It’s that time again — I have a new list of restaurant freebies and deals. Know of any others? Share them in the comments section below!

Now through Friday (May 17) you can use this printable coupon to get a $5 bottomless lunch bowl at O’Charley’s until 3 p.m. daily. This offer is valid on dine-in purchases only.

Outback Steakhouse also has a new printable coupon offering $8 off the purchase of two entrees or $4 off the purchase of one. This offer is valid on both dine-in and Curbside Take-Away purchases through May 21.

You can also get $5 off the purchase of two lunch entrees from Outback Steakhouse with this printable coupon. This offer is valid on both dine-in and Curbside Take-Away purchases through May 19.

Today and tomorrow you can use this printable coupon to get a free flavored waffle from Waffle House. You can choose from chocolate chip, peanut butter, blueberry or strawberry. This coupon is valid on dine-in visits only.

According to the Smokey Bones Facebook page, when you pick up a $25 gift card you’ll get an additional $5 credit for free.

As many of you know, Steak n Shake opens in Roanoke on Thursday. Here are a couple promotions to keep in mind:
*With the purchase of every $8 spent, kids can eat free on Saturday and Sunday. Kid plates exclude drinks and shakes.
*From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. customers can get drinks and shakes for half-price during happy hour. 
No coupon is necessary for either of these promotions.

Ruby Tuesday is offering a free $15 bonus coupon when you purchase a $50 gift card now through June 16. Gift card purchases can be digital or plastic.

Also, don’t forget about these gift card promotions that I posted about last week:

Outback Steakhouse : From now through June 16 with every purchase of a $50 gift card you’ll get a free $10 bonus card that’s valid May 13 through July 15. Give the free bonus card with the gift card or keep it as a special treat for yourself.

Applebee’s : With each $50 gift card purchase — digital or hard copy — you’ll receive a free $10 Applebee’s bonus card now through July 1.

Attention teachers! Chipotle will have a nice treat for you tomorrow. Here’s the message I got from the company:

“Chipotle is putting teachers at the head of the class this Teacher Appreciation Day with a special “buy-one-get-one-free” promotion. On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, teachers and educators who show a valid school ID identifying them as staff will receive a free burrito, salad, burrito bowl or order of tacos when they purchase another menu item at Chipotle Mexican Grill. This promotion is available from 4:00 p.m. to close in all U.S. Chipotle restaurants.

“We are changing the way people think about and eat fast food,” said Chris Arnold, communications director at Chipotle. “This means going beyond our commitment to better food from more sustainable ingredients and working hard to engrain our restaurants in the communities that they serve. Connecting with educators and other key community groups is part of who we are, and we’re always happy when our work makes an impact upon the communities where we operate.”

 Chipotle is celebrating teachers and educators and the work they do as part of the National Education Association’s Teacher Appreciation Day. This promotion is only open to teachers and educators who show a valid school ID identifying them as staff. This deal will only be honored for dine in or take out and excludes online orders, fax orders, mobile orders, “Burritos by the Box” and catering.

 For more information, please go to any Chipotle restaurant or visit Chipotle.com.”

Is it just me or do these look even more delicious knowing they’ll be free? Photo courtesy of Outback Steakhouse.

Today and May 9 you can get a free small order of cheese fries with any purchase at Outback Steakhouse. There’s no coupon necessary for this deal, just mention “Thursday FriesDay” to your server.

Enjoy! It’s almost the weekend.

The sun sets behind storm clouds prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond in September 2012. AP Photo|Jason Hirschfeld

Today through Saturday (April 13) you can earn two free tickets to the Toyota Owners 400 when you make a $200 purchase at Kroger. The $200 must be spent in a single transaction and excludes fuel, pharmacy, gift cards, alcohol and tobacco purchases.

Once you reach $200, the ticket voucher will print on your receipt. To redeem the offer, call 866-455-RACE and mention “Kroger offer.” You’ll then be prompted to enter the nine-digit voucher number on your receipt.

Households are limited to two tickets and there is a limited supply — so call as soon as possible.

