Free Kindle book: Through the Door (The Thin Veil).

Today's Kindle freebie is something called "urban fantasy," whatever that is. I guess we'll have to read it to find out! Download Through the Door (The Thin Veil), the first book in a forthcoming fantasy trilogy.

Washington: Up to $50 refund on booze.

Fellow Washingtonians who are feeling the pain of sticker shock after our state liquor stores were privatized this month, here's an offer that may help ease the sting: up to $50 in rebates when you buy booze. Here's a list of the qualifying brands, and as always with rebate forms, make sure to read the fine print carefully and follow the instructions.

Stock up for a summer's worth of parties, and drink responsibly!

JOSE CUERVO MARGARITAS®
JOSE CUERVO® Light Margaritas
CAPTAIN MORGAN® Black Spiced Rum
CAPTAIN MORGAN® Original Spiced Rum
APTAIN MORGAN LIME BITE®
CAPTAIN MORGAN® Long Island Iced Tea Cocktail
CROWN ROYAL® Blended Canadian Whiskey
CROWN ROYAL BLACK® Blended Canadian Whiskey
JEREMIAH WEED® Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka
JOHNNIE WALKER® RED LABEL® Blended Scotch Whiskey
JOSE CUERVO ESPECIAL® Tequila (Gold or Silver)
JOSE CUERVO GOLDEN MARGARITA®
KETEL ONE® Vodka
SMIRNOFF Any Flavor
TANQUERAY

Seattle: Free Woodland Park Zoo tix at Starbucks today, 3 pm.

OK, it's time for the grand finale of the Starbucks We-Love-You-Fridays promotion! Lucky Seattleites can stop into their local Starbucks today starting at 3 pm and get a free ticket to Woodland Park Zoo.

The ticket is valid between June 17 and July 31, which includes Father's Day, hint hint...

Facebook: Free Caswell-Massey almond aloe lotion sample.

Caswell-Massey is offering a free sample of their almond-aloe lotion when you "like" them on Facebook and fill out the request form. I've been kind of anti-scented-lotion lately, but almond and aloe seem pretty harmless, right?

Seattle: Free "Sister Act" screening tix today at 3 pm.

I almost forgot! The Starbucks freebie series continues this week with free tickets to a screening of "Sister Act" at the Paramount for you and three friends. You also have a chance to win tickets to the Broadway version that's coming in 2013.

I think I'll pass on this one, but next week is the free zoo tickets, so mark your calendars for that!

Free donut at Dunkin' Donuts w/beverage purchase, June 1.

Today is National Donut Day, as you may have heard, and Dunkin' Donuts is also participating, though not as generously as Krispy Kreme, which is just giving away a free donut of your choice. At Dunkin', you get a free donut with purchase of a beverage today, June 1.

Still, I hear Dunkin' Donuts coffee has a very loyal following, so this may not be a problem for their fans!

Free Krispy Kreme donut June 1.

Tomorrow is National Donut Day! And Krispy Kreme is celebrating with a FREE donut for everybody. Stop by a participating store tomorrow, June 1, and you can get a free donut of your choice, any variety.

If only more holidays involved the public giving of free donuts...

Seattle: Free SAM ticket at Starbucks today, 3 pm.

The Starbucks freebies continue for lucky Seattleites with this week's giveaway: a free ticket to the Seattle Art Museum. Stop by a Starbucks after 3:00 p.m. and get your free ticket! The next upcoming exhibit is "Ancestral Modern: Australian Aboriginal Art," which I'm especially excited to see after having gone to Australia last fall and seeing some Aboriginal art there.

Get caffeinated and cultured in one stop!

Free Nutri-Grain cereal bar case.

OK, at first I was kind of puzzled by this freebie, but then I flashed back to all the smashed, broken, and crushed cereal bars that I've fished out of backpacks, purses, and tote bags over the years, and it makes more sense. Get a free Nutri-Grain cereal bar case (it holds 2 bars) and never suffer the indignity of a pulverized cereal bar again!

Use UPC code 38000 01774 to fill out the questionnaire.

AmazonLocal: $6 movie tix via Fandango.

Looking for some holiday weekend plans? How about taking in a half-price movie? Today on AmazonLocal, you can get movie tickets worth up to $12 for $6. You can buy a maximum of two, and they have to be redeemed in one transaction via Fandango, but it's a pretty good deal!

Now if they'd just do half-price popcorn...

Get $25 off when you buy Smirnoff and groceries.

Thinking about having a backyard BBQ? Smirnoff is here to save the day! Get a $25 rebate when you buy a 12-pack or two six-packs of Smirnoff malt beverages, plus $25.01 in groceries. $25 will buy you a whole lot of hot dogs and hamburgers.

See the list of participating states and fill out the form here. And fire up the grill!

Free o.b. tampon sample.

Today's turning into a day of freebies for the ladies! Sorry, guys, but I don't think you'd want this o.b. tampon sample anyway. Or, you know, maybe you would. I don't know your life.

Free Target summer beauty bag.

Wow, it seems like Target just did their spring beauty bag promotion (although that one was kind of a mess, what with the random-promo-codes-on-receipts business) and here we are again with the summer beauty bag. It's a cute patterned bag that works great for a travel makeup bag, a purse pouch, or a discreet carrier for lady products, and they usually come stuffed full of beauty samples. Sign up for yours today!

