It’s My Birthday And I Loooove Free Things, So I Went To 11 Stores In Canada To Get Freebies — Here’s Exactly What I Got

I did the research so you do n’t have to .

Happy birthday to meeee!!! So I turned… older… today, and to celebrate, I decided to get my favourite kind of stuff — FREE! Free products, food, drinks, you name it. Because you might not know this, but a lot of restaurants and shops give out free stuff or have wild promos just for those celebrating their birthdays.

You may be like me: alwayswantingto get free stuff, but never actually putting in the research to figure out where/how to get said free stuff. But my laziness ends today, because I’ve decided to spend my birthday driving around Toronto, grabbing some free goods.

Soooo, here are 11 wonderful places that gave me free stuff (or free-ish… you’ll see) to ease the sting of aging another year! I’ve also included how each deal works, because unfortunately there are conditions to most of these.

1.First, I went toNothing Bundt Cakes(an incredible pun if I do say so myself) to grab myself a bundtlet, completely free. I didn’t care that it was the morning — I’d eat a carrot cake at literally any time of the day.

2.Kettleman’s Bagels(the bestMontreal-style bagelsin Toronto) gives out a free dozen bagels on your birthday, too. Yes, a DOZEN BAGELS for FREE!!! So I went to grab those next — this should be no shocker if you know me at all.

3.I took a quick pit stop to grab a dozen cupcakes from my favourite cupcake shop in the city,Short & Sweet, for my birthday party — with no intention of getting anything for free. But they were kind enough to surprise me with a free chocolate cake bite thingy, just for my birthday! This was AMAZING… like a perfect bite of chocolate cake goodness.

4.Took a break from food to grab an essential free gift:Sephora! If you don’t already know about this, boy, are you in for a treat (even if you’re not into makeup). This year’s free gift options were haircare, beauty, and skincare. I chose skincare, because who doesn’t want a free face wash, moisturizer, and mask?

6.Time for my favourite store:Indigo. They give you 20% off your whole purchase during your birthday month — so if you’re looking for some new stationery, home decor, or, you know, a BOOK, now’s the time. I grabbed one I’ve been procrastinating readingforeverrr. And I’m aware this wasn’t free, but hey, it was free enough for me.

7.All that shopping made me tired, but good thingTim Hortonsalso gave me a birthday freebie. I had the choice of coffee, hot chocolate, tea, or breakfast sandwich (which are actually available all day long, I learned). I decided to go the classic route and just get a medium double-double.

8.OK, clothing time:American Eaglegives members a $5 reward for their birthday, so I grabbed a little sports bra to add to my collection. (Pssst, this deal works for Aerie too!) This was originally $40 and I got it for $15 with my coupon and a sale, so I call that a steal.

9.Moreice cream! Baskin Robbins has a buy-one-get-one kids' scoop deal, so I grabbed some to pop in my freezer (you know, because I’d just devoured some gelato). I just had them put the scoops together in one cup.

10.You knew this was coming…Starbucksgives out a free drink or food item for your birthday, so I took this opportunity to get a massive cup of the new Summer Berry Refresher. (BTW, my review? Not the best, not the worst. I’m a mango dragonfruit girl for life.)

11.And finally, I headed to Cactus Club Cafe in downtown Toronto for dinner and, after devouring a falafel bowl, got a free dessert! This one is the London Fog Crème Brûlée — I’d never had crème brûlée before, but this one was delish.

Well, that’s it, folks! I had a great birthday filled with free goodies, and now my tummy is full of dessert. From now until next year, you bet I’ll be doing tons of research to get even more freebies — what can I say? I simply cannot resist.

A young woman blows out candles on a birthday cake at a party, with 'Happy Birthday' decorations in the background

Rachel McAdams, Lindsay Lohan, and Amanda Seyfried sit in a convertible. Text: "Get in Loser, we're going shopping."

A person wearing a grey cardigan and jeans is smiling while driving a car. The urban landscape is visible through the windows

A hand holding a packaged carrot cake from "Nothing Bundt Cakes." A display case with various bundt cakes can be seen in the background

A hand holding an everything bagel over packaging on a table. The bagel has various seeds and seasoning on top

A hand holds a chocolate-covered cake bite inside a car

Person holding Youth to the People skincare gift box, promoting superfood ingredients like kale and spinach, in a Sephora store

A hand holding a cup of mint and chocolate ice cream with a plastic spoon, with more ice cream options visible in the background

A hand holds a copy of "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" by V. E. Schwab in a parking lot with a Zara and Indigo store in the background

A hand holding a Tim Hortons coffee cup in what appears to be a shopping mall

Woman in a cozy gray cardigan over a green top, smiling and taking a mirror selfie in a fitting room

Hand holding a Baskin-Robbins cup with two scoops of ice cream, each topped with sauce. The background shows an ice cream shop interior

Close-up of a hand holding a bubble tea with tapioca pearls and a green straw in a cafe

A crème brûlée with a single lit birthday candle, "Happy Birthday!" written in chocolate on the plate

Dwight Schrute wears a party hat, blows a party horn, and holds a piece of chocolate cake in "The Office."

You may be like me: alwayswantingto get free stuff, but never actually putting in the research to figure out where/how to get said free stuff. But my laziness ends today, because I’ve decided to spend my birthday driving around Toronto, grabbing some free goods.#

Soooo, here are 11 wonderful places that gave me free stuff (or free-ish… you’ll see) to ease the sting of aging another year! I’ve also included how each deal works, because unfortunately there are conditions to most of these.#

1.First, I went toNothing Bundt Cakes(an incredible pun if I do say so myself) to grab myself a bundtlet, completely free. I didn’t care that it was the morning — I’d eat a carrot cake at literally any time of the day.#

2.Kettleman’s Bagels(the bestMontreal-style bagelsin Toronto) gives out a free dozen bagels on your birthday, too. Yes, a DOZEN BAGELS for FREE!!! So I went to grab those next — this should be no shocker if you know me at all.#

7.All that shopping made me tired, but good thingTim Hortonsalso gave me a birthday freebie. I had the choice of coffee, hot chocolate, tea, or breakfast sandwich (which are actually available all day long, I learned). I decided to go the classic route and just get a medium double-double.#

8.OK, clothing time:American Eaglegives members a $5 reward for their birthday, so I grabbed a little sports bra to add to my collection. (Pssst, this deal works for Aerie too!) This was originally $40 and I got it for $15 with my coupon and a sale, so I call that a steal.#

9.Moreice cream! Baskin Robbins has a buy-one-get-one kids' scoop deal, so I grabbed some to pop in my freezer (you know, because I’d just devoured some gelato). I just had them put the scoops together in one cup.#

10.You knew this was coming…Starbucksgives out a free drink or food item for your birthday, so I took this opportunity to get a massive cup of the new Summer Berry Refresher. (BTW, my review? Not the best, not the worst. I’m a mango dragonfruit girl for life.)#

11.And finally, I headed to Cactus Club Cafe in downtown Toronto for dinner and, after devouring a falafel bowl, got a free dessert! This one is the London Fog Crème Brûlée — I’d never had crème brûlée before, but this one was delish.#

Well, that’s it, folks! I had a great birthday filled with free goodies, and now my tummy is full of dessert. From now until next year, you bet I’ll be doing tons of research to get even more freebies — what can I say? I simply cannot resist.#