don't think most people would demand 20 pairs of shoes, but I think some of you would not say no to free shoes if you were already going to wear them. Would you take this freebie if you were Pippa?