Free Milk Bone Trail Mix sample.

Here's one for the pets: a free sample of Milk Bone Trail Mix snacks. Trail mix is delicious! Then again, dogs would probably just as soon eat your trail mix... or their own poop.

Seattle: Free SIFF tix at Starbucks May 18.

Starbucks' annual "We Love You Fridays" promotion is back, which is good news for Seattle coffee drinkers. This week is the first giveaway: free SIFF tickets! Just stop by a Seattle Starbucks at 3 pm on Friday, May 18, to pick up your ticket.

Future freebies include a SAM ticket and a zoo ticket, so stay tuned!

Free Golf Digest pedometer.

This pedometer freebie from Golf Digest comes at the perfect time, because I've been trying to get my hands on one for the past few weeks. I was hoping our office health fair would have them as giveaways, but no such luck. I bought one at the dollar store, but that worked about as well as you'd think.

This free one might even be accurate, though, since it's part of a contest where you can win prizes by tracking the number of steps you take. A free pedometer is prize enough for me, though.

Free Haagen Dazs ice cream today from 4 to 8 p.m.

Today is Haagen Dazs's Free Cone Day! Stop by a participating location from 4 to 8 p.m. today, May 8, and get your free cone.

Seattle, our only participating store is the U-district one on the Ave, so if you're ready to push your way through hundreds of starving students who have nothing better to do, good luck to you.

Sat., May 5, is Free Comic Book Day.

Free Comic Book Day is exactly what it sounds like — a day where you can waltz into a participating comics store and pick up a free comic book! Find a location near you and plan a visit for tomorrow.

Free sample of Garnier Sleek & Shine.

Garnier's been pretty active with the freebies this week. Here's the latest: a free sample of Sleek & Shine, which promises 3 days of sleek shininess in 97% humidity. That's basically Seattle all the time, so obviously this is something I'm interested in.

Facebook: Free sample packets of Mrs. Dash.

Could your life use a little excitement? How about a free sample packet of Mrs. Dash to spice things up?!

Oh, you were thinking more along the lines of a trip around the world? Sorry, I don't seem to have any of those today.

Free sample of Garnier BB Cream.

No, I don't really know what the BB stands for, but apparently this skin cream by Garnier works just like Photoshop! Judging from the picture, anyway. Sign up for your free sample, and if you come out looking like a model, let me know so I can buy up their entire stock.

Free Seattle Symphony concert, Apr. 27.

It's been a while since we had a cultural event freebie, but the dry spell is over: Seattle Symphony is holding a free concert on Friday, April 27, at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center.

They just completed a renovation of the nearly-century-old venue, so now is your chance to check it out and hear some free music!

3 free Atkins bars.

Wow, this one was so popular yesterday that I couldn't get it to load, but it looks like things have calmed down a bit now! Sign up for your free Atkins Quick Start Kit, which includes 3 free Atkins bars and some coupons.

My favorite part of the form is the check box that says, "No! I do not want the free kit and bars." I guess that's for people who just really like burning calories by typing their personal information.

Free Tom's of Maine strawberry toothpaste sample.

Personally, I like my toothpaste to be good old-fashioned mint flavor, but you know those hippies and their crazy ways. (I did try chocolate-flavored toothpaste once and it just felt... wrong.)

If strawberry toothpaste sounds like something you want to put on your teeth, sign up for a free sample from Tom's of Maine.

Facebook: Yet another Gevalia free sample.

Gevalia is really out of control with all their coffee freebies! At first I thought I should politely limit myself to one sample and let others have a turn, but they've been blasting so many free samples out of their coffee cannon that I now think it's fair game for everyone.

Fill out the form and get your share! I did make a pot of coffee with the first sample I got, and thought it was OK but not really memorable. They do have a bunch of flavors, though, so maybe I just didn't try the right one. Hint, hint, Gevalia.

Origins: Free full-size moisturizer when you bring in an empty bottle, April 22.

Here's another Earth Day freebie, and a really good one: once again, Origins is offering a free full-size moisturizer when you bring in an empty bottle of your current skincare product (or other cosmetic packaging). Find a store near you and start emptying out your old lotions...

Target: Free reusable tote on April 22.

If you're addicted to reusable totes and/or Target, like me, you'll like this Earth Day freebie that gives you an excuse to go to Target this weekend. On Sunday, April 22, stop in for a free reusable tote bag (scroll down until you see the picture of the tote bags). One bag per person, no pushing or shoving.

Those bags look pretty cute, so I might just see you there!

Caribou Coffee: Free coffee on April 22 when you bring your own cup.

Earth Day is this Sunday, April 22, and Caribou Coffee is ready to celebrate. Get a free cup of coffee (up to 24 oz) when you bring your own cup, mug, tumbler, or other drinking vessel. Find a location near you.

There are usually some good Earth Day freebies every year, so let's see if we can find some more!

Entertainment books on sale for $10.40.

Did you do your taxes over the weekend and get them mailed off, like a good citizen? Or did you e-file yours months ago and forget all about the April 15 deadline? Well, either way, you can celebrate along with Entertainment.com, which is having a Tax Day sale: all of their coupon books are just $10.40. Get it? 1040? OK.