The race is being held on April 27 at the Richmond International Raceway.

For more information, call 1-800-576-4377.

Here are some new dining deals that don’t require a coupon:

First, don’t forget about Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s — which is happening today.

Also, today you can get a free order of coconut shrimp at Outback Steakhouse. Just mention TourneyTizer to your server to get the deal.

Now through May 5 Olive Garden has brought back the “Buy One, Take One” offer. With this deal you can get one entree with unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks in restaurants, plus you get a second entree to take home all for $12.95.  For more information, click here.

Remember that all month long at Subway you can get 6″ subs buy one, get one free before 9 a.m. Mix and match breakfast sandwiches and deli sandwiches at participating locations.

Now for some coupons:

*$5 off a $15 purchase at Smokey Bones (Expires April 14)
*Free skinny slice with the purchase of any pizza slice or stromboli at Sbarro (Expires April 30)
*Half-price Lobsterfest entree when you buy a full-price entree at Red Lobster (Expires April 14)
*$1 pretzel from Aunti Anne’s (Expires April 9)
*75 cents off a waffle cone and 99 cents for a kid’s dino or dirt sundae from Bruster’s (Expires April 17)
*Free curly fries or potato cakes in honor of Tax Day from Arby’s (April 15 only)
*Free 16 oz. shake with the purchase of a regular priced sandwich from Arby’s (Expires April 9) 
*$1 off any regular or large sub from Quiznos (Expires April 16)

Know of any other great foodie deals? Share them!

What flavor will you choose? Graphic courtesy of Ben & Jerry’s.

It’s that time of year again — Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s is back!

Stop by the Ben & Jerry’s locations at Valley View or New River Valley Mall tomorrow during regular business hours (9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for Valley View or 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. for NRV) and you can get a free scoop in the flavor of your choice.

My sister and I have made this a little tradition each year. It’s a great way to perk up a weekday, and this warm, spring weather (finally) makes ice cream even better.

What flavor will you choose? It’s a three-way tie between Chunky Monkey, Strawberry Cheesecake and Oatmeal Cookie for me. I’ll have to make a game time decision.

For more information, click here.

How will you dress your subs? Photo by Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times

All month long you can get 6″ Subway sandwiches buy one, get one free when you stop in before 9 a.m.

This deal is good on all subs, so you can mix and match breakfast sandwiches with deli sandwiches.

For more information or to find the Subway closest to you, click here.

Note: This deal is valid only at participating locations. Ask your preferred restaurant if it’s participating before you order.

If you need a daily chocolate boost, check out this offer from 7-Eleven.

Just click here to download the store’s app, and then you can access an exclusive coupon offering a free Snickers bar today only.

Some other goodies 7-Eleven is offering include $1 coffee on Wednesdays and a free 16-oz. Pepsi with the purchase of any fresh sandwich (both of these offers are good for the remainder of March).

Customers can also score a free MiO Liquid Water Enhancer in stores on April 23.

After a great discussion on the Shoptimist blog a few weeks ago about the popularity of e-books, I realized that there are ways to save on other reading material too, like magazines.

Whether you prefer to read your magazines on an e-reader or the old-fashioned paper form, there are tons of ways to get subscriptions for free or cheap. Personally, I subscribe to four different magazines, none of which I’ve had to pay for. It’s great to have so many freebies show up in my mailbox monthly.

Survey panels

One way I’ve gotten free subscriptions is through e-Rewards, an opinion panel I was invited to participate in.

I take surveys on a variety of topics for the website and earn digital e-Rewards dollars in return. There’s a full list of magazine subscriptions (as well as other rewards) I can cash in my survey money for, and many of them are popular titles.

Unfortunately this website is only available by invitation, but it works with many different retailers. I got my invitation on a receipt from the retailer Express. What’s great about the e-Rewards system is that I don’t have to enter any credit card information when I sign up for a magazine, so there won’t be any tricky charges.

