Image description: A group of seven Queen’s University students stand outdoors on a sunny day, smiling and raising their arms in celebration. They are wearing matching navy rugby-style shirts with bold red and yellow horizontal stripes, associated with Queen’s school spirit. Some have face paint in similar colors, and one person wears a baseball cap. Behind them is a stone campus building with a peaked roof and a tall evergreen tree. Source: https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/future-students/student-experience
If you’re a grad student on a budget and someone who loves free things, this post is for you. Building on Graziella’s How to Save and Earn More as a Grad Student series, this post looks at how to make the most of free rewards on your birthday.
We all take our annual trip around the sun, which means we all technically have access to the same set of birthday offers each year. The difference is whether you actually know about them in time to use them.
This year, Charlie and I decided to treat my birthday a little differently. Instead of only cashing in my usual free Sephora birthday gift, we turned the day into a small experiment to see how many of these perks we could actually claim. It turned out to be a lot of fun and too many perks to fit into one day.
Here’s what we learned:
- Most places require you to download their app and sign up at least two weeks before your birthday. If you’re reading this now, take a moment to download them before you forget. You can also make a birthday folder so you’re not overloaded with apps on your screen.
- Some offers require at least one purchase within the past year.
- One (Starbucks) required you to preload money onto the app before you can redeem anything.
- Timing varies. Some perks are only available on your actual birthday, while others extend across a birthday week or are available a few days prior.
- Reading the fine print matters more than you think, especially if you want to avoid disappointment on the day itself.
What follows is a choose your own adventure guide to navigating birthday rewards as a grad student.
1. But first coffee or a smoothie?
Starbucks
I chose tea. This is one of the more complicated ones. You need to sign up early, make a purchase ahead of time, and have money loaded onto your app. The preloaded money requirement was new to me and I did not know about that part going in. Even though my app did not have the reward loaded, the barista still welcomed me and gave me my birthday drink. This is your chance to get the fancy coffee or tea with all the add-ons you normally would not justify buying.
Booster Juice
From what I learned, Booster Juice also requires you to sign up and make a purchase ahead of time.
2.Breakfast: On the Run or Dine In?
Tim Hortons
This was an easy one and the one we chose because of this. You sign up and do not need to make a purchase. I cashed in my free birthday egg sandwich, and it was great.
IHOP
Charlie couldn’t dine in and the patios weren’t open yet so I am not sure on these two. For IHOP it looks like a free full stack of pancakes available through the rewards app available 3 day prior to your birthday.
Denny’s
Available only in person on your birthday for a Grand Slam Breakfast. Dine in only.
Freshly Baked or Frozen? I did both.
COBS Bread
Sign up for their rewards program and you get my personal favourite treat, a freshly baked, gooey, cinnamon bun. They are also one of the only places I know that offers something on your half birthday, which is playful and fun.
Marble Slab Creamery
A free regular-sized cone where you can choose your flavours and toppings. You need to sign up 2 weeks in advance, but no purchase is necessary. This was my first time going to Marble Slab, since I do not usually have extra money for something like this, so it felt special.
Many restaurants downtown, usually chains rather than independently owned spots, will also offer a free birthday dessert. I called ahead and Aqua Terra said they would, but it never actually happened, which was disappointing.
Skincare, Hair Care, or Makeup?
Sephora
Every year on my birthday I get excited for this one. You get a free birthday gift if you have signed up and made a purchase at Sephora over the past year. They were out of my first choice, so I chose the Tower 28 Beauty Everyday Must Duo, which includes Tower 28 Beauty SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray and the Beauty Shine On Lip Jelly in Pistachio. I have not tried them yet, but I am excited to.
There are likely many other birthday perks out there, including coupons and retail offers, but this is a good starting point.
For one day, grad school budgeting gets a little more playful, and your birthday gets a little more special. With Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Booster Juice on campus and Marble Slab close by, these are some of the easiest ones to access.
So how to make the most of grad school? When your special day rolls around, choose your own birthday rewards adventure. Celebrate you!