The books are normally about $35, so this is quite a discount, and the coupons will be good through November 1, so you have all summer to enjoy big savings on restaurants, parks, museums, zoos, sports games, theaters, and more. One of my favorite coupons in there is the full sheets of $2-off-movie-tickets discounts, which are great for groups. But at the new lower price, the book will pay for itself the first time you use a 2-for-1 restaurant coupon... and then everything else is the free cherry on top.

As far as I can tell, the Tax Day sale may only be good today (4/16), so snap it up!

Get 18 Harlequin e-books for free.

Here's a way to make your e-reader blush: 18 free Harlequin e-books! It's quite the sampler, ranging from paranormal to historical to Spanish- and French-language romances. My favorite title may be The Italian's Inexperienced Mistress — the name alone justifies a download, no?

When you click to download, there's a short survey, but you can scroll to the bottom and choose to skip it and just download the book if you prefer. Get ready for some ripped bodices and heaving mistresses!

Facebook: Free sample of Eucerin moisturizing lotion.

Spring has sprung, and you know what that means: allergies! Wait, no, I meant "bare legs." In Seattle, the weakest sunbeam has everyone scrambling for their sandals and sundresses, then recoiling in horror as they confront their milk-white winter legs.

Get ahead of the pack with this free sample of Eucerin moisturizing lotion, and prepare to amaze everyone with your uncannily smooth and silky skin at the Great Unveiling.

Free can of Zevia hippie soda.

Well, maybe that's unfair; it's not like all the soda I drink isn't diet soda that's chock-full of artificial sweeteners. So if they want to use this mysterious "stevia" to make a diet soda called Zevia, who am I to judge?

Actually, I CAN judge them if I sign up for a coupon for a free can. Then I can go right back to my Lagerfeld-esque Diet Coke habit.

Tresemme 'poo and conditioner sample.

I actually voluntarily buy Tresemme stuff in regular life anyway, and it's always nice to see a sample of something I know I'll like. Such as this free 'poo and conditioner sample offer!

You have to watch some video or other, but just mute the volume and go make a PB&J sandwich or something and you'll be ready to claim your freebies.

Facebook: Free Seattle's Best Deluxe coffee.

The coffee freebies roll on this week — here's another from Seattle's Best. "Like" them on Facebook and sign up for your free sample of Deluxe coffee. At this rate, I may never have to buy coffee again!

Facebook: Free sample of Lipton Tea & Honey.

Now that you're feeling virtuous with your hippie fruit bar, how about a nice glass of iced tea to go with it? Sign up for a free sample of Lipton Tea & Honey, a low-calorie drink mix with only 5 calories per serving. I can feel those pounds dropping off already!

Facebook: Free sample of "That's It" fruit bar.

In case you had a few too many Cadbury eggs yesterday, here's a healthy hippie freebie to start off the first day of the rest of your life. "Like" That's It on Facebook and you can print a voucher for a free fruit bar, redeemable at Whole Foods (no purchase necessary).

It's called "the 2-ingredient snack bar," which is sounding pretty good to me after a day of gorging on casseroles, meat, and jelly beans.

Facebook: Free Garnier Triple Nutrition 'poo and conditioner.

Here's another Facebook sample offer: try out Garnier's Triple Nutrition 'poo and conditioner for free! You can either go to their page and click the link in the latest post (it has a photo of a girl with giant blond hair), or copy/paste this link: http://bit.ly/Hl9KfR

It's been a while since we've 'pooed, so I don't mind taking a break from all these beverage freebies.

Facebook: Free sample of Mio drink mix.

I've been seeing a lot of Mio's distinctive triangular-shaped bottles at various grocery and drugstores, but wasn't (and still am not) quite sure what it is. I think it's a powdered drink mix like Crystal Light? But... hip, I guess?

Anyway, you can get a free sample if you're curious. "Like" them on Facebook and click on the "Watering Hole" tab to enter. It will try to get you to invite your friends, but you can click on the "I just want my free sample" and avoid that nonsense.

Yet another free Gevalia coffee sample.

My, my, Gevalia has certainly been busy lately. This is at least the third free sample offer they've done in the last month or two (coincidentally, my own free sample arrived in the mail this week).

If you've signed up for one of the previous freebies, you may not be able to get this one, but give it a try!

Google Deals: $5 gets you $10 at Starbucks.

So I guess Google has a daily-deal service now too? It really wears a person out trying to keep up with all these amazing savings. Today's is pretty good for the coffee lovers out there, though: $5 gets you a $10 eGift card from Starbucks. Better yet, $3 of your purchase price goes to the Create Jobs for USA Fund, which provides loans to small businesses in order to create jobs in the community.

You do have to sign up for a (free) Google Deals account in order to be eligible for the deal, and the deal can only be bought today.

Facebook: Target Spring Beauty Bag returns!

If you were bummed out by last month's weird Target beauty bag giveaway, where apparently random purchases would spit out a promo code on your receipt that you had to look for and enter online in order to sign up for a sample bag blah blah blah... well, it's much easier this time.

This time the beauty sample bag giveaway is through Facebook, and it seems to be running slow right now, so check back until you get through.

Free sample of Garnier 2-in-1 Wrinkle Reducer.

Well, Garnier has been busy! Here's another free sample from them — this one for a 2-in-1 Wrinkle Reducer. I hope there's enough to spackle directly into my frown lines.

