My Birthday Crawl: 2022 Edition.
Results from my never-ending quest to get free stuff.
In 2018 I started a tradition in my family to celebrate my love of free stuff and community fun. It’s called the birthday crawl. And today is my birthday.
What is a birthday crawl?
A birthday crawl is like a pub crawl but without alcohol. You go from restaurant to restaurant to obtain whatever freebie they offer.
What are the rules?
You can do a birthday crawl with your flair and design. These are the guidelines I set for mine.
1. Only free stuff, no purchase necessary.
Skip any place that wants you to buy an entree for a free dessert. These are great places for a birthday dinner with friends and family, but they are not befitting a good crawl.
2. Always tip your server.
I have no problems getting free stuff from multi-billion dollar companies, but waiters and waitresses work very hard for terrible wages. Tip them at least 25% of the original cost of the freebie.
3. Don’t eat everything.
A birthday crawl is a fun event, not a sorority hazing. Eating everything you earn in one day is not healthy. I always keep a small cooler in the back of my car to save food for later.
4. Have fun!
Personalize it. Wear costumes. Bring friends. Share the food. Decorate your car. Wear a birthday hat. Post on social media. You want people smiling when you leave the restaurant. I take selfies with anyone that gives me free stuff and post on Instagram #birthdaycrawl
Highlights from previous years.
2018
Inaugural year. I tried bringing my wife and daughters along. It… wasn’t their jam.
2019
I started using the hashtag #birthdaycrawl on Facebook. My friend Gabe, who shares a birthday with me, came along. We landed two of everything for free. It was awesome!
- Two movies (John Wick 3, Toy Story 4)
- Escape Room
- Pasta Dinner
- Burrito
- Sub
- Frozen Yogurt
- Popsicle
- Iced Coffee
- Donut
2020
So many businesses closed, and employees lost their jobs due to the pandemic. It felt wrong to try to get free stuff in that environment. Instead, my daughter and I did an inverted crawl. We bought food at full price and tipped generously everywhere we went. We brought joy, laughter, and enthusiasm to as many people as possible and took tons of great pictures.
2021
Last year was the first year my daughter joined me for a typical crawl. She doesn’t have the free stuff stamina of Gabe, but she still nailed it.
This year’s crawl.
Only successful stops are listed.
Pre-crawl Stop:
Dollar Tree. I bought a birthday balloon for all the selfies.
First Stop
Chick-fil-A. Free 12 Count Nuggets* with the app. Value: $6.50
*Reward based on membership status.
Second Stop
Local Coffee Shop. Free Drink of Any Kind. Value: $5.50
Third Stop
Local Deli. No official rewards, but they gave me a free cookie. Value: $2.50
Fourth Stop
Local Sandwich Shop. No official rewards, but the owner thought my daughter and I were cute, so she gave us a bag of Doritos. Value: $1.00
Fifth Stop
Krispy Kreme. Free Dozen Donuts* Value: $12.50
*Must be a rewards member.
Sixth Stop
Firehouse Subs. Free Medium Sub* with the app. Value: *9.00
*App is restricted to age 16 and older. But Firehouse lets you sign up younger kids for birthday promotions using email.
Sixth Stop
Local Bakery. Free Donut. Value $1.50
Seventh Stop
Publix. No official promotion, but the bakery manager gave me a free cookie. Value: $0.50
Eighth Stop
Sweet Frog. Free 12oz. Frozen Yogurt* Value: $5.00
*I made a rookie mistake and went over the $5.00 threshold. It cost me $0.17.
Ninth Stop
Moes Southwest Grill. Free Burrito with the app. Value: $8.50
Tenth Stop
Provinos Italian Resteraunt. Free Meal up to $17.50. Value: $17.50
Expenses
Gasoline. -$5.00
Balloon. -$1.25
Extra Yogurt. $-0.17
Tips. Undisclosed
Totals
Value of free stuff: $70.00
Minus Expenses. -$6.42
Net Value of Free Stuff: $63.58
Something to note:
Many of the app promotions are available for 30 days. I like crawling all day, but you could make it into birthday week or another format. Many local places did not have an official policy but were still willing to give something when we asked. We made several stops where the answer was no, and we politely thanked the staff.
Final thoughts:
What I love most about the Birthday Crawl is that it brings so many unique people into the celebration. Whenever I tell someone how it works, they get excited and tell me about town birthday and what they plan to do. I don’t have much of a following on social media, but all my friends follow along and comment as we go. When your birthday comes, you should try it. Or wait til next year and join me in the crawl.
Happy birthday to me. :)
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