Not all survey panels are invitation only. MySurvey, Pinecone Research, Inbox Dollars, Vindale Research, Opinion Place and Ipsos are all legitimate survey sites that pay cash or offer rewards, like magazine subscriptions. Each site opens up for new survey takers at various times throughout the year.

Websites

I’ve also signed up for free magazine subscriptions through Mercury Magazines. The best way to get notifications about deals from this website is to sign up for email alerts, which you can do at www.mercurymagazines.com.

About twice each week I get notifications about free magazine deals. Some of the offers are for digital subscriptions while others are hard-copy subscriptions. Also, the number of issues you receive can vary; some deals are as few as two months while others can be a full year. You don’t have to enter any payment information on this site either.

Other websites where you can find free or deeply discounted subscriptions are Amazon, ValueMags (www.valuemags.com), Discount Magazines (www.discountmagazines.com) and Rewards Gold (www.rewardsgold.com). Prices fluctuate daily, so check back often if you don’t see what you’re looking for.

Go digital

If you are a subscriber to a magazine already, chances are you also have a digital subscription that can be viewed on youre-reader. If that’s not the case, there are still some outlets for you.

Amazon Prime members can access many magazines for free and at special promotional prices through the Kindle Store. The Nook app, Zinio and Next Issue also offer discounted digital-only subscriptions for various eReaders, tablets and smartphones.

Split a deal

Magazines often advertise buy one, get one free or buy one, get one half-off deals. If you have a friend or relative who’s also interested in getting a subscription, these can save money or make great gifts. Just watch out for the fine print. Important details to verify include how many months are included and whether the deal is on auto-renewal.

Auto-renewal, promotional prices

If you do find a subscription that automatically renews itself, call well in advance to cancel the next pay period if you’re not interested in continuing the deal. This option should be available to you right after subscribing, so don’t wait until it’s too late.

On the other hand, auto-renewal magazines are often some of the best bargains, so if it’s a publication you know you want to keep receiving, they can be great in the long run.

As a subscriber, you do have some power. If you notice the subscription price of a magazine has gone up, it never hurts to call and ask the company to renew your promotional price. Even if you can’t get the exact deal, they may offer you something else that will save money. Mentioning you may not keep your subscription because of rising costs is a surefire way to get a bargain. 

What great magazine deals have you found? Have you made the transition to digital, or do you still prefer hard copies?

Photo courtesy of Starbucks.

Starbucks is always surprising us with fun freebies and today I’ve got two I’ll share with you.

Today through Saturday (March 9) you can get a free Tazo tea after 2 p.m. when you bring in your receipt from an earlier purchase. For more information, visit the Starbucks Facebook page.
*Note: This promotion is only available at participating Starbucks, so inquire about it on your next trip in.

And the next deal:
Today through March 14, new My Starbucks Rewards members can get a free $5 credit when they register a gift card. Registration is easy. You just go online and fill out a form with the number on your card, plus a few other details. After that the $5 credit will automatically be added to your card (though be patient, it may not happen immediately).
*Note: This deal is for new members only. For more information, click here.

It’s a good idea to keep money loaded on your card and make future purchases with it. For every purchase made with a card that’s registered with My Starbucks Rewards you’ll earn a point and those points can be redeemed for freebies.

Friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter for more updates.

Earn two free seats at Martinsville Speedway from Kroger. AP Photo/Autostock|Nigel Kinrade

(Update: I contacted Kroger to clarify that the purchase of gift cards is excluded from this promotion.)

If you purchase $200 in a single transaction at Kroger now through March 16 the grocer will give you a voucher for two free tickets to the STP Gas Booster 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 7.

Once you hit the $200 goal a ticket voucher will print on your receipt. To redeem the voucher, call 877-RACE-TIX and mention “Kroger Offer.” Make sure you have the 9-digit voucher number from the receipt handy before calling.

Fine print:
*Fuel, pharmacy, alcohol and tobacco purchases are excluded from this promotion.
*There’s a limit a two free tickets per household.
*Limited ticket quantites are available.

Though fuel isn’t an eligible purchase for this promotion, it is worth mentioning that Kroger is giving out four-times the gas points for select gift card purchases now through March 30.

Friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter for more updates.

Click & save now at Walmart.com. Illustration by Rick Nease | Detroit Free Press

Finding deals on gift cards is one of my very favorite things — it’s like getting free money.

This deal by Walmart is especially nice,  it’s like cash back in your pocket and there are no hoops to jump through.

Head over to Walmart.com now and you’ll find these eGift cards on sale for 10% off:
*Domino’s Pizza $20 eGift Card (down to $18)
*Regal Movie $25 eGift Card (down to $22.50)
*Applebee’s $25 eGift Card (down to $22.50)
*Spa Week $25 eGift Card (down to $22.50)
*Logan’s Roadhouse $25 eGift Card (down to $22.50)
*Logan’s Roadhouse $50 eGift Card (down to $45)

These eCards would make great gifts, or buy one (or two…) for yourself. Each card will be delivered via email.

There’s no telling when this deal will expire, so if you’re interested make your purchase ASAP.

On ThursdayKrispy Kreme will be giving customers who purchase one dozen Valentine doughnuts 12 cards that are good for a free doughnut of your choice.
Photo courtesy of Krispy Kreme.

Valentine’s Day is coming up on Thursday. What better way to celebrate than with some freebies?

First of all, there are tons of free printables available. Coloring pages, cards, activity sheets — you name it. With a quick Google search you can come up with endless results.

 Also, on Thursday Krispy Kreme will be offering customers who purchase a dozen Valentine doughnuts — which are  in delicious heart shapes — 12 Valentine cards, each of which are good for a free doughnut. Co-workers, friends and family members will love getting a special tasty treat and a coupon for a treat in the future.

Don’t want to wait for Thursday? Now through the 14th Starbucks is offering customers a sweet new BOGO deal. Print this coupon or show it to the barista on your phone and you can get the select featured drinks buy one, get one free after 2 p.m. The participating drinks include caffe mocha, vanilla spice latte and hot chocolate.

 Need some romantic tunes? Amazon is offering this download of “Valentine’s 2013 – A TuneCore Artist Hip-Hop / R&B Compilation” for free. If you’re interested in this deal download it soon, you never know when the price will change.
* Before downloading be sure that the price reads “FREE” in red print or else you will be charged.

Know of other holiday freebies or deals? Share them in the comments section below.

Congratulations to the winner: Eddie! He wrote:

“Ten years ago I had been working out of town. I was on my way home. My plane landed February 13th at 11:00 pm. I was traveling with my boss. His car was at the airport so he gave me a ride home. My wife was going to surprise me that night with my Valentines present since it was minutes from February 14th. I asked my boss in for a beer to wind down from the flight. When we walked in my wife was on the other side of the door wearing nothing but a red bow! I opened the door and we both walked in. She started screaming and took off running and my boss ran back down the sidewalk!”

I hope your wife enjoys this gift set. She deserves it after that embarrrassing moment!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

I think Valentine’s Day gets taken way too seriously. You hear stories about single people hating the date and couples going overboard on lavish gifts and dinners. So how about we take this moment to laugh a little bit — and possibly win a prize?

Some of the most memorable holiday moments for me have been the goofiest. Last year, my date got me a Clemson Snuggie. He had the best of intentions and thought he was buying me a nice fleece blanket — which he did, but this blanket also had sleeves. Fast forward to later in the evening, after a glass or two of wine, and we were having a blast modeling my gift. I’ve also used that gift to keep toasty during multiple evenings of online shopping — that’s something a box of chocolates can’t do for ‘ya.

So, what have some of your Valentine’s goofs been? Did a flaming dessert at a restaurant go rogue? Did your romantic date night turn into a crazy adventure?

Share some of your laughable experiences below and you could win a MAC gift set.

The new “Archie’s Girls” line just became available and I’ve got a nice sampling to share.
This gift set includes: a mirror, mascara, lip gloss, lip stick, nail polish, powder and eye shadow set.
Also, it’s all worth a grand total of over $160.