This is hosted by Target, so if you didn't request your free Gevalia coffee sample yet, you can do that on the same page. And if you've been shopping at Target this month, check your receipts in case you have the special promo code that qualifies you to claim a Spring Beauty Bag, also on this page.

Facebook: Free sample of Garnier B.B. Cream.

What does B.B. stand for? Well, we'll just have to come back today at noon to find out, when Garnier is offering free samples of B.B. Cream on its Facebook page. You'll have to "like" them and then fill out a form to get your sample. B.B.!

Free Flavor Friday giveaway events: Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Boston.

So it turns out there's more to Free Flavor Friday than just the online giveaway. If you live in one of the cities mentioned above, the Coffee-mate team will be on the street giving out coupons for free bottles of Coffee-mate creamer today!

See the Seattle locations (mainly downtown, but one Capitol Hill location.)

As predicted, the giveaway website is a mess, so this might be an easier way to get your free coupon. It's certainly faster!

Free Flavor Friday! Get your free bottle of Coffeemate creamer.

Today is the long-awaited Free Flavor Friday! I've been saying that a lot this week, just because it's fun. The giveaway starts at 9 am PDT, which is just minutes away, so head on over and sign up for your free full-size bottle of Coffeemate creamer. Choose your favorite flavor!

They have 200,000 to give away, so don't panic if the website slows to a crawl, as they usually do with these big freebies.

Facebook: Free ZonePerfect bar.

It's always nice when you get a choose-your-own freebie rather than whatever new flavor or fragrance a company is promoting. This ZonePerfect free bar offer lets you pick your own flavor — just "like" them on Facebook and fill out the form on the Free Bar Coupon tab, and your free coupon will be on its way!

They're giving away 100,000 bars, so your chances are pretty good of getting one.

Four-piece deluxe Chanel Le Blanc sample set.

Ooh la la! Get a free four-piece deluxe sample set of Chanel Le Blanc, their "brightening skincare collection," when you fill out the form. The site has been pretty busy with people requesting freebies but seems to be working smoothly now — voila!

Offer good through March 25, 2012.

Recyclebank: Earn 10 points.

If you missed yesterday's post about Recyclebank, that will get you up to speed on what Recyclebank is and how you can use it to earn free magazine subscriptions, food, coupons, beauty products, and more.

If you're ready for a quick 10 points, login or register here and then take the Amtrak pledge to travel green. (You don't have to "like" Amtrak.)

Recyclebank: 40 points.

Login or register, then go to the World Water Day page.

• Watch the video at the top and take the quiz for 20 points 
• View the slideshow for 10 points
• Click on the "help spread the word" banner for 10 more points

Get free magazines, beauty products, gift cards & more with Recyclebank.

The freebies are a bit slow today, so instead I'm going to talk about a freebie site that I belong to, but haven't really mentioned here before. It's called Recyclebank, and it's a free, points-based rewards site with an environmental twist. You can earn points by taking quizzes, watching videos, playing games, and taking pledges to reduce your impact on the environment.

The average activity earns 5-25 points and takes a couple of minutes; today, I earned 30 points by taking a short quiz and watching a slideshow about water conservation. To give you an idea of what that buys, 115 points gets you a magazine subscription to Everyday Food, Harper's Bazaar, Popular Mechanics, or Whole Living (among others); 180 points gets you a subscription to Martha Stewart Weddings; and 230 points gives you a subscription to Martha Stewart Living. I've also gotten free full-size Aveeno beauty products, coupons for free smoothies and oatmeal at McDonalds, and more.

Recyclebank was originally created to reward people for recycling, so your community had to have signed up for you to be eligible, which is why I didn't post about this site in the past. But it now seems like it's pretty much open to anyone, and there are many online point-earning opportunities even if you're not enrolled in the recycling program (which I'm not). Full disclosure: if you use my referral link to sign up, I get a teensy wee point bonus, but mainly I'm mentioning it because it's one of the few freebie sites out there that was designed around a cause. So you can get freebies and feel good about doing it!

Restaurant.com: $2 for $25-off certificates.

A new week, a new Restaurant.com promo code... this time, you can get $25-off certificates for $2 using promo code HURRY. This offer is good through March 21, but they have them pretty frequently, so if you don't "hurry" fast enough, there'll be another promo code soon.

$5 for a $10 Amazon gift card, Mar. 20.

Confused? I admit that's a complicated headline for a Monday morning, so let me try again. Tomorrow, March 20, you can pay $5 and get a $10 Amazon store credit. They're doing this to promote their own daily-deals site (like Groupon), but you can spend the credit anywhere on Amazon.com - it doesn't have to be on AmazonLocal.

They're being a bit coy about how many of these deals are available, but I have a feeling they'll be server-crashingly popular, so stick with it if you have a little trouble tomorrow!

Free Neosporin Essentials trial pack w/rebate.

This week, you can get a free Neosporin Essentials trial pack (up to $14.99) if you're willing to do a mail-in rebate. Make your purchase before March 26, then send in the form, receipt, and UPC by April 15, and you'll get the purchase price back.

It says "while supplies last," so get your rebate off in the mail ASAP!

Caribou Coffee: Free green whipped cream on Mar. 17.

