Winnipeg woman chases deals for a freebie-filled birthday
It's no secret: Erin Murray really loves birthdays.
"I like everybody knowing it's my birthday," she said. "I like having that positive attention and getting free stuff."
For the last two years, the Winnipeg woman — who turned 48 Friday — has made it her mission to plan her birthday around how many free things she can collect. And as it turns out, you can get a lot for free on your special day.
Murray's plans this year included everything from a free breakfast at Denny's to a free go-kart ride at Thunder Rapids Fun Park — not to mention a free lunch at Mongo's, a free drink at Starbucks, a free slurpee at 7-Eleven, and a free dessert at the Keg.
"My mom always made my birthday really special. I try to make my kids' birthdays really special. I do lots of themed parties and plan a lot," Murray told CBC's Information Radio Friday morning.
"I also love free, so it's a great combination."
Murray's annual tradition began three years ago, when she first had a free breakfast at Denny's after hearing about its birthday special.
"I thought, 'That was fabulous,' and then I started hearing [about] more free deals," she said.
Free food, free stuff
Murray, a self-employed mom of two, has worked from home for the last 10 years, which she says gives her more freedom when the time comes to celebrate her special day.
"Everybody is so busy, so rather than planning a lunch date — which most of my friends couldn't go on — I just started doing my own lunch dates," she said.
Besides all the free food, there's also free stuff.
Earlier this week, Murray received free samples from cosmetics store chain Sephora, and she's now waiting on a $10 birthday voucher from the Body Shop.
The list goes on and on, and Murray has done the math.
"I figured out it's probably about $80 or so, between free desserts, free meals, free items, free drinks — and just lots of fun."
Birthday buyer beware
While birthday freebies abound, Murray said eager deal seekers do need to pay attention to the fine print.
Some businesses require valid photo identification, whereas other deals require people to register online, either on their birthday or in advance.
"I would advise people to go online about a month, or at least a couple days, in advance," Murray said.
Murray said it's also a good idea to find out whether store staff are aware of their birthday deals, as managers may not always be on site.
For all Murray's planning, things don't always go according to plan.
"The weather didn't co-operate — pouring rain — and my daughter [was] not feeling her best, so I had to scale back the morning plans," Murray told CBC later on Friday.
Still, Murray had managed to add a few more items to her birthday haul: a free slurpee, a free ice cream, and a free lunch at Burger King.
As for go-karting, there's always next year.