Ladies, enter for yourself, a friend, your mom — whoever you’d like to share the wealth with. Gentlemen, this is a great opportunity to impress your Valentine.

Enter between now and 10 a.m. Monday to be eligible. I’ll pick a winner at random and make the announcement by 11 a.m. Monday. If win and would like your gift set by Valentine’s Day you can come pick it up at the paper, otherwise it will be mailed to you.

In celebration of National Pancake Day IHOP will be giving diners a complimentary stack of buttermilk pancakes tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

National Pancake Day also kicks off the national fundraising campaign for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. After enjoying the freebie, diners will be encouraged to donate to the local Children’s Miracle Netowrk Hospital or other local charity. It’s a pretty sweet deal — 100% of donations will go to these charities.

Additionally, if you buy a $5 Miracle balloon to support Children’s Miracle Network you’ll receive a coupon for $5 off your next visit to IHOP.

For more information about this tasty freebie and fundraiser, click here.

Papa John’s always seems to have a free pizza deal connected to the Super Bowl and this year is no different.

This year, they’re asking you to vote on whether you think the coin toss will be heads or tails. If you guess correctly you’ll win a free large one-topping pizza.

Winners will receive a promotional code via email on Monday. This deal can only be redeemed online, so if you prefer to order by phone this deal may not be for you.

Even if you don’t win the free pizza, you’ll get a promo code offering you a discount on your next order just for voting. Everyone wins!

Voting ends tomorrow at midnight. Click here to try your luck.

To be perfectly honest, I can’t remember the last time I bought an actual CD. Amazon and iTunes are my go-to spots for digital music these days.

That could change now, though, with the release of AutoRip from Amazon.

Now, many CDs available on Amazon will come with a free MP3 copy when you purchase them. The digital songs will automatically be uploaded to your Cloud player, and from there you can add them to your iTunes (or whatever program you prefer).

I think this is great. I actually prefer hard copy CDs because I know that if there’s a freak computer accident I still have copies of my music.

However, it started to seem silly to buy the hard copy and immediately toss it aside after uploading it to my computer. Now I have no excuse. I can keep the back-up, but still automatically download the songs to my iPod. This is also especially convenient because my car doesn’t have an iPod jack, just a CD player.

Participating CDs will be marked with the “AutoRip” icon that you see above.

For more information about this offer from Amazon, click here.

Will you be taking advantage of this offer?

P&G doesn’t offer printable coupons, so whenever there’s a new batch of goodies from the P&G Everyday site I jump on it. I’ve received some great packages from the company full of samples and coupons, and this month there are more things available than in the past.

This time around you can get samples and coupons for:
*Crest^® 3D White Arctic Fresh toothpaste
* Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo and Conditioner
* Crest^® 3D White^™ Intensive Professional Effects Whitestrips
* Tide Boost^™ Vivid White + Bright^™ Pacs
* Downy Infusions^™ Honey Flower
* Tide Pods and Downy Unstopables

There are also coupons for:
* COVERGIRL + Olay^® Tone Rehab^™ 2-in-1 Foundation
* Olay^® Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo
* Crest^® 3D White Multi-Care Whitening Arctic Fresh Icy Cool Mint Rinse
* Oral-B^® 3D White Action Rechargeable
* Charmin Freshmates
* Oral-B^® 3D White Advanced Vivid Toothbrush
* Charmin Ultra Strong^®
* Oral-B^® Glide 3D White Radiant Mint Floss Picks
* Duracell^® Ultra Power^™
* Swiffer^® WetJet^® Extra Power Pad with the scrubbing power of Mr. Clean^® Magic Eraser
* Gillette^® Venus & Olay^™ Razor
* ZzzQuil^™
 *Head & Shoulders^® Damage Rescue Shampoo or Conditioner
* Herbal Essences

If you’re interested, I suggest you sign up ASAP. These will run out!

These three holiday drinks are buy one, get one free now through Sunday. Photo by Starbucks.