Here's a slightly perplexing St. Patrick's Day freebie from Caribou Coffee. When you stop in on Saturday, Mar. 17, you can get free green whipped cream. It doesn't seem to require a purchase, but it also doesn't seem to include a drink. So... does this mean that if you order a drink that normally comes with whipped cream, you'll get green cream instead? Or that you can just walk in and request a free cupful of green, frothy whipped topping?

Well, if you live in Alabama, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, or Wisconsin, maybe you can tell us.

Seattle: Free $10 gift card for filling out a Seattle Times survey.

Hey Seattle! Go to the Seattle Times website and look in the upper-right-hand corner, where it says "Take a survey." (You might have to close out that obnoxious Restaurant Week scrolling ad first.)

You can get a $10 gift card to Bartells, Fred Meyer, or Macy's for filling it out! Takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Free Crespo olives.

You can pick two free samples (2.5 oz each) of Crespo olives by taking this very short survey and saying that you've never tried them before. Which happens to be true, in my case!

I picked the herb and mixed cocktail flavors. Hope they arrive before the ice cubes in my Bloody Mary melt...

Free full-size Coffee-mate creamer on Mar. 23.

As online promotions go, "Free Flavor Friday" is one of the better-named ones out there. Who doesn't like flavor, after all? And for FREE! On Friday, March 23 (yep, advance notice on this one), Coffee-mate is giving away 200,000 bottles of creamer, any flavor. Sign up for your coupon starting at 9 am PST.

Obviously you're marking this down on your calendar right now, but don't worry, I'll still remind you!

Burger King: Free St. Patrick's Day fries Mar. 17-18.

Sometimes the freebie tie-ins make more sense than others. I'm not exactly sure what the connection between free french fries and St. Patrick's Day is... potatoes, maybe? Not that it really matters! What's important is that you go to Burger King on March 17-18 and claim your free fries, complete with GREEN KETCHUP. Excuse me, "St. Paddy's Day sauce."

If you also swing by McDonald's for a shamrock shake, you'll have quite the festive snack.

Target: Free Gevalia coffee sample, free beauty bag w/qualifying receipt code.

Gevalia is really making the rounds (grounds? HAHAHA) with their free coffee samples! So if you happened to miss the first two offers, now's your chance. I will accept unlimited quantities of free coffee samples, so this is no problem for me. Note: Target's website is apparently being a little weird in some browsers, so if it gives you any guff about "not being able to proceed without a code," try a different browser. The consensus seems to be that Firefox and Chrome won't work, but IE will, and Safari worked for me.

If you've received Target's beauty sample bags in the past, there's a new offer going on right now — but it works a little differently. Throughout the month of March, promo codes will randomly print on shoppers' receipts; enter that code on the sample page and you'll be able to sign up for your sample bag. Target claims that the codes are completely random and not tied to purchasing a certain number of beauty products, but other bloggers have noted that paying via debit card seems to improve your chances. So if you shop at Target this month, read your receipt carefully!

Restaurant.com: $2 for a $25 certificate.

Looking for some dinner plans for the weekend? Just in time, Restaurant.com is offering the usual "80% sale" on their dining discount certificates. $2 gets you a $25-off coupon; usually, minimum total bills and other restrictions may apply, so check out the fine print before you put on your fancy clothes. Use promo code EXPLORE to get the discount.

TGIF!

Kiva: Free $25 micro-loan for new users.

Just to be clear, this isn't a $25 loan for you, so don't start thinking about that new top you've been stalking online. Kiva offers micro-loans to individuals and groups of entrepreneurs in third-world countries who might not otherwise have access to funding for their small businesses or projects. You and other donors give money in $25 increments; the money is released to the individual; they pay you back on a payment plan, and the money is yours to withdraw or (hopefully) re-invest in someone else.

I'm a happy Kiva user and I like what they do, but unfortunately this offer won't work for me, because it's only for new users. Sign up for free and change someone's life!

NOW 41 for $0.25.

Want to keep up with the hippity-hop that the kids are listening to these days? Or do you just need some new tunes for your workout/cleaning/dance-party playlist? Either way, you can't go wrong with NOW 41, for just a quarter. You can't even buy a gumball with that anymore!

Even if you just see one or two songs you like, it's still cheaper to buy this whole album than to purchase one song a la carte on iTunes, so go nuts! Impress your friends (and their kids).

Free sample of Purina Beneful dog treats.

Normally I think all the gourmet pet food nonsense is pretty silly and wasteful stuff, but I can't complain when it's a free sample, can I? Especially when the treats sound good enough for me to eat. Shortbread cookie stars studded with beef and cheese? I'd try that.

Get your free sample by clicking the red "Get a Free Combo" button on the animated slideshow. Oh, and pass the filet mignon with wild greens, please...

50% off Entertainment Books, this week.

My beloved Entertainment Books are 50% off this week for all cities, making most of them just $17.50! Better yet, it will encourage you to be social and generous, since many of the offers are BOGO discounts for restaurants, museums, zoos, performing arts venues, and outdoor activities.

I think my favorite discounts in the book are the pages of $2-off movie theater coupons, though. That's enough to take a bit of the sting out of a 3-D showing and make a regular ticket seem almost reasonably priced.

Facebook: Emergen-C free samples.

Emergen-C is always giving away free samples of something or other, and this time it's on Facebook. "Like" them and fill out the sample form to get yours! This may not work if you've previously requested free samples from them, but hey, it's worth a shot.

