Ice cream is one of Americans' favorite treats. In fact, it's so popular that an entire month is dedicated to it. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of July as National Ice Cream Day.
Whether you want to enjoy ice cream on a hot day in July or any day of the year, there are plenty of ways you can get this frozen dessert for free. Several ice cream (and frozen yogurt) shops offer freebies if you join a club and sign up for e-mail alerts, but others simply give it away.
Baskin-Robbins. You can get a free 2.5-ounce scoop on your birthday (plus special offers and coupons) if you sign up for the Baskin-Robbins Birthday Club.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Ben & Jerry's. The Ben & Jerry's scoop truck is traveling along the East and West Coasts all summer giving away free samples of its new flavors. Find out which cities the truck will visit and when. Also, its scoop shops have a Free Cone Day every year, usually in April.
Bruster's Real Ice Cream. This ice cream franchise with 220 locations in 18 states offers free mini ice cream cones to children shorter than 40 inches. If you join its Sweet Rewards e-Club, you'll receive a coupon for a free sugar or cake cone with the purchase of a waffle cone, a free waffle cone with ice cream on your birthday, and a buy-one-get-one-free ice cream on the anniversary of the date you joined. And if you show up in your pajamas on PJ Day (varies by location), you'll get a free waffle cone. Bruster's also is giving away free ice cream for a year to four winners of its 25 Days of Selfies Contest.
Carvel. Join Fudgie Fanatics to get a coupon for buy one sundae, get one free and a free treat on your birthday. Plus, if you sign up by July 20 -- that's National Ice Cream Day in 2014 -- you'll be automatically entered into a sweepstakes to win free ice cream for a year.
Cold Stone Creamery. You can sign up for the eClub to get two ice cream creations for the price of one and a coupon on your birthday for a buy-one-ice-cream-get-one-free creation.
Culver's. Kids get a free scoop of frozen custard with a kids' meal at this restaurant chain with more than 450 locations in 19 states.
Dairy Queen. Join the Blizzard Fan Club to get a buy-one-Blizzard-get-one-free coupon. Kids also get a free ice cream treat with a kids' meal.
Friendly's. Join the BFF Club and get a free sundae on your birthday -- as well as special offers and discounts throughout the year.
TCBY offers a loyalty card you can use to earn points with each purchase. Once you get 30 points, you get a $3 store credit at the frozen yogurt chain.
-
Jabil Stock Pops After a Beat-And-Raise QuarterJabil stock is higher Wednesday after the electronics firm beat earnings expectations and raised its full-year outlook. Here's what you need to know.
-
UBS Global's Solita Marcelli: It's a Green Light for U.S. Stocks in 2025A strong economy, rate cuts and continued AI spending should support stocks in the new year, says UBS Global's chief investment officer, Americas.
-
Five Reasons You Shouldn't Shop on Amazon Prime DaySmart Buying Think twice before getting lured into buying a bunch of stuff you don't need just because it's on sale.
-
Five Ways to Save on Vacation Rental PropertiesTravel Use these strategies to pay less for an apartment, condo or house when you travel.
-
How to Avoid Annoying Hotel Fees: Per Person, Parking and MoreTravel Here's how to avoid extra charges and make sure you don't get stuck paying for amenities that you don't use.
-
Best Cash Back Credit Cards December 2024Smart Buying Trying to compare the best cash back credit cards? Unlike most reviewers, we include cards from small banks and credit unions, as well as from large issuers.
-
How to Spend $1,000: Find Cheap (or Free) Online Courses to Build Career SkillsSmart Buying There's a huge array of skill-building online courses that can level up your career for under $1,000.
-
MoviePass is Relaunching. Should You Sign Up?Smart Buying The subscription discount movie card company has a checkered past and an army of disillusioned former cardholders. If you want to try the reboot, you’ll need to hurry.
-
HBO Max Is Offering Huge DiscountsSmart Buying Looking for a streaming service deal? Warner Bros. Discovery is cutting the price of HBO Max.
-
Are You Streaming Too Much? What the Discovery+/HBO Max Mashup MeansSmart Buying Fewer original scripted series? Maybe. And maybe it’s time to unsubscribe.