Today (Dec. 13) through Sunday Starbucks is offering holiday beverages (caramel brulee lattes, peppermint mochas and gingerbread lattes) buy one, get one free from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

That sounds like a perfect excuse to make a coffee date. Plus, there’s no coupon necessary — which makes this deal even better.

If you stop in a Shoney’s today, be sure to take advantage of this deal!

The details are pretty simple. Drop in to any participating restaurant and you can get a free hot fudge cake.

There’s no purchase necessary, but this offer is only for dine-in customers.

Click here for more information.

This would make a great stocking stuffer.

Like the CVS MinuteClinic on Facebook and you can get a coupon for a free purse size Essence of Beauty hand cream.

The email will be emailed to you shortly after signing up and is good through Dec. 31. Registration for the coupon is open through Dec. 27, or while supplies last. I suggest signing up sooner rather than later.

I have never used a Coinstar machine before because I wasn’t willing to pay the usual fee just to have my change cashed in — but this new promotion is tempting.

Coinstar now offering shoppers gift cards when they trade in their change with new “The Coin to Card” option. Better yet, there’s no fee. How convenient!

Here’s what the website says about the offer:
“Just choose Free Coin Counting and the eCertificate or gift card you’d like. Then cash in, keep it all. ”

Some of the gift cards you can choose from include Papa Johns, Gap, iTunes, Amazon, CVS, Lowes, JC Penney, Sears, Toys R Us and Old Navy.

I can never seem to find those little paper tubes whenever I’m actually in the mood to round up all of that loose change, so this might be my new go-to plan.

For more information, click here.

Whether you’re ready for it or not, Christmas is approaching — and fast.

If you’re already in the spirit, check out this free holiday music playlist from People Magazine. These free downloads feature some of today’s most popular country acts.

Here’s the full playlist:
* Brad Paisley, “Away in a Manger”
* Lady Antebellum, “The First Noel”
* Sara Evans, “O Come All Ya Faithful”
* Scotty McCreery, “Jingle Bells”
* Gloriana, “O Holy Night”
* Sammy Kershaw, “Up on the Housetop”
* Katie Armiger, “I Just Want to be with You this Christmas”

Click here to download your songs now. This deal expires on Jan. 4.

You can get this "Indivisible" bracelet for free by visiting Starbucks today.

Texas Tavern in downtown Roanoke is offering a free bowl of chile to any customers who come in with an “I voted” sticker between 6 a.m. and midnight. Click here for more details.

Bojangles is offering those with an “I voted” sticker a free cup of coffee with any purchase today. Click here for more details.

The New York Times (click here) and Wall Street Journal (click here) are both offering free unlimited website access today while the numbers unfold. Of course, you can also get all of your local updates for free from The Roanoke Times here.

Visit Olive Garden with your “I voted” sticker and you’ll be rewarded with a free dolcini (one of the restaurant’s “little dessert treats”) with the purchase of any adult entree. Click here for more details.

Chili’s is offering customers a free appetizer with this printable coupon.

Also, here’s a list of online retailers offering special promo codes today.

[UPDATE: The River and Rail on Crystal Spring Avenue in Roanoke is offering customers who visit today with an "I voted" sticker $5 off each entree and one complimentary "For the Table" order per table. To view the menu, click here.

Also, I've seen reports on other blogs and news sites about Krispy Kreme, 7-Eleven and Chick-Fil-A locations offering voters special freebies. I've been in contact with the companies and all of these reports are false.]

[UPDATE: Growler's American Grill and Venue in Towers Mall is offering customers with an "I voted" sticker 10% off food purchases, plus other specials. See the restaurant's Facebook page for more information.]

[UPDATE: Growler's American Grill has extended its deal to all customers who make food purchases this evening, no voting sticker required.]

Additionally, Politico posted this interesting article earlier this week explaining why it’s actually illegal for companies to offer freebies and discounts to voters. If no proof of voting is required, however, the deal is legal (like the coupon from Chili’s or the bracelet from Starbucks). It will be interesting to see how restaurants and retailers react.