Free Gevalia coffee sample is back!

If you missed out on the free sample of Gevalia last time, you'll be happy to hear that the offer is back again. Fill out the form and a free sample will be on its way.

Mine hasn't arrived yet, but I'm hoping it will soon, since today is most definitely a day for large quantities of piping-hot beverages.

Free Bare Escentuals SPF 15 foundation sample.

So maybe you're not one of the lucky few who are jetting off to tropical destinations this spring. Still, SPF is important even on those overcast days! Keep yourself protected with a free Bare Escentuals SPF 15 foundation sample and mini-brush. ($1 shipping fee does apply.)

It's almost as good as going somewhere sunny enough to actually require sun protection. I guess.

Friday, 3/2: 10,000 free bars of Ghirardelli chocolate.

I realize that's kind of a tease, but I want you to be ready first thing on Friday morning to be one of those 10,000 lucky souls getting a free bar of Ghirardelli milk chocolate!

They're being a bit vague about when it starts, but on Friday morning they'll post an order form so you can sign up for your free bar. 10,000 sounds like a lot, but chocolate is delicious, so it will go fast. Stay alert!

Free sample of Allergease lozenges.

Seeing as it's currently snowing outside my window, I think I'm safe from allergies for a little while longer... but they're right around the corner, I know. How about a free sample of Allergease lozenges to have on hand for when hay fever strikes? Click on "Get a Free Sample" to sign up for yours.

The only thing I don't care for is the name: Allergease. Every time I look at it, it looks like it says "Allergrease," which sounds a lot less appealing.

Feb. 28: Free pancakes at IHOP.

It's National Pancake Day at IHOP, and you can get a free short stack of pancakes at any of their locations today, Feb. 28! Well, you're just going to have to take my word for that, because their site looks pretty overwhelmed right now. Which probably reflects the size of the lines of hungry pancake lovers...

OK, who wants to go to Denny's?

Free Gevalia coffee.

I used to see Gevalia coffee advertised all the time in magazines as a coffee-of-the-month club and was always really curious about whether it was actually a good coffee. Now I'll finally get the chance to find out! Get your free sample and decide for yourself.

Facebook: Free Burt's Bees lip balm.

Burt's Bees has gotten one million "likes" on Facebook, and to celebrate, they're giving away free lip balms to the first 25,000 people who fill out the form. If you're not already a fan, you'll need to "like" them and then the signup form will show up for you.

That's one sweet freebee, Burt's Bees!

Free Metamucil sample.

Hey, staying regular is nothing to be shy about! Get your free Metamucil sample and discover a fibrous new world of digestive health.

Facebook: Güd by Burt's Bees lotion sample.

Well, I'm not a big fan of the name, but you can get a free sample of Güd lotion (by Burt's Bees) when you "like" them on Facebook.

Ugh, the more I think about that name, the less I like it, and not just because that umlaut character was a pain in the butt to insert.

Free Simple Skincare facial wash sample.

I don't think we've ever had a CVS sample on here, but luckily you don't have to find a store near you, you just have to watch a short video and sign up for your free sample of Simple facial wash. Sounds... dare I say... simple?

Facebook: Free sample of Lipton Green Tea.

I've been drinking a lot of tea during these chilly winter months, so any source of free tea is welcome news for me. Get a free sample of Lipton Green Tea when you "like" them on Facebook and sign up.

Now, how about a free cookie sample to go with it?

Restaurant.com: $25-off certificates for $2.

Nothing new here, but if you're in the mood for dining out, Restaurant.com is having another sale on their $25-off certificates — most are just $2. Terms apply (usually it's $25 off a $35 purchase, and some have date restrictions or required 18% tip), but it can be a deal if you're looking to try somewhere new.

Use promo code MEMORIES to make the magic happen.

Panda Express: Free peppercorn shrimp Feb. 22.

Peppercorns, shrimp, and free: three of my favorite things! Print the coupon and head to Panda Express tomorrow, Feb. 22, for a free order of peppercorn shrimp. No purchase is necessary, but it's a single-serving freebie, so you may be tempted to order anyway.

Facebook: Free Tide Pods.

Pods! They're from Tide! And they're free! Apparently it's a detergent/stain remover/clothes brightener all in one handy little... pod, if you will. Fill out the form on Facebook and get your free sample.

The page was running a bit slow earlier, but it seems to be OK now and they have tons and tons of freebies to give away, so don't panic about that stubborn stain just yet.

Caribou Coffee: BOGO coffee on Feb. 14.

Is it just me, or does there seem to be a lot of coffee offers floating around for V-day? I hope your sweetie likes caffeine, because here's another for BOGO coffee at Caribou Coffee on Feb. 14. At least this one you don't have to print ahead of time — you can just show it on your phone.

Peet's: BOGO coffee through Feb. 20.

I guess you could consider this a combo V-day and Presidents' Day offer, since it's good now through Feb. 20. Bring this coupon to a participating Peet's for a BOGO beverage. Treat your sweetie OR your president! (Or both, I guess, but then you don't get anything to drink.)

This offer is limited to: California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington.

Feb. 18-20: Free breakfast at IKEA.

