As students, we love a bargain, and there’s no better discount than something that’s free.
If you have a birthday coming up and want to treat yourself, but keep the money in the bank, here are some freebies you can snatch on your special day. How about a birthday sweet treat crawl?
Greggs – Free sweet item
A staple for treats and even more convenient, as it’s on campus (especially for first years), is Greggs. Here, on your birthday, you can grab yourself a sweet treat for free.
To redeem this freebie, you need to: Download the Greggs app and go to the rewards tab on your birthday.
However, you can only get a single-serving item, so you can’t redeem that box of éclairs, unfortunately.
Subway – Free cookie, crisps or a six-inch sub
Another convenient place that is right on Lancs soil is the go-to lunch spot, Subway. You can get yourself a free cookie, a packet of crisps and even a six-inch sub. That’s lunch sorted.
To claim this, you must: Sign up for Subway Rewards via the app, and add your date of birth. You then receive an email to scan your app in-store, and you will receive your birthday reward.
The only thing with this one is, the birthday freebie depends on your membership level, so we’d recommend signing up now before your birthday is near to make sure you don’t miss out. The reward email is valid for 30 days.
Starbucks – Free birthday drink
This is for our coffee lovers and Starbucks enthusiasts who collect their rewards with each drink, but you’ll have to venture into Lancaster City Centre for this one – but we think it’s worth it. At Starbucks, if you’re a Gold Member on their rewards app, you can get any free drink in any size.
To get this one, you must: Join the Starbucks Rewards program and add your birth date to the account information section. However, the only caveat with this one is, you will have to reach the Gold level (2500 stars) to be eligible for the birthday freebie. The voucher is available for 30 days.
Kaspas – Free milkshake or slice of cake
If you want something extra sweet but don’t want to buy yourself a whole cake, why not head into town and to Kaspas, where you can get yourself a free milkshake or slice of cake on your birthday.
How to claim your freebie: All you need to do is bring in a valid photo ID on your birthday. That’s it. You can get any medium-sized milkshake, but you just can’t get anything from the VIP section of the menu or any limited-edition shake. The only little thing with this is, you need to spend a minimum of £6.95.
Caffè Nero – Free slice of cake
If Kaspas isn’t really your vibe but you still want to fancy a slice of cake, there’s hope. Heading back into Lancaster City Centre, go to Caffè Nero and you’ll find that you can get a slice of cake for free on your birthday.
To “let them eat cake”, you need to: Sign up on the Caffé Nero app and then add your date of birth in the account management tab. You’ll be sent a voucher for a free slice of cake on your birthday. The voucher is valid for 14 days and excludes pastries.
Costa – Free sweet treat
Another coffee shop treat is from Costa. On your birthday, you can claim for yourself another little sweet treat. You’re spoilt for choice with cafes.
To pick up this freebie, you must: Download the Costa Coffee app, join/sign in to your Costa Club account, and on your birthday, you can get a sweet treat of your choice.
The freebie voucher will be emailed to you, and you have seven days from your birthday to claim your treat.
Burger King – Free Burger King Whopper
Now, if you’re not feeling a sweet treat freebie and want something more substantial and savoury, well, you’re in luck – if you make your way over to Burger King, in town, you can get your dinner sorted with a free burger.
What you need to do for the burger: Make sure to download the Burger King app and register with the Your Burger King loyalty scheme. You will receive your birthday voucher for a free Whopper or Plant-based Whopper burger (which is normally £6.29). With this voucher, you can use it on a mobile order or show the code in-store. The voucher will be valid for 14 days from the date of your birthday
You’ll need to add your date of birth to your account info on the app at least seven days before your birthday to redeem the freebie in time.
M&S free pack of sweets, tubs, grapes or cookies
If you want to feel a little classy and fancy on your birthday but still want to stay in budget, you can pop into M&S in Lancaster City Centre and find yourself another (boujee) sweet treat.
To get your fancy freebie, you need to: Download and either sign up/log in to the M&S Sparks app, add your date of birth to your account information, and you’ll be eligible for that freebie. You can have any of the following: a free pack of All Butter cookies (normally £2.50), a pack of white, red or mixed grapes (normally £2-£3), a free bag of Percy Pig or Colin Caterpillar sweets (both normally £2) or a tub of Mini Bites (normally £3.50-£3.90).
There’s no spend required; this is a total freebie. Just scan your Sparks app at the till.
Lidl Bakery
The best supermarket bakery, hands down, is (obviously) Lidl Bakery. Students tend to flock to either here or Aldi for their weekly shops to keep that student loan in check, and it can’t get much better than a 69p pain au chocolat. What makes this even more amazing is that you can get one of their amazing doughnuts on your birthday for free.
To get that delish doughnut, you need to: Just simply sign up to the Lidl Plus app, and you’ll be able to claim your free doughnut from the bakery section on your birthday, with no minimum spend. From your birthday, you’ll have seven days to use it.
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