[UPDATE: O'Charley's will be offering veterans and active duty military a free meal from the "$9.99er" menu with valid military ID or proof of service on Nov. 12.] 

Veterans Day is coming up on Sunday, Nov. 11, and in honor of the holiday many restaurants and retailers are offering special promotions for veterans.

Additionally, there’s a whole host of events available for veterans next weekend in the Roanoke area. The Blue Ridge Veterans Celebration is one of the biggest and spans three days.

By picking up a free button from any local Member One Federal Credit Union, veterans will gain free entry to various events, be treated to free meals and receive a discount at local businesses. The buttons are also available for $15
to the public.

Each button will earn participants entrance into the National D-Day Memorial for a tour Friday, a reception that night at 202 Market in downtown Roanoke (light refreshments included), a barbecue at Railside Stage in downtown Roanoke after the parade on Nov. 10 and a cookout at the Vinton-Roanoke County Veterans Monument on Nov. 11.

Discounts that can be received with the button from local businesses include:

The Gift Niche: 10 percent off purchases Nov. 9-11

202 Market: 10 percent off food Nov. 9-11

Orvis: 10 percent off regular-price items Nov. 9-11.

Flannery’s Irish Pub: 10 percent off regular-price food Nov. 9-11.

Davidson’s: 10 percent off regular-price items Nov. 9-11.

Benny Marconi’s: free can of soda with a slice of pizza Nov. 9-16.

Corned Beef & Co.: 10 percent off all food Nov. 9-16.

Cyclo & Ward: 10 percent off regular-price parts and accessories Nov. 9-16.

More businesses could be added to this list before the event, so check www.blueridgeveteranscelebration.com for more information.

National offerings

Here’s a roundup of other deals available throughout the Roanoke and New River valleys for those who served our country.

Applebee’s: A free meal from the Veterans Day Menu on Nov. 11 with proof of military service. Beverages and gratuity are not included; valid for dine-in only.

 Krispy Kreme: Veterans and active duty military members in uniform or with proof of service will receive a small coffee and a doughnut on
Nov. 11. No purchase necessary.

Hooters: With the purchase of a drink, veterans and active duty military members will receive 10 free boneless wings on Nov. 11. Military ID or proof of service is required.

Little Caesars: With a valid military ID customers will receive a free order of Crazy Bread.

Travel Centers of America: CDL (commercial driver’s license) drivers who are also military veterans can get a free meal at any full-service restaurant in Travel Centers of America, including Country Pride, up to a $15 value. Proof of military service plus a CDL license is required.

Lodging: Visit www.betterwaytostay.com to view a list of bed and breakfasts offering active duty military members and veterans plus one guest a free night’s stay. Rooms are offered on a space available basis and details can vary by location. There are participating locations in Roanoke and the surrounding area.

National parks: Nov. 10-12, the U.S. National Parks will waive entry fees. Additionally, active duty military members and their dependents can get an America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass for free, an $80 value. According to www.nps.gov, the fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

Home Depot: The retailer offers a year-round military discount of 10 percent for active military members, but this is extended to veterans with ID on Nov. 11. There is a $500 maximum in savings.

Lowe’s: The year-round military members discount of 10 percent is extended to all veterans on Nov. 11 with a valid Form DD214 or other proof of service. This offer is valid in-store only and cannot be combined with any other promotions.

Golden Corral: On Nov. 12, the restaurant is offering veterans and active duty military members a free dinner buffet and beverage. No identification is necessary, and restaurants nationwide will be participating. This deal is valid for dine-in only.

Denny’s: Active duty military members and veterans can get free all-you-can-eat pancakes from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 12. A military ID must be presented to receive the deal.

Outback Steakhouse: With a valid ID or proof of service veterans and active duty military members can receive a free Bloomin’ Onion and Coca-Cola product on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12.
From Nov. 13 through Dec. 31, a military discount of 10 percent off the entire check will be given.

Olive Garden: Veterans and active duty military members with proof of service will receive a free entree from a special menu, which includes breadsticks and a choice of soup or salad.

Red Lobster: Veterans and active duty military members with proof of service will receive a free entree appetizer from nine available options.