I hope they still have IKEA when I'm retired, because I fully intend to go there and enjoy all their free breakfast promotions and sit in the cafe all day getting free coffee refills. This one is for Presidents' Day Weekend: stop in before 11:00 am and get yourself a free plate of bacon & eggs and some coffee. No coupon required.

This offer is limited to: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. So I guess I'll have to retire to one of those states.

Free sample of John Frieda Smooth Start 'poo, conditioner, serum.

John Frieda is always generous with the free samples, and their latest offer is no exception: sign up for free samples of their Smooth Start 'poo, conditioner, AND serum. There's a short survey, but it's no biggie and should just take a couple of minutes to go through.

Quiznos: Free cookie on Feb. 14.

The Valentine's Day freebies are rolling in now! Here's a sweet treat that won't cost you anything. Stop by a participating Quizno's and give them this coupon for a free cookie on Feb. 14 — no purchase required.

Trust me, nothing is more attractive to the object of your affections than showing them that you know how to save.

H&M: 20% off coupon.

I usually tend to avoid posting percent-off store coupons if they're not actually freebies, but H&M is already so cheap that 20% off any item will pretty much make that item free!

Also, math wasn't my strongest subject in school.

Valid through Feb. 14 if you're looking for a gift for your valentine...

Valentine's Day: BOGO beverages at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

Here's a V-day deal that not only gets you caffeinated, but makes you look like a thoughtful friend. Stop by the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, and get BOGO beverages - no coupon needed.

One for you, one for your significant other... one for you, one for your coworker... or one for your left hand, one for your right hand. Caffeine does not judge.

Walmart: Free sample of Life Choice energy bars.

Walmart is usually pretty generous with the free samples, but I haven't seen one in a while. At last! Get your free sample of Life Choice energy bars when you fill out the form. It sounds like a big commitment to call an energy bar a "life choice," but hey, whatever you need to make your to-do list look complete...

Facebook: Free Bath & Body Works travel-size item for you and a friend.

Here's an easy, free way to send your valentine a calorie-free treat... and get something for yourself, too! Bath & Body Works is offering free travel-size items for you and a friend.

"Like" them on Facebook, create a card, and send a Valentine's day surprise gift to a friend. You and your friend will receive a coupon for a free travel size Signature Collection item (worth $5) via email. Coupon valid from 2/14-2/20.

Facebook: Free sample of Tums Freshers.

Is your tummy upset at the mere thought of all the steak and lobster, sparkly champagne, and rich chocolate desserts that will be on the table on the 14th? Show your valentine how much you care with this romantic offering: a free sample of Tums Freshers. Just "like" them on Facebook and fill out the form to get yours.

Facebook: Free trial pack of o.b. tampons.

This freebie offer says it's for a "cute trial pack," and it's hard to argue with that. Look how tiny and cute they are! That little case would probably be good for holding all kinds of stuff in your bag or backpack. Is it wrong to dump out the tampons and use it for holding lip gloss?

V-day: Free Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream on Feb. 14, 5-8 p.m.

Here's the first of the Valentine's Day freebies! Ben & Jerry's will be giving away free scoops of Stephen Colbert's own flavor, Americone Dream, on Feb. 14 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

You'll want to make sure your local store is participating, of course. You wouldn't want to have to buy your sweetheart a full-priced cone!

Free Yogurtland yogurt and toppings on Feb. 6.

Hooray! Now here's a holiday I'm really excited about. Yogurtland is celebrating National Frozen Yogurt Day by offering FREE fro-yo and toppings* on Mon., Feb. 6, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. (You can see offer details on the first image in the homepage slideshow, the one with the creepy woman's face covered in spoons.)

Find your local store and get ready to fro your yo**!

*This offer is limited to: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

**The word on the street is that the "commemorative" cup they're using is an 8-oz cup, as opposed to their typical giant tub, but who cares, it's free!

Free Burger King onion rings Feb. 4-5.

A while back, Burger King was offering free french fries to spread the word about their newer, healthier (less unhealthy?) fries. I'm not sure if this onion rings freebie is along the same lines, but you can get your free "value-sized" onion rings in participating Burger Kings this weekend, Feb. 4-5.

It doesn't look like a coupon or purchase is necessary; the only restriction is that you can't get them during breakfast hours. Not that you'd want onion rings for breakfast anyway... would you?

Facebook: Free sample of Quaker Oatmeal Squares.

So you don't want to go all the way to IKEA for a free breakfast? OK, you can still start your morning off right with a free sample box of Quaker Oatmeal Squares. Just "like" them on Facebook and fill out the form to sign up.

Now we just need a milk freebie...

Free breakfast on Monday mornings at IKEA.

Did you know that IKEA offers free breakfast until 11:00 am on Mondays*? My grandma lives pretty near an IKEA. If I were retired, I would go there every Monday just to eat free breakfast and hang out... and maybe do some speed dating.

*This offer is limited to: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka: free mason jar.

In random-freebie-of-the-day news, here's one for a free mason jar from Firefly sweet tea vodka. They tweeted that anyone who signs up for their Friends of the Fly community will receive a free mason jar.

Of course, you could also go to your local thrift store and get one for a quarter, but maybe this one has a special Firefly logo or something?

Facebook: Free Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex sample.

Olay is giving away 10,000 free samples of its Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex on Facebook starting today —  just "like" them and fill out the form. It's a wrinkle-free Friday!

$2 Restaurant.com certificates.

I know, that's pretty weak, but it's been a REALLY slow week for freebies and that's the best I could come up with. Get $25-off dining certificates at Restaurant.com using promo code DATE.

As always, be sure to check the fine print for minimum check amount, automatically included gratuity, etc., but it's still a pretty cost-effective way to try out a new restaurant.

Facebook: Free Kraft Mac & Cheese.

Who doesn't like mac & cheese? Get yourself a coupon for a free box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese when you like them on Facebook and fill out the "Macsurance" form, whatever that is. They're giving freebies away daily through March 4, and you can get up to 3 coupons per household, but you'll have to provide your own ketchup and hot dogs.

Free Keebler 100 Calorie Right Bites white fudge pretzels w/rebate.

Hmm, interesting. Here's a rebate for 100 Calorie Right Bites Keebler white fudgey pretzels, but apparently you need not only the usual UPC and receipt, but also some sort of special "rebate token" that's found inside the package. I'll be on the lookout for one of these in the store. Has anyone else seen this before? It's new to me...

"To receive your rebate on 100 Calorie Right Bites Keebler White Fudge Dipped Pretzels send one token from specially marked packages, original cash register receipt with purchase price circled, and completed rebate form. Maximum rebate of $4.00. Must be purchased by 08/31/12. Must be postmarked by 09/14/12. One rebate per household."

Free Schick Hydro Silk razor.

Who doesn't like to be an insider? Schick is apparently launching a HUGE new women's razor, and wants you to be one of the first to try it (and tell your friends about it). Get a free Schick Hydro Silk razor when you sign up online.

I tend to drop and break my razors a lot because I'm pretty much still asleep in the shower, so I'll be curious to see if this Hydro Silk can withstand my zombie-like fumbling...

BOGO Land O Lakes Buttery Taste Spread (with rebate).

Mmmm, fresh buttery taste spread! That sounds... not a lot like butter. But at least you can get two packages for the price of one! Send in the rebate form and they'll mail you a coupon for a free package.

Buy one package Land O Lakes Fresh Buttery Taste Spread. Mail in request for rebate offer with cash register receipt. Receive a coupon by mail for a Free Land O Lakes Fresh Butter Taste Spread w/ Olive Oil. Maximum value of $2.99. Purchase must be made by 02/29/12 and request must be postmarked by 03/31/12.

Starbucks: Free coffee sampling, thank-you gift Jan. 12-14.

This Thurs.–Sat., Jan. 12–14, drop by your local Starbucks for a coffee taste test and vote. Try out their brews, vote for your favorite, and get some sort of free mystery gift!

"Starbucks invites you to join in some fun with their in store coffee sampling of 'Taste the Starbucks roast Spectrum' and receive a special thank you gift for your best roast vote. Try the latest and greatest roasted coffee from Starbucks and cast your vote. Samples of Dark Fair Trade Italian Roast, Blonde Veranda Blend & Medium Pike Roast."

Vote early and vote often!

Facebook: Free Timeline personal business cards.

Things that exist: Facebook Timeline personalized business cards. Don't believe me? They're giving away 200,000 free sets (5,000 per day), and you can be one of the winners! Read the instructions and send me one if it works.

Free museum admission this weekend with B of A debit/credit card.

I always forget about this one, but B of A is still quietly running its Museums on Us program, where you can get free admission to selected museums, zoos, botanical gardens, and parks on the first weekend of the month when you show a debit or credit card with a B of A logo.

Seattle's listings include the Seattle Art Museum, which might be a little less crowded for this than on First Thursday. Find a museum near you and make your weekend plans!

Facebook: Free Eucerin Calming Itch-Relief Treatment sample.

Icky, dry winter skin? I feel your pain. Get your free Eucerin Calming Itch-Relief Treatment sample when you like Eucerin on Facebook and watch a short video. Apparently it takes a few seconds for the video to load, so try not to claw at your raw, peeling skin while you're waiting.

Free cup of Meow Mix Pate Toppers.

You know how to make smelly cat food more appetizing? Put even smellier moist cat food on top of it. (Then again, that's pretty much what paté is anyway, right?)

If this sounds good to you, sign yourself up for a free cup of Meow Mix Paté Toppers.

IKEA BYOF (Bring Your Own Friends) giveaways, free food, more.

IKEA is trying out something new next Saturday, Jan. 14. It's called BYOF (Bring Your Own Friends) and they're doing all kinds of free goodies and giveaways when you RSVP on Facebook.

RSVP to get a coupon for a free small breakfast before 11:00 a.m., a free blue tote bag, and BOGO free entree between 11am-4pm. They’re also going to be doing gift card giveaways and more.

Sounds like a full day of IKEA fun!

Facebook: Free Celestial Seasonings Wellness Tea sample.

Aha, there you have it! My theory is confirmed: freebies like to travel in packs. So here's another free Facebook tea sample, this one for Celestial Seasonings Wellness Tea.

Now can we please have a free coffee one?

Facebook: Free sample of Lipton Green Tea with Superfruit.

The holidays may be over, but winter is still here, which means we've got several months of hot-beverage weather ahead of us. Settle in with a nice, free cup of Lipton Green Tea with Superfruit when you like them on Facebook.

Freebies seem to come in themed groups, so maybe there's a coffee offer floating around out there today too? Fingers crossed!