LongHorn Steakhouse: Veterans and active duty military members with proof of service will receive a free Texas Tonion and non-alcoholic beverage.

Subway: With proof of service or ID, veterans can receive a free 6-inch sub or flatbread on Nov. 12.

Dollar General: Active duty military members, veterans and all immediate family will receive a discount of 11 percent off of their entire purchase on Nov. 11.

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores: From Nov. 8 through Nov. 12, present proof of military service, past or present, or a Military Dependent ID to receive 20 percent off your total purchase, including regular, sale-priced and clearance items. There are some exclusions, and the offer cannot be combined with other discounts of coupons.

TGI Fridays: With proof of service, veterans can get a free lunch between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. from a set lunch menu.

Big Lots: On Nov. 10 veterans with a valid military ID will receive 10 percent off their entire purchase. Some exclusions apply.

Walgreens: Veterans and active duty military members will receive 15 percent off eligible store purchases and 20 percent off Walgreens and W brand products on Nov. 11 with military ID or proof of service.

All of these deals are valid at participating locations only, so you might consider calling ahead to be sure your favorite location will honor the deal.

For a nice list of year-round military discounts, click here.

Veterans Day is coming up on November 12. Stock photo.

Ok, readers, time to chime in.

I’m working on a column about freebies and deals for veterans in honor of Veterans Day (Nov. 11).

I’ve got a great list so far, but I don’t want to miss your favorites.

If you’re a military vet, or know someone who is, share your favorite discounts in the comments section below. I’m especially interested to see if I can find any deals at local retailers and restaurants.

I know many of you have been suggesting this list for a while, so hopefully it leads to big savings for some people who really deserve it.

Note: The 3rd Annual Virginia Veterans Parade in Downtown Roanoke is happening Saturday, Nov. 10 at 11 a.m.

Outback Steakhouse has a few money saving promotions coming your way this week.

On Wednesday, you can get a free kids meal with the purchase of an adult entree. Who needs candy?

Additionally, if you find the “The Treat” in the beverage book on your table Wednesday, tell your server and you’ll get a coupon for a free steak dinner to use on your next visit. The graphic to the left is what you should search for.

Know of any other sweet deals on Halloween? Share them below.

Which doughnut will you choose? They all look wicked delicious.

Visit Krispy Kreme on Halloween (this Wednesday) in costume and you can get a free Halloween or pumpkin spice doughnut.

There’s no purchase necessary, and only one doughnut per customer.

Take a break from all that candy and enjoy this sweet deal!

Looking to brighten your weekday evenings? You might check out the new specials at Penny Deux Lounge in The Patrick Henry.

Each Wednesday the Lounge offers complementary hors d’oevres from 5 to 6:30 p.m., as well as other happy hour specials from 4 to 7 p.m.

Each Thursday the Lounge offers complementary pizza slices from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Haven’t tried The Penny Deux Lounge yet? Now might be your opportunity!

Click the map below for directions.

View Larger Map

This week’s prize on the Best of Holiday Shopping blog is lunch with your favorite Roanoke Times blogger. Just leave a comment on the Best of blog telling us who you voted for in the best restaurant category.

You have all week to enter and then a winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!

Note: Any comments left on this blog will not be eligible, you must comment on the Best of blog.

Visit a Redbox kiosk today (Wednesday, Oct. 10) and you can get a free one-night movie or game rental with the code BIRTHDAY.

This is a fun way to relax mid-week!

Additionally, if you sign up for the email or text list Redbox will send you an additional code good for 50 cents off through Sunday.

This booklet from P&G Home Made Simple is full of coupons. Graphic by P&G Home Made Simple.

There are two new sets of P&G freebies and coupons available now.

You can also visit P&G Everyday, where you can sign up for free coupons and samples of products like Crest, Tampax, Bounty, Febreze, Pampers and more.

These coupons and samples should arrive in your mailbox in a few weeks.

Some of the P&G samples and coupons up for grabs. Graphic by P&G